The Occupational Therapy Guide to Hand Therapy Interventions
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Did we ever realise how important our hands are until we face a problem/issue in our day-to-day activities? Simple activities like holding objects, handshaking, lifting things become difficult if we face hand-related issues like pain, stiffness, injury, or swelling. Hand therapy is required to overcome and manage the issue effectively.
So, what is Hand Therapy?
Hand Therapy is a classified and specialist stream of Occupational Therapy (OT) and Physiotherapy that encompasses diagnosing and treating conditions of the upper limb and hand.
Hand Therapy interventions and treatment procedures are discussed in the article. Several medical problems are attributed to a reduction in daily activities due to stiffness, pain, and swelling in the hand. This problem may arise due to multiple factors and the common interventions are outlined below:
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
CTS is one of the common issues related to the upper limb that results in median nerve compression in the wrist. It results in impaired nerve function disturbing movement of the hand. The treatment procedures include splinting, physiotherapy, medicines and injections, or surgery is advised in severe CTS patients.
The conservative treatment plan of Splinting and Physiotherapy is designed for moderate CTS patients. The patients should be enlightened about the post-surgical treatment procedure so that they can compare the difference (pros and cons) of both conservative and surgical procedures to treat CTS.
Grip strengthening exercises are suggested post-surgery.
Open Reduction Internal Fixation
ORIF of the wrist is a surgical intervention that is useful to repair fractured or broken wrist bones. Such a surgical procedure aims to realign the broken/fractured bones. Internal Fixation means using medical plates and screws to enable mobility and healing. Full recovery post-surgery is possible with physiotherapy.
Tennis and Golfer’s Elbow
This is a common issue faced by athletes and people who work a lot using their hands. Overuse and trauma are the main causes of this issue. Proper treatment can help to resume normal activities. Forearm tendons get inflamed or injured due to overuse. Talking about medical terms, Tennis Elbow is called Lateral Epicondylitis and Golfer’s Elbow is called Medial Epicondylitis. Exercises, splinting, and physiotherapy are the prescribed treatments to treat the issues. Grip strengthening exercises like squeezing balls are the most effective and easy to perform for the patients.
Thumb Carpometacarpal Osteoarthritis
CMC is a point between the metacarpal of the thumb and the trapezium carpal bone. Laxity of the ligament contributes to osteoarthritis of the CMC joint. Deterioration of bone and pain in the area restricts movement of the hand. It is a common degenerative joint disease causing pain in the base of the thumb. Common treatment options include Splinting, grip/hand therapy exercises, and pain management.
De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis
This is a disorder that causes wrist pain in the radial styloid. It affects the tendons on the thumb area of the wrist. Turning the wrist will cause pain and making a fist becomes challenging. Activities that require consistent use of the wrist and thumb like gardening, golfing/racket sports, and lifting objects become difficult to perform.
The conservative treatment for the issue is Splinting and exercise. In severe cases, the experts might suggest surgery.
Final Thoughts:
These are some of the common hand therapy interventions and patients who suffer from such problems can undergo the treatment to restore hand mobility. Grip strengthening exercises can be performed under expert supervision and can be easily carried out with the help of the Squegg smart ball.
Cook Her A Delicious Meal
Gift your Mom a day off from the kitchen by preparing some of her favorite dishes: breakfast in bed or a nice, cozy family dinner. Want to kick it up a notch? Clean the utensils and kitchen floor post the meal while she feels comfortable and relaxed.
Create A Handmade Mother’s Day Card
Handcrafted cards are a great way of conveying genuine gratitude and affection. Instead of getting a ready-made printed card, give it a personal touch by writing about how thankful you are for all that she has done for you.
Make A Photo Collage
On a good quality cut out paper, collect some old photos that have sentimental value to her. Artistically paste them and give subtle highlights to make them aesthetic and pleasing to the eyes. Gift the collage to your Mom and notice how her eyes light up!
A Full Body Check-up, To Ensure She is Fit
Moms are usually so caught up in family matters that they completely ignore their health. As a loving child, take the initiative and convince her to have a full-body check- up. Spend some quality time with her by going for a walk and a nice little chat. Let her feel blissful and adored on this special day
Gift Her A Healthy Lifestyle With Squegg
Handgrip level is a vital parameter for your Mom’s muscle strength. Gift her the goodness of a compact, ergonomic, and durable smart device for grip training via Squegg. This gesture is the perfect way for elevating her lifestyle and telling her that you care for her health and wellbeing.
Squegg App Latest Version Is Here
Squegg is a product that has been designed to be fun, convenient, and engaging. It’s compact and user-friendly. The app is an integral part of the Squegg experience. And hence, it was of prime importance that we get the app updated and ready to go!
Grip Strength As A Biomarker
Grip strength has always been an overlooked area. Even the topmost fitness enthusiasts fail to put enough importance on this matter. Most people are concerned with the physical training of other body parts yet grip training is rarely included in that.
How Can Squegg Smart Grip Trainer Help In Busting Stress?
Handgrip exercises using a squeeze ball can stimulate & contract your nerves and muscles thereby strengthening them. This activity, in turn, benefits the functioning of your nervous system and releases hormones that eliminate stress.
Strengthen Your Hold on Blood Pressure With Squegg
Isometric exercises that require you to apply tension on a particular muscle group lead to significant improvement in BP levels. As per Considerable, An experiment conducted at the Miami University showcased improved BP regulation in people who performed grip exercises.
