Hand Therapy Is For All Ages: Can Kids Benefit From Hand Therapy?
Being a mom of two toddlers, I know how easily injuries happen in children as they learn to explore their world. While we want to keep our children bubble-wrapped so they never have to experience pain, the Occupational Therapist in me realizes how important it is for their brain development to explore their world. My kids have amazed me at how easy it is to get a finger stuck in a toy or while racing outside to play, the door pinches the hand, or the fall during a sport-like activity leaves my little one clutching his/her arm.
Occupational Therapy At A Glance: What It Is and What It’s Not
Happy Occupational Therapy Month! Since 1980, April has been the month to celebrate occupational therapy (OT) nationally. Even though the profession started in the early 1900s, there are still misconceptions about the practice that remain to this day. Let’s explore what occupational therapy is, what it’s not, and what it could do for you!
A Helping Hand: How Hand Therapy Can Help You Recover After A Hand Injury
The hand is an essential component in almost every aspect of our daily lives. Hands are required in common tasks like driving, cooking, dressing, eating, and grooming. Hand injuries are amongst the most common injuries in the US. In fact, according to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, the hand is the second most common body part to be injured at work. Participation in hand therapy following a hand injury is proven to help patients recover. According to recent studies, patients who attended hand therapy following a wrist fracture achieved significantly greater increases in wrist range of motion and grip strength after six weeks compared to patients who received no therapy. In this blog we will be discussing the importance of participation in hand therapy following a hand injury or surgery.
Joint Protection Strategies
Since April is Occupational Therapy Month, our OT’s have put together a list of modifications that can help to decrease forces on hands and other joints. This chart has modifications that many people encounter daily. These adaptations will allow you to use less force which will avoid pain, prevent arthritic changes, and help to prevent deforming forces and injury.
Textbooks to Tablets: How to Prevent Upper Body Pain in an Increasingly Digital Learning Environment
Our digital world is ever expanding, and one may find themselves required to spend more time using technology for work, learning, and leisure. If this applies to you or your family members, it is important to be aware of how we interact to the digital world to prevent injuries that can result from prolonged positions which compromise good posture and ergonomics, resulting in pain.
Q and A with an Occupational Therapist
During Occupational Therapy Month, we sat down with OT health expert Erik Krol to discuss what is Occupational Therapy and what you can expect in regard to your recovery.
How Burns Benefit from Hand Therapy
At some point in life, nearly everyone will experience a burn. It may occur when absentmindedly handling hot pots and pans in the kitchen, taking a hot bowl out of the microwave, or tasting hot coffee. Fortunately, many of these burns are minor: they may cause redness to the skin, but they do not blister. That type of burn is a first-degree burn. They are often treated with pain-relievers and first-aid measures.
Why Are My Hands Always Cold?
It’s normal to have cold hands in cool weather, as the fingers and hands tend to be exposed. But if your hands are always cold? This could be a sign of an underlying medical condition. In this blog, we’ll discuss signs as well as treatment options if you have cold hand disease, otherwise known as Raynaud’s disease/syndrome.
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