Brushing your teeth. Texting a friend. Making a pot of coffee. Your hands are on the go all day long, which makes arthritis-related hand pain all the more devastating. Hand therapy can help when pain or disfigurement from arthritis interferes with your life.
Certified hand therapists are physical and occupational therapists who specialize in helping people maintain use of their hands. These therapists teach strategies that help patients develop ways to preserve joints, minimize pain, and become more efficient with their hand motion.
In addition, hand therapy can help preserve your hand strength and increase your range of motion — so day-to-day tasks are easier to manage.
Dwight Heller is an occupational therapist and certified hand therapist at UPMC Susquehanna. Read his blog post on how it can help those with joint pain.