South County, MO Hand Therapy

South County, MO Hand Therapy. As humans the tasks and actions we come across in daily life require heavy use of our hands and arms. Our hands are exceptionally complex, made up of different types of joints, bones, and an intricate system of blood vessels, nerves, tendons, and muscles, all of which must move in concert to make fine motor control possible to to button a shirt, hold a pen, or answer the phone. When you have a condition or injury that affects any part of your hand, wrist, forearm, or elbow, you need the skilled care provided by a South County, MO hand therapist.

Skilled hand therapy can be the difference between a successful recovery and return to normal activities versus suffering from lasting complications, pain, and limitations. Your specific injury will determine the design of your personal hand therapy program. Goals for recovery will include protection and possible splinting, pain management, graded movement restoration, strengthening, and improvement of fine motor skills along with other hand, wrist, arm, and shoulder functions, making it possible for you to live, work, and play without pain.Axes Physical Therapy delivers quality hand therapy near you. Contact us today to get more information about our hand therapy program or to schedule your first appointment.

What is Hand Therapy?

Hand therapy is a medical sub-specialty under the general field of occupational or physical therapy. Hand therapists treat acute and chronic conditions of the fingers, hands, wrists, arms, and elbows. The purpose of hand therapy is to improve upper extremity function as it relates to the nature of your condition.

Anatomy, physiology, and joint kinesiology principles are combined in hand therapy to understand and treat. Experienced hand therapists apply their extensive knowledge and understanding of how the human hand, wrist, forearm, elbow, arm and shoulder work together so that their patients can perform activities of daily living, go to work, or play sports. Hand therapists undergo continuous education on clinically researched best practices and medically proven approaches to managing upper extremity injuries. They apply scientific evidence and work closely with the best orthopedic and plastic hand surgeons in the South County, MO. The exact treatment is always dependent upon the patient, their condition, and their goals.

Hand Therapists

A physical therapist or occupational therapist who has specifically trained in treating the hand, wrist, arm, elbow, and shoulder is a hand therapist. They must go through advanced education and have clinical experience caring for a wide scope of conditions including traumas, chronic diseases, muscoskeletal injuries, neurological conditions, and deformities that affect the upper extremity.

Some physical and occupational therapists pursue and obtain advanced certification in hand therapy practices. These professionals hold the title of a Certified Hand Therapist – also known as a CHT. There is a rigorous qualification process that one must complete in order to qualify as a CHT. That process includes three years of professional practice including 4,000 hours of upper extremity treatment and an intensive certification exam. In addition, hand therapists must requalify every five years to retain their certification.

Axes Physical Therapy employs some of the most talented physical therapists and occupational therapists in the South County, MO area, including several accomplished Certified Hand Therapists. Our dedicated CHT’s work continuously to meet the rigorous demands required to maintain their certification and provide the best hand therapy to each of their patients. We match each patient with the therapist who is best equipped to meet his or her hand therapy needs.

Hand Therapy Applications

Hand therapy treats upper extremity complains such as:

• Chronic conditions (i.e. osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis)
• Acute and chronic pain
• Swelling
• Joint injuries
• Fractures
• strains and sprains
• Joint dislocation
• Burns
• Tendon lacerations
• Post-surgical management and rehabilitation
• Tendonitis and tendonosis
• Compression syndromes (i.e. carpal tunnel)
• Nerve and neurological conditions
• Infections
• Amputations and limb and digit reattachments

Axes Physical Therapy South County, MO treatment for your hand, wrist, or elbow complaint will be delivered with the expert care of a Certified Hand Therapist. In addition to the highly technical evaluation and treatment of your upper extremity injury, every Axes patient is treated with a comprehensive and personalized approach. We treat each patient entirely – from the source of your discomfort to the activities your condition has affected – with a focus on helping you return to the activities you love the most. Our client-centered approach means that your experience and recovery matter most to us. Your South County, MO hand therapy specialist will formulate an intricate treatment plan based on your history, medical and surgical procedures (if any), and your goals for recovery.

When you are trying to determine whether South County, MO hand therapy is for you, consider what this treatment option can do for you. Hand therapy offers:

• Treatment without surgery
• Improved upper extremity function
• Management of acute and chronic pain
• Reduced sensitivity to nerve-related problems
• Recovery from tendon and nerve injuries
• Improved movement and strength
• Reduced stiffness
• New, modified ways to execute everyday activities
• Preparation to return to work

South County, MO Hand Therapy Treatment

Hand therapy treatment is unique to each injury and patient. Your hand therapy treatment team will apply their skill and expertise in upper extremity anatomy and function combined with an in-depth understanding of your personal goals and priorities. Depending on the nature of your injury or condition, the affected areas, and what kind of activities you wish to return to, your hand therapist will conceive of a treatment plan that works for you. Together with your CHT, you will focus on objecvtives like improving strength, reducing stiffness, managing pain, practicing movement, or preventing further medical complications like infection and improper healing.

Your South County, MO hand therapist will make use of non-operative interventions, preventative care, and rehabilitation strategies to guide you back to the upper extremity function that is important in your daily life. Patients of all kinds, from those with minor isolated fingertip injuries, complex neurological conditions, and everyone in between all count on South County, MO hand therapy to get back to the everyday tasks life demands – such as unlocking and opening doors – as well as the occupational tasks specific to their unique lives – which could include work duties like typing and lifting and personal functions like holding a baby.

Hand therapy programs can include a host of different treatment methods. You see the most optimal results when you take an active role in your South County, MO hand therapy. Your hand therapist will work closely with you and your medical providers to evaluate which treatments make the most sense and best meet your needs.

Hand therapy may include:

• Home exercises
• Education
• Functional activities
• Exercise
• Manual interventions
• Relearning muscle or neural movements
• Work simulations
• Laceration care
• Dexterity training
• Custom splinting
• Wound and scar care

Other care and treatment provided by Axes Physical Therapy are things such as:

• Hip Replacement Physical Therapy
• Workers Comp' Physical Therapy
• Migraine Relief
• Sprain and Strain Treatment
• Geriatric Physical Therapy
• Injury Rehabilitation
• Pain Management Services
• TMJ Treatment
• Herniated Disc Treatment
• Rotator Cuff Tear Treatment

Hand Therapy Treatment Near South County, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

You have a hand, wrist, arm, or shoulder injury or condition that makes it difficult to function in your daily life. Through our Certified Hand Therapists, Axes Physical Therapy’s hand therapy provides the expert care and treatment that will restore the movement, flexibility, and strength necessary to accomplish the tasks you come across every day.

Finger, hand, wrist, forearm, elbow, arm, and shoulder conditions and injuries are often complex, and recovery can be challenging. Put your recovery in the hands of the leading South County, MO hand therapists by scheduling an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today. Our several locations that offer hand therapy are locally owned and operated, with this one conveniently located in the South County, MO area. Contact us or request an appointment online today.