Hand therapy is a type of rehabilitation performed by an occupational or physical therapist with patients who suffer from conditions affecting the hands and upper extremities. Therapy enables patients to hasten their return to a productive lifestyle.
When a person experiences a tendon injury in the hand that affects the ability to flex or extend the hand properly and in a safe way, he or she likely will have a difficult time completing everyday tasks, such as bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, using the bathroom, and attending to chores at home and at work.
Every year, hand injuries result in more than a million emergency room visits, making them the second-most common work-related injury, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a condition affecting the hand and wrist. The carpal tunnel is a space in the wrist surrounded by wrist bones and by a rigid ligament that links the bones together.
According to the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hand injuries account for 1,080,000 emergency department visits by workers per year in the United States. Hand injuries resulting from cuts and puncture cost the construction industry $382 million each year; this injury figure is second only to back strain and sprain injury, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
• The person is seriously injured.
• Injury includes amputation.
• Bone is protruding through skin.
• Bleeding cannot be stopped after several minutes of firm pressure.
• Blood spurts from the wound.
There are times when your family physician may not be able to give you the time and expertise needed to treat a variety of hand disorders. This is where the hand specialist comes in, and you can ask your family doc for a referral.
As women age, health issues specific to perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid and other inflammatory arthritic conditions, tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and fractures are more common in women than men, according to The Institute for Hand and Upper Extremity Rehabilitation.
