What to expect from Physical Therapy/Hand Therapy
Overview: Physical Therapists/Hand Therapists are educated to offer services to a wide range of people of all ages when their health issues limit strength and mobility, and/or their ability to function during activities of daily life, work and recreational endeavors. The physical therapist, using information gathered from other medical professionals such as doctors and various forms of medical imaging sources, will examine the patient for limitations and create a treatment plan to address issues such as pain and edema while working toward increasing their ability to function in their day to day activities. Depending on the patients specific condition a Physical Therapist/Hand Therapist will focus on short term and long term goals in order to progress from a highly debilitated stage to a fully functional, or as close as possible to fully functional stage. To do this the Therapist has a treasure chest of tools and skills used to attain results in each level of rehabilitation. Modalities such as Electrical Stimulization, Moist Heat, Cold Packs and Ultrsound can be used to decrease pain and swelling and speed up the healing process. A Hand Therapist will also evaluate the need for custom splinting and has the skills to make splints that are necessary to assist in the rehabilitation of hand, wrist and elbow injuries. Theraputic stretches, supervised exercises and home exercises can then be administered to work on flexibility, strength, endurance, balance and coordination. The Therapist will evaluate the patient’s progress periodically to ensure that set goals are being reached, and to gradually move the patient on to higher levels of success based on their speed of healing and individual abilities. This evaluation process and proper patient education is important to limit the risk of re-injury or complications. If you have any questions or concerns surrounding your diagnosis or therapy needs, feel free to call any of the experienced professionals at Dynamic Rehab.