Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Giving People a Hand with Therapy

We take for granted the use of our hands in our everyday lives. But when we have a hand injury or a disease that can cause the need for surgery, it can have a serious impact on how we function. It can affect the way we care for our personal needs, perform our jobs and participate in exercise activities.

I came to know the difference, first hand, by seeing an occupational therapist. An occupational therapist can help you maximize the recovery from your injury or surgery so you can return to your normal activities.

Following hand and finger surgery by Dr. Robert Forster, I have been receiving hand therapy by Gina McGucken, OTR, twice a week at the Martin Memorial Raub Rehabilitation Center, located at the Smithfield Plaza in Stuart.

After an application of nice, warm Paraffin heat on my hand, she proceeds to massage and mobilize my fingers. I feel like a child again when she has me doing very elementary movements like taking small blocks with Velcro off wood and moving them to the table, and back. But amazingly these activities assist in gaining mobility of the stiff joints. At the end of my treatment session, I get to ice the fingers and have a compression wrap applied to assist with the swelling.

I do understand the term “no pain, no gain” and after three weeks, my fingers are back to the computer again and soon, I’ll be back in the garden.

Here are a few of the types of conditions that an OT can treat:

  • Fractures
  • Tennis and golfer’s elbow
  • Tendinitis of wrists, fingers, and thumbs
  • Ligament injuries
  • Crush injuries
  • Muscle strains and sprains
  • Compression syndromes (Carpal Tunnel)
  • Nerve injuries
  • Tendon injuries
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Amputations and reconstructive surgery
  • Arthritis
  • Burns
  • Scars
  • Wound care

--Debbie North
Lead Marketing Representative

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