Hand Therapy Blog

Dive into all things hand therapy with our informative and useful blogs and videos. Learn about everything from treatment protocols to diagnoses to wound care and beyond. Plus, you’ll also find resources about the business of being a hand therapist. If you have a question you’d like us to cover, let us know!

Recent Blog Posts

Shoulder Pain: The Effectiveness of Conservative Treatment

Reference:  Steuri, R., Sattelmayer, M., Elsig, S., Kolly, C., Tal, A., Taeymans, J., & Hilfiker, R. (2017). Effectiveness of conservative interventions including exercise, manual therapy and medical management in adults ...

Title: Understanding De Quervain’s Pathology: A Comprehensive Exploration of Special Tests

Understanding De Quervain's Pathology: A Comprehensive Exploration of Special Tests By: Miranda Materi De Quervain’s and Special Tests De Quervain's tenosynovitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the tendons on ...

How to use Kinesiology Taping for Shoulder Subluxation

How to us Kinesiology Tape for Shoulder Subluxation By: Tayler Roost What is shoulder subluxation?  Shoulder subluxation is a dislocation of the glenohumeral joint. This can be classified as traumatic, ...

The Use of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation with Upper Extremity Paralysis

The Use of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation with Upper Extremity Paralysis By: Mikayla Murphy Martin, R., Johnston, K., & Sadowsky, C. (2012). Neuromuscular electrical stimulation–assisted grasp training and restoration of function ...

Discovering Connections Between Trigger Finger and Dupuytren’s

Discovering Connections Between Trigger Finger and Dupuytren’s By: Tayer Roost Reference: Yang, Gehring, M., Bou Zein Eddine, S., & Hettinger, P. (2019). Association between stenosing tenosynovitis and dupuytren’s contracture in ...

Sensitivity and Specificity in Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS) Tests in Hand Therapy

By: Mikayla Murphy Sensitivity and Specificity in Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS) Tests in Hand Therapy Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) describes the compression of nerves, arteries, and veins as they pass ...
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Shoulder Pain: The Effectiveness of Conservative Treatment

Reference:  Steuri, R., Sattelmayer, M., Elsig, S., Kolly, C., Tal, A., Taeymans, J., & Hilfiker, R. (2017). Effectiveness of conservative interventions including exercise, manual therapy ...

Title: Understanding De Quervain’s Pathology: A Comprehensive Exploration of Special Tests

Understanding De Quervain's Pathology: A Comprehensive Exploration of Special Tests By: Miranda Materi De Quervain’s and Special Tests De Quervain's tenosynovitis is a condition characterized by ...

How to use Kinesiology Taping for Shoulder Subluxation

How to us Kinesiology Tape for Shoulder Subluxation By: Tayler Roost What is shoulder subluxation?  Shoulder subluxation is a dislocation of the glenohumeral joint. This ...

The Use of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation with Upper Extremity Paralysis

The Use of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation with Upper Extremity Paralysis By: Mikayla Murphy Martin, R., Johnston, K., & Sadowsky, C. (2012). Neuromuscular electrical stimulation–assisted grasp ...

Discovering Connections Between Trigger Finger and Dupuytren’s

Discovering Connections Between Trigger Finger and Dupuytren’s By: Tayer Roost Reference: Yang, Gehring, M., Bou Zein Eddine, S., & Hettinger, P. (2019). Association between stenosing ...

Sensitivity and Specificity in Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS) Tests in Hand Therapy

By: Mikayla Murphy Sensitivity and Specificity in Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS) Tests in Hand Therapy Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) describes the compression of nerves, arteries, ...

3 Different Ways to Incorporate Weighted Balls into Hand Therapy Treatment Sessions: 

By: Kelsey Melton 3 Different Ways to Incorporate Weighted Balls into Treatment Sessions:  Weighted balls can be incorporated into hand therapy treatment sessions in various ...

Stretching After Stroke for Spasticity

Rapid Review By: Mikayla Murphy Kerr, L., Jewell, V. D., & Jensen, L. (2020). Stretching and splinting interventions for post stroke spasticity, hand function, and ...

What to Know as a Hand Therapist When Choosing Thermoplastic Orthosis Material

By: Kelsey Melton Thermoplastic materials can have a variety of properties. Each supplier has a different version of each combination of variables for the therapist ...

The Importance of Purposeful Activities Following Surgical Repair of a Distal RadiusFracture

By: Kelsey Melton Collis, J. M., Mayland, E. C., Wright-St Clair, V., Rashid, U., Kayes, N., & Signal, N.(2022). An evaluation of wrist and forearm ...

Video Augmented Hand Therapy after CVA with hemiplegia.

The previous rapid review discussed the positive outcomes of video-augmented hand therapy after a CVA with hemiplegia. Please watch this vlog to discover how to ...

Video-augmented mirror therapy for upper extremity rehabilitation after stroke

Kim, H., Kim, J., Jo, S., Lee, K., Kim, J., & Song, C. (2023). Video augmented mirror therapy for upper extremity rehabilitation after stroke: a ...

Simple but Effective Ways Hand Therapists Address Psychosocial Impacts of Upper Extremity Injuries

Although psychosocial factors are often not formally assessed during an evaluation in those with upper extremity injuries, the therapist often informally assesses these during and ...

Surgical vs. Conservative Treatment for Pediatric Trigger Finger

Jia, L., King, J. D., Goubeaux, C., Belardo, Z. E., Little, K. J., Samora, J. B., Marks, J., &Shah, A. S. (2023). Presentation and management ...

Dart-throwing Angle in Hand Therapy for Scapholunate (SL) Ligament Injuries.

Does Object Height Affect the Dart Throwing Motion Angle During Seated Activities of Daily Living? Cohen, Y., Portnoy, S., Levanon, Y., Friedman, J. (2020). Does ...

How To Do A Fast but Thorough Hand Therapy Assessment

We don’t get a lot of time. Sometimes new patients come in unexpectedly or someone comes at the wrong time and your 1-hour block for ...

Which orthosis design is better for zone 5-6 extensor tendon injuries, a relative motion orthosis compared to a dynamic extension orthosis?

M. Buhler, ˝ D. Gwynne-Jones, M. Chin et al., (2023) Are the outcomes of relative motion extension orthoses noninferior and cost-effective compared with dynamic extension ...

Pros and Cons of Cortisone Injections

By: Shruti Jani Patients will often times ask the therapist their opinion on cortisone injections. Cortisone injections can be very helpful and significantly reduce inflammation, ...

Splinting vs Stretching after a Stroke to treat Hand Spasticity

Splinting versus Stretching to improve hand function and reduce hand spasticity after stroke Reference: Ahmad Khan, M., & Singh, P. (2018, February). Effect of Hand ...

Hand Therapy as a New Grad or Student

Tips for Getting Prepared for hand therapy as a new grad or a Level II Fieldwork Everything you need to know in hand therapy starts ...

Risk Factors for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) in Patients with Hand Trauma

Hand Trauma and CRPS in patients attending Hand Therapy By Tristany Hightower Savaş, S., İnal, E. E., Yavuz, D. D., Uslusoy, F., Altuntaş, S. H., ...

Our Favorite Mallet Finger Splints

By: Josh MacDonald Fabricating a custom splint for a mallet finger injury is challenging. Fingers are tiny and they have small tolerances for errors and ...

Effects of different stretching techniques for improving joint range of motion.

Reference: Oba, K., Samukawa, M., Abe, Y., Suzuki, Y., Komatsuzaki, M., Kasahara, S., Ishida, T., & Tohyama, H. (2021). Effects of Intermittent and Continuous Static ...

Dorsal Scapular Nerve Entrapment and Thoracic Pain

Don’t Forget to Evaluate for Dorsal Scapular Nerve Entrapment By Delaney Wright If your patient presents with any upper thoracic pain, it is critical to ...

How Weather Changes Affect Joint Pain

By: Lucas Godwin How Weather Changes Affect Joint Pain Numerous potential factors can cause weather-related joint pain, including humidity, temperature, precipitation, and changes in barometric ...

An evaluation of wrist and forearm range of motion during purposeful activities and exercises for distal radius fracture

An evaluation of wrist and forearm movement during purposeful activities and range of movement exercises after surgical repair of a distal radius fracture: A randomized ...

Collagenase injection versus  Partial fasciectomy in the treatment of Dupuytren’s contracture

Rapid Review By: Shruti Jani Title: Collagenase injection versus  partial fasciectomy in the treatment of Dupuytren’s contracture Reference: Tay, T. K. W., Tien, H., & ...

10 Tips for Effective Learning for the CHT Exam 

Learning to study effectively for the CHT exam is an essential first step to take while studying. We all learn and process information differently but ...

Splinting Options for Stiff Finger Joints

Following an injury to the proximal interphalangeal joint, there is often a loss of range of motion, typically in both the flexion and extension planes. ...

Biceps Tenodesis Versus Tenotomy During Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair

Article Review By: Delaney Wright Title: Outcomes of Biceps Tenodesis Versus Tenotomy During Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: An Analysis of Patients From a Large Multicenter ...

Occupation Based Interventions in Hand Therapy

Keeping Occupation Based Interventions in Hand Therapy By: Tristany Hightower Are your treatments occupation based? Do you tailor your activity choices to fit the needs ...

Carpal tunnel syndrome and its association with body mass index, wrist ratio, wrist to palm ratio, and shape index

A literature review of carpal tunnel syndrome and its association with body mass index, wrist ratio, wrist to palm ratio, and shape index Madani, A. ...

All about kinesiology taping for upper extremity injuries and conditions! 

All about kinesiology taping!  Elastic is also known as k-tape, Kinesio-tape, and kinesiology taping.   Elastic tape is all over the marketplace and is often ...

Which is better for DeQuervain’s: Splinting or Injection?

Rapid Review  Cavaleri, R., Schabrun, S. M., Te, M., & Chipchase, L. S. (2016). Hand therapy versus corticosteroid injections in de Quervain's disease treatment: A ...

Got Wounds? How to manage them as a Hand Therapist.

Wound care is messy. It can be intimidating and scary with so many variations of wounds (for example, white skin around wounds) and so many products ...

Mirror therapy after a peripheral nerve repair in hand therapy

Rapid Review Paula, M. H., Barbosa, R. I., Marcolino, A. M., Elui, V. M., Rosén, B., & Fonseca, M. C. (2016). Early sensory re-education of ...

Distal radius fracture types seen in the hand therapy clinic 

Distal radius fractures are one of the most common injuries seen in hand therapy. Several different distal radius fracture classification systems have been developed, and ...

Cyclist Injuries: Avoiding Hand Injuries and Treatment Strategies

RAPID REVIEW Chiaramonte, R., Pavone, P., Musumeci, G., Di Rosa, M., & Vecchio, M. (2022).  Preventive strategies, exercises, and rehabilitation of hand neuropathy in cyclists: ...

Peripheral nerve injury: A hand therapist’s assessment of sensory return.

Sensory return after a hand injury specifically a peripheral nerve injury  After a peripheral nerve injury, there are often times impairments in sensory function and/or ...

Carpal Tunnel Release: Outcomes of Pediatric and Adolescent

Rapid Review. Outcomes of pediatric and adolescent carpal tunnel release based on etiology. Velicki, K., Goldfarb, C. A., Roberts, S., & Wall, L. B. (2021). ...

INTEROSSEOUS MUSCLE TIGHTNESS TESTING

May 2012 No. 19 INTEROSSEOUS MUSCLE TIGHTNESS TESTING Judy Colditz, OT/L, CHT, FAOTA INTEROSSEOUS MUSCLE TIGHTNESS TESTING - ARE YOU DOING IT CORRECTLY? The common ...

DRUJ Instability and Hand Therapy Interventions 

DRUJ Instability and Hand Therapy Interventions  The distal radial ulnar joint (DRUJ) is the joint consisting of the distal radius and ulna which is held ...

Assessments Seen in the Hand Therapy World 

By: Dalton Busch  Below I have created a list of some of the common assessments that are seen in the hand therapy world. Keep in ...

Comparison of Custom-made Versus Prefabricated Thumb Splinting for Carpometacarpal Arthrosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Baradaran, A., Baradaran, A., Ebrahimzadeh, M. H., Kachooei, A. R., Rivlin, M., & Beredjiklian, P. (2018). Comparison of Custom-made Versus Prefabricated Splint for Carpometacarpal Arthrosis: ...

Wound Healing in Hand Therapy

By: Maddie Mott Wound healing (healing hand therapy) involves a complex series of interactions between different cell types, cytokine mediators, and the extracellular matrix with ...

Does mirror therapy work for hand therapy patients with general orthopedic conditions?

By: Maddie Mott Rostami, R. H., Arefi, A., & Tabatabaei, S. (2013). Effect of mirror therapy on hand function in patients with hand orthopaedic injuries: ...

Ways to Improve HEP Compliance  in Hand Therapy 

Ways to Improve HEP Compliance  in Hand Therapy  By: Dalton Busch  One of the most important ways we see our patient’s progress is by assuring ...

Hand Therapy Article Review: The Radial Synergy Test, An Aid to Diagnose de Quervain’s Tenosynovitis

Chihua, L., Langford, P.N., Sullivan, G.E., Langford, M.A., Hogan, C.J., & Ruland, R.T. (2021) The radial synergy test: an aid to diagnose de Quervain’s tenosynovitis. ...

Hand therapy intervention activities for Chemo-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN)

Blog Post Written By: Rita Steffes Patients with CIPN may present with symptoms that include numbness, tingling, hypersensitivity to cold, loss of tactile or vibration ...

Comparing the Rates of Recovery Among Four Common Shoulder Surgeries

Rapid Review By: Case Peters Comparing the Rates of Recovery Among Four Common Shoulder Surgeries Grubhofer, F., Martinez, A.R.M., Ernstbrunner, L., Haberli, J., Selig, M.E., ...

Managing UE Edema in Hand Therapy

Tricks for UE Edema Management  By: Dalton Busch  Edema is seen in patients for many reasons whether that be from an injury, lack of movement ...

What are the minimally important changes of four commonly used patient-reported outcome measures for 36 hand and wrist condition-treatment combinations

Article Review By: Case Peters Reference  Hoogendam, L., Koopman, J.E., van Kooj, Y.E., Feitz, R., Hundepool, C.A., Zhou, C. ... The Hand Wrist Study Group ...

7 Tips to Improve your Chances of Passing the Certified Hand Therapy Exam 

There are several predictors for success when taking Standardized Exams. One key component is self-regulated learning and the application of study strategies. Studies have shown ...

Hand Function in Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Rapid Review

Osumi, M., Sumitani, M., Abe, Hiroaki, A., Otake, Y., Kumagaya, S.-I., & Morioka, S. (2019). Kinematic evaluation for impairment of skilled hand function in chemotherapy ...

Common Median Nerve Injuries

Common Median Nerve Injuries By: Madison Mott Did you know!? Aside from the most common upper extremity nerve compression, carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), there are ...

The Effectiveness of Manual Therapy Versus Surgery in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Fernández-de-las-Peñas, C., Cleland, J., Palacios-Ceña, M., Fuensalida-Novo, S., Pareja, J. A., & Alonso-Blanco, C. (2017). The effectiveness of manual therapy for carpal tunnel versus surgery ...

The function of the Glenohumeral Joint Ligaments

Glenohumeral Joint  Ligaments  The Glenohumeral (GH) joint is composed of the head of the humerus and the glenoid fossa. The fossa is relatively small compared ...

Does Taking an Alpha-lipoic for 40 days after Carpal Tunnel Release decrease the likelihood of developing Pillar Pain?

Filippo, B., Granchi, D., Roatti, G., Merlini, L., Sabattini, T., & Baldini, N. (2017). Alpha-lipoic acid after median nerve decompression at the carpal tunnel: A ...

How to Improve Fine Motor Translation Skills

By: Josh MacDonald The Basics - I lay a pile of small objects on the table and an open container for the client to put ...

New Distal Bicep Tendinopathy Provocative Test for Hand Therapist

Caekebeke, P., Schenkels, E., Bell, S. N., & van Riet, R. (2021). Distal biceps provocation test. The Journal of Hand Surgery. The Skinny: These surgeons ...

Scapholunate Wrist Injuries in Hand Therapy 

Scapholunate Wrist Injuries in Hand Therapy  image shows an occult SL tear In outpatient hand therapy, we get a variety of referrals ranging from post-operative ...

Changes in ROM of the MCP after Trapeziometacarpal Arthrodesis 

Rapid Review: Changes in ROM of the MCP after Trapeziometacarpal Arthrodesis Hayashi, M., Kato, H., Komatsu, M., Yamazaki, H., Uchiyama, S., & Takahashi, J. (2021). Changes ...

What is the incidence of musculoskeletal complaints in the elbow, shoulder, and neck after hand and forearm injuries?

Winiarski, L. M., Livoni, J. D., Madsen, P. V., Rathleff, M. S., & Larsen, P. (2021). Concurrent musculoskeletal complaints in elbows, shoulders, and necks after ...

Do you know the difference between an Electromyography (EMG) and a Nerve Conduction Velocity (NCV) Study?

 Do you know the difference between EMG and NCV (an Electromyography and a Nerve Conduction Velocity Study? The term nerve test is usually a broad ...

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: How does traditional hand therapy compare with neurodynamic therapy?

Hamzeh, H., Mohammad, M., Alghwiri, A., & Hawamdeh, Z. (2021). The long-term effect of neurodynamics vs. exercise therapy on pain and function in people with ...

Brachial Plexopathy Case Example in Hand Therapy

Brachial Plexopathy Case Example in Hand Therapy (plexopathy examples)   One of the recent cases we have seen is a 13-year old with a brachial plexus ...

Surgery & Hand Therapy Highlights for Dupuytren’s Disease 

Dupuytren’s disease affects the fascia of the hand (Dupuytren's fasciectomy hand).  It is relatively common to encounter patients with Dupuytren’s condition, even if that is ...

Article Review: Use of Paper Tape for Scars

Use of Paper Tape for Scars (What is scar tape?) O’Reilly, S, Crofton, E., Brown, J., Strong, J., & Ziviani, J. (2021).  Use of tape for ...

Article Review: Trapeziectomy and LRTI: What can patients with CMC osteoarthritis expect 12 months after the procedure?

Janakiramanan, N., Miles, O., Collon, S., Crammond, B., McCombe, D., & Tham, S. K. (2021). Functional Recovery Following Trapeziectomy and Ligament Reconstruction and Tendon Interposition ...

The Utilization of CBD Hand Therapy for Pain Treament

Patients frequently ask for advice on how to alleviate their pain symptoms.  It is common for them to ask about the benefits of CBD Therapy. ...

Wound Healing Complications in Diabetic Patients who have undergone a Carpal Tunnel or Trigger Finger Release

By: Amalia Garcia Gundlach, B. K., Robbins, C. B., Lawton, J. N., & Lien, J. R. (2021). Wound Healing Complications in Diabetic Patients Undergoing Carpal ...

Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM hand)

By: Amalia Garcia Introduction After completing three weeks of my Level II hand therapy rotation, I have seen a wide variety of common upper extremity ...

Factors that influence orthosis adherence in patients with acute traumatic tendon injuries to the hand

Savaş, S., & Aydoğan, Ç. (2020). Factors affecting orthosis adherence after acute traumatic hand tendon repairs: A prospective cohort study. Journal of Hand Therapy, S0894113020301848. ...

The 4 Stages of Simple Wound Care in Hand Therapy

Wound care is messy. It can be intimidating and scary. With so many variations of wounds (for example, white skin around wound) and so many ...

Effectiveness of Conservative Therapy and Splinting for 1st CMC OA

Tsehaie, J., Sprekraijse, K., Wouters, R., Slijper, H., Feitz, R., Hovious, S., & Selles, R. (2018). Outcome of a Hand Orthosis and Hand Therapy for ...
hand therapy blog

Comparing IP and MCP joint splinting for Trigger Finger

Teo, S. H., Ng D. C., Wong, Y.K.(2018).  Effectiveness of proximal interphalangeal joint blocking orthosis vs metacarpophalangeal joint blocking orthosis in trigger digit: A randomized ...

5 return-to-cooking activities (that don’t require a kitchen)

Hand therapy can and should be very occupation-based. Every week, we hear comments from patients that back that statement up:  “I need to get back ...

Is therapy needed after a distal radius fracture?

Coughlin T, Norrish AR, Scammell BE, Matthews PA, Nightingale J, Ollivere BJ. Comparison of rehabilitation interventions in nonoperatively treated distal radius fractures: a randomized controlled ...

Carpal Fractures: A Brief Overview

Carpal fractures account for 8% of fractures in the upper extremity.  The carpals are situated between the (distal radius and ulna) and the metacarpals. They ...

Article Review: Relative Motion for Extensor Tendon Repair zone V-VI? Is a night-time resting hand orthosis beneficial?

Hirth, M. J., Hunt, I.,  Briody, K.,  Milner, Z., Sleep, K., Chu, A., Donovan, E. &  O’Brien, L. (2021). Comparison of two relative motion extension ...

Intrinsic Hand Strengthening with Puttycise Tools

We are always looking for ways of the intrinsic hand strengthening.  It is easy to overlook the importance of these small but mighty muscles. They ...

Arthrodesis vs Arthroplasty in Thumb CMC OA

Piacenza A, Vittonetto D, Rossello MI, Testa M. Arthrodesis Versus Arthroplasty in Thumb Carpometacarpal Osteoarthritis: Impact on Maximal Voluntary Force, Endurance, and Accuracy of Pinch. ...

3 Household Objects for 9 different Hand Therapy Activities

Do you struggle to develop new treatment ideas or even ideas for your virtual hand therapy visits?  Thinking of unique ways to use objects your ...

Effectiveness of Conservative Therapy and Splinting for 1st CMC OA

Tsehaie, J., Sprekraijse, K., Wouters, R., Slijper, H., Feitz, R., Hovious, S., & Selles, R. (2018). Outcome of a Hand Orthosis and Hand Therapy for ...

Top 5 DIP Flexion Exercises

By: Tori Rhodes Lately, we’ve had a handful of patients roll through our clinic with pretty significant limitations to DIP flexion. So, we’ve collected a ...

The Role of Sensory Re-education After Nerve Injury

Priya, B. A. (2012). Effectiveness of Sensory Re-education after Nerve Repair (Median or Ulnar Nerve) at the Wrist Level. Indian Journal of Physiotherapy & Occupational ...

5+ Common Mallet Finger Splints

Finger orthoses can be tough, and the mallet orthosis is no exception in hand therapy. The protocol for 15 degrees of DIP extension with mallet ...

Outcomes of Dorsal Bridging Plates

Outcomes of Dorsal Bridging Plates  Fares, A. B., Childs, B. R., Polmear, M. M., Clark, D. M., Nesti, L. J., & Dunn, J. C. (2021). ...

7 Tips for your Osteo Arthritis Patients!

7 Tips for your OA Patients!  Managing Osteoarthritis in the Hand Our hands are one of the most intricate structures in the human body. They ...

Taping and Thumb Arthritis: Rapid Review

Hugo, J., and Valdez, K. Mobilization with movement and elastic tape application for the conservative management of carpometacarpal joint osteoarthritis.  Journal of Hand Therapy, 28,  ...

Top 6 treatments for Pinky Fractures

Clients who have experienced a fracture of the finger or hand often find it difficult to participate in meaningful occupations. Everyday tasks from grasping items, ...

THUMB ABDUCTION IN PATIENTS WITH CMC ARTHRITIS? HOW DO YOU MEASURE?

Article Review THUMB ABDUCTION IN PATIENTS WITH CMC ARTHRITIS? HOW DO YOU MEASURE?  Corey McGee PhD, OTR/L, CHT , Virginia O’Brien OTD, OTR/L, CHT , ...

Increase Shoulder Range by Improving Scapulohumeral Rhythm

Scapulohumeral rhythm is often the key component when treating shoulder conditions and the lack of total shoulder range of motion. This may also be a ...

The Identification of Mobile Applications for Distal Radius Fractures Rehab.

By Taylor Landholm Chen, Y., Yu, Y., Lin, X., Han, Z., Feng, Z., Hua, X., Chen, D., Xu, X., Zhang, Y., & Wang, G. (2020). ...

How to Improve HEP Adherence for Optimal Rehabilitation Outcomes

By Sophia Grimm A lack of adherence to home exercise programs in rehabilitation is a significant problem, with nonadherence estimates as high as 30-65% for ...

What is the real job of the Lumbricals?

Crowley, J. S., Meunier, M., Lieber, R. L., & Abrams, R. A. (2020). The Lumbricals Are Not the Workhorse of Digital Extension and Do Not ...

Trigger Finger… Quick and Dirty!

This is for you… Hand Therapists! Stenosing tenosynovitis, otherwise known as trigger finger, is a common condition affecting children and adults of all ages. Fast ...

Upper extremity weight-bearing tolerance

Barlow, S.J., Scholtz, J. & Medeiros (2020).  Wrist weight-bearing tolerance in healthy adults. Journal of Hand Therapy, xxx currently in press. The Skinny Wrist pain and ...

Orthotic Options for Hand Burns

By: Sophia Grimm Hand burns can be very challenging to treat, and successful rehabilitation begins early after acute injury. Following a burn injury, scar contractures ...

“Do joint mobilizations assist in the recovery of lateral elbow tendinopathy? A systematic review and meta-analysis”

By Sophia Grimm Lucado, A. M., Dale, R. B., Vincent, J., & Day, J. M. (2019). Do joint mobilizations assist in the recovery of lateral ...

Sensory Kit for Hypersensitivity

Written by Melissa Miller Introduction After injury or surgery, nerves in the skin and surrounding the injured area can become overly sensitive. This can cause ...

Effect of Scapular Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation on Pain and Disability in Patients with Adhesive Capsulitis

Reviewed by Melissa Miller Mishra, N., Mishra, A., Charaniya, P. (2019). Effect of scapular proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation on pain and disability in patients with adhesive ...

Volkmann’s Contracture

Written by Melissa Miller Introduction Volkmann’s contracture is a rare condition that occurs after injury to the elbow and upper arm, typically from a crush ...

Mirror Therapy

Mirror therapy has many implications for therapy and can be used to treat many diagnoses that commonly involve the upper extremity. These include some of ...

Sensory interventions on motor function, activities of daily living, and spasticity of the upper limb in people with stroke: A randomized clinical trial.

Maryam, D., Parvin, R., Hossein, B., Jalili, M. & Hosein, T. (2020). Sensory interventions on motor function, activities of daily living, and spasticity of the ...

Phantom Limb Pain, Residual Limb Pain, & Phantom Limb Sensation: Which is Which?

Written by Melissa Miller Introduction After amputation, the majority of individuals will experience phantom limb pain (PLP), residual limb pain (RLP), and/or phantom limb sensation ...

Outcomes of Rigid Night Splinting and Activity Modification in the Treatment of Cubital Tunnel Syndrome

Shah, C. M., Calfee, R. P., Gelberman, R. H., & Goldfarb, C. A. (2013). Outcomes of rigid night splinting and activity modification in the treatment ...

CMC Arthritis Orthosis in the Hand: Mechanics and Purpose

One of the most common diagnoses we see in hand therapy is osteoarthritis of the 1st carpo-metacarpal joint where the metacarpal articulates with the trapezium. ...

Early Mobilization After Volar Locking Plate Osteosynthesis of Distal Radius Fractures in Older Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

By: Rachel Reed Sørensen, T. J., Ohrt-Nissen, S., Ardensø, K. V., Laier, G. H., & Mallet, S. K. (2020). Early Mobilization After Volar Locking Plate ...

A Hand Therapist’s Role in Nutrition Education for Wound Healing

By Brittany Day Role of nutrition in wound healing Nutrition plays an important function in the biological factors that contribute to normal wound healing (wound ...

A randomized clinical trial comparing early active motion programs: Earlier hand function, TAM, and orthotic satisfaction with a relative motion extension program for zones V and VI extensor tendon repairs

By Brittany Day Collocott SJ, Kelly E, Foster M, Myhr H, Wang A, Ellis RF. A randomized clinical trial comparing early active motion programs: Earlier ...

Hand Pain in Pregnancy and the New Parent

By: Rachel Reed The transition to parenting can be difficult on a mother or parent’s body, especially when considering the increase in repetitive hand use ...

A Prospective Randomized Trial Comparing the Functional Results of Buddy Taping Versus Closed Reduction and Cast Immobilization in Patients With Fifth Metacarpal Neck Fractures

By: Rachel Reed Martínez-Catalán, N., Pajares, S., Llanos, L., Mahillo, I., & Calvo, E. (2020). A Prospective Randomized Trial Comparing the Functional Results of Buddy ...

Creating an Action Plan for Addressing Mental Health in the Clinic

Blog By: Rachel Reed As hand therapists, our care for our patients must be driven by the goal of treating the whole person, not just ...

The effects of cupping therapy as a new approach in the physiotherapeutic management of carpal tunnel syndrome

Article Review By: Rachel Reed Mohammadi, S., Roostayi, M. M., Naimi, S. S., & Baghban, A. A. (2019). The effects of cupping therapy as a ...

Assessing and Improving Grip with the Squegg

Assessing and Improving Grip with the Squegg By: Megan Prather “Grip training is made fun” In hand therapy we are always looking for engaging new ...

Dorsal Wrist Pain?

Incorporating Emerging Evidence into Clinical Practice for Patients Experiencing Dorsal Wrist Pain During Weight-Bearing Activities By: Brittany Day Supporting Evidence A randomized control study recently ...

Differentiating Proximal Median Nerve Entrapment from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

By: Brittany Day Proximal Median Nerve Entrapment, Pronator Syndrome, or Lacertus Syndrome?  Pronator syndrome is a term used to describe proximal median nerve entrapment (PMNE) ...

Use of Proprioception in Rotator Cuff Repair

Article Review By Brittany Day Upper Limb Active Joint Repositioning During a Multijoint Task in Participants with and without Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy and Effect of ...

Hand Therapy:Integra Dermal regeneration For Patients with Burns, Scars, or Wound Reconstruction

By: Taylor Volentine Date: 6/6/2020 Is it possible for shark and cow cartilage to improve the healing process for patients with burns, scars, or reconstruction ...

Ultrasound use for reducing pain: Does it work?

Ilter, L., Dilek, B., Batmaz, I., Ulu, M.A., Sariyildiz, M.A., Nas, K., & Cevik, R. (2015). Efficacy of pulsed and continuous therapeutic ultrasound in myofascial ...

Multiple Avenues of Pin Site Care in Hand Therapy

By: Megan Prather The prevalence of external fixation with pins in the upper extremity setting and the high rates of pin site infection make identifying ...

Pediatric & Adolescent Shoulder Instability

Lin, K.M, James, E.W., Spitze, E. & Fabricant, P.D. (2018). Pediatric and adolescent anterior shoulder instability: Clinical management of first-time dislocators. Current opinion in pediatrics, ...

Management of a TFCC Injury in Hand Therapy

By: Taylor Volentine The wrist is composed of very complex joints that assists with movement in individuals of all ages and abilities. For instance, an ...

Hand Therapy: Does Dry Needling work to Treat Trigger Finger

By: Taylor Volentine Reference:  Azizian, M., Bagheri, H., Olyaei, G., Shadmeher, A., Okhovatpour, M. A., Dehghan, P., Jalaei, S., Sarafraz, H. (2019). Effects of dry ...

Pediatric Hand Development as it relates to Hand Therapy

Pediatric Hand Therapy and Hand Development by Chelsea Gonzalez It is essential to have an understanding of the major milestones of grasp and upper extremity ...

Hand Therapy Interventions for Distal Upper Extremity Injuries and Conditions

Takata, S.C., Wade, E.T., & Roll, S.C. (2019). Hand therapy interventions, outcomes, and diagnoses evaluated over the last 10 years: A mapping review linking research ...

Hand Therapy: Conservative Management of Pediatric Monteggia Fractures

Conservative Management of Pediatric Monteggia Fractures Monteggia fractures in children comprise approximately 2% of pediatric elbow fractures and involve a fracture of the proximal ulna ...

Video-based rehab for shoulder injuries

Turkmen, E., Akbaba, Y., Altun, S. (2019). Effectiveness of video-based rehabilitation program on pain, functionality, and quality of life in the treatment of rotator cuff ...

Mechanism of Interneural Edema in Carpal and Cubital Tunnel

Mechanism of Interneural Edema Over the last few weeks I have been learning about ultrasonic imaging and carpal tunnel syndrome.  When reviewing carpal tunnel syndrome, ...

Splinting and Stretch Protocol for Pediatric Trigger Thumb

Tan, A. C., Lam, K. S., & Lee, E. H. (2002). The Treatment Outcome of Trigger Thumb in Children. Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics B, 11(3), ...

Soft Tissue Healing in Pediatrics

By: Chelsea Gonzalez Why do pediatric clients often not require as much hand therapy for soft tissue injuries when compared to adults? The simple answer: ...

A New Type of Median Nerve Glides for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Meng S, Reissig L.F., Beikircher R, Tzou C. H., Grisold W, Weninger W.J. (2015). Longitudinal gliding of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel: Ultrasound ...

EDS and Hand Therapy

The Amazing Zebras—No Two Zebras Are Alike Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: A Unique Condition By: Brittany Carrie Zebras are a unique species in that they are a ...

Use of Compression Gloves for Distal Radius Fractures

Use of Compression Gloves for Distal Radius Fractures Miller-Shahabar, I., Schreuer, N., Katsevman, H., Bernfeld, B., Cons, A., Raisman, Y., & Milman, U. (2018). Efficacy ...

Covid-19: What is your clinic doing?

It’s what every patient is talking about when they come in? With the suspension of every major sport, international travel banned, and hospital quarantines, everyone ...

Sesamoid Bones: What are they and what do they do?

By Brittany Carrie A Student's Perspective During the first few weeks of my rotation, I was exposed to many new and exciting things that I ...

K-tape and Cerebral Palsy

Allah-Rastii, Z., Shamsoddini, A., Dalvand, H. and Labaf, S. (2017). The effect of kinesio taping on handgrip and active range of motion of hand in ...

A Student’s Guide to Pediatrics in Hand Therapy

By: Chelsea Gonzalez What do you do when a pediatric patient walks into your clinic? Aren’t kids just little adults? They'll just grow and be ...

Orthotic Intervention Incorporating Dart- Throwers Motion for Scapholunate Injury

Anderson, H. & Hoy, G. (2016). Orthotic intervention incorporating the dart-thrower’s motion as part of conservative management guidelines for treatment of scapholunate injury. Journal of ...

How much pain should a patient have during and after therapy?

How much pain should a patient have during and after therapy? As we all know pain is somewhat subjective.  It can be hard to determine ...

When should you use a Static Progressive Splint in Hand Therapy?

Flowers, K. (2002). A proposed decision hierarchy for splinting the stiff joint, with an emphasis on force application parameters. Journal of Hand Therapy, 15, 158–162. ...

A Fun Fact from a Hand Therapy Student

By: Ammie Ingwaldson Level 2 Fieldwork at a hand therapy clinic is a fast paced and continuous learning experience. The perfect example of this occurred ...

Carpal Tunnel Treatment: Splinting Only vs Splinting & Conservative Treatment

Short-term clinical outcome of orthosis alone vs combination of orthosis, nerve, and tendon gliding exercises and ultrasound therapy for treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. Sim, ...

Graded Motor Imagery in Hand Therapy

The 3 Stages of Graded Motor Imagery  We’ve all heard of mirror box therapy, but do you know the details of how it works? There’s ...

Article Review: Best Edema Management Techniques in Hand Therapy

Miller, L. K., Jerosch-Herold, C., & Shepstone, L. (2017). Effectiveness of edema management techniques for subacute hand edema: a systematic review. Journal of Hand Therapy, 30(4), 432-446. ...

Wrist Proprioception Ideas for Hand Therapy

Wrist Proprioception Intervention Ideas: By Ammie Ingwaldson Lack of wrist proprioception exercises can affect clients in the hand therapy setting with neurological and musculoskeletal conditions. ...

Extensor Tendon Repair Protocol (zone 4-7): Immediate Controlled Active Motion (ICAM)

Howell, J.W., Merritt, W. H., & Robinson, S. J. (2005). Immediate Controlled Active Motion Following Zone 4–7 Extensor Tendon Repair. Journal of hand therapy: 18, ...

IFC vs TENS: Electrical Stimulation for Pain and Swelling

In this article we're looking at the difference between Inferential Current versus Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation (IFC vs TENS). Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation (TENS) TENS ...

Does Obesity or Smoking change the outcomes for Distal Radius Fractures

Hall, Matthew J., Ostergaard, P., Dowlatshahi, A., Harper, C., Earp, B. Rozental, T. (2019). The Impact of Obesity and Smoking on Outcomes After Volar Plate ...

Scar Management in Hand Therapy

Hand therapists may feel they are in a constant battle with scar tissue. It can limit ROM, cause pain, impede other structures, and leave a ...

A Better De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis Test

J. F. Goubau, L. Goubau, A. Van Tongel, P. Van Hoonacker, D. Kerckhove, B. Berghs (2013).The wrist hyperflexion and abduction of the thumb (WHAT) test: ...

Top 5 Hand Therapy Toys for Kids

Many therapists in hand therapy clinics have a lot of tools for their adult patients, but may not have as many tools for the less ...

A Review on the Conservative Management of Trigger Finger

Lunsford, D., Valdes, K., & Hengy, S. (2017). Conservative management of trigger finger: A systematic review. Journal of Hand Therapy, 32(2), 212-221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jht.2017.10.016 The Skinny The ...

6 of our Favorite Adaptive Equipment Tools for CMC Osteoarthritis

Individuals struggling with osteoarthritis of the 1st CMC joint usually have difficulty with daily activities and it can become very frustrating. Everyday tasks such as ...

Flexor tendon rehabilitation in the 21st century: A systematic review

Neiduski, R. L. & Powell, R. K. (2019). Flexor tendon rehabilitation in the 21st century: A systematic review. Journal of Hand Therapy, 32, 165-174. The ...

Conservative Management of Carpal Tunnel Symptoms: A Comparison of the effectiveness of orthosis wear, kinesiotaping and paraffin treatment.

Kaplan, B. M., Akyuz, G., Kokar, S., & Yagci, I. (2018). Comparison of the effectiveness of orthotic intervention, kinesiotaping, and paraffin treatments in patients with ...

Increasing Shoulder Range of Motion by improving Scapulohumeral Rhythm

Scapulohumeral rhythm is often the key component when treating shoulder conditions and the reason for the lack of total shoulder range of motion. This may ...

What is the Effectiveness of IASTM?

CitationKim, J., Sung, D. J., Lee, J. (2017). Therapeutic effectiveness of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization for soft tissue injury: Mechanisms and practical application. Journal of ...

5+ Common Mallet Finger Splints

Finger orthoses can be tough, and the mallet finger orthosis is no exception. The protocol for 15 degrees of DIP extension with mallet fingers is ...

Conservative Therapy for OA in the Fingers: A Literature Review

Beasley, J., Ward, L., Knipper-Fisher, K., Hughes, K., Lunsford, D., & Leiras, C. (2018). Conservative therapeutic interventions for osteoarthritic finger joints: A systematic review. Journal ...

Thumbs up for treating thumb pain in the hand therapy clinic

What do “Mommy’s thumb,” “gamer’s thumb,” and “radial styloid tenosynovitis” have in common? They are all officially called de Quervain’s tenosynovitis De Quervain’s involves the tendons ...

Taking Alpha-Lipoic Acid for 40 days after Carpal Tunnel Surgery can decrease the likelihood of developing Pillar Pain.

Filippo, B., Granchi, D., Roatti, G., Merlini, L., Sabattini, T., & Baldini, N. (2017). Alpha-lipoic acid after median nerve decompression at the carpal tunnel: A ...

Hand Therapy Marketing 101

Marketing 101 - 5 Tips for Your Therapy Clinic Confession: I hate marketing. It’s my least favorite part of my job. It is so hard ...

THE SENSITIVITY AND SPECIFICITY OF ULTRASOUND FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME: A META-ANALYSIS

Fowler, J. R., Gaughan J. P., & Ilyas, A.M. (2011).  The sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound for the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome: A meta-analysis.  ...

Do you know the secret ingredient to recovering from an injury?

Do you know the secret ingredient to recovering from an injury? I will give you a hint it is 5 letters and begins with the ...

Is HEP Just as Good as Therapy for Metacarpal Fracture Rehab?

Gülke, J., Leopold, B., Grözinger, D., Drews, B., Paschke, S., & Wachter, N. J. (2018). Postoperative treatment of metacarpal fractures - Classical physical therapy compared ...

Therapeutic Exercise vs Therapeutic Activity

What is the difference between therapeutic exercise vs therapeutic activity? Therapeutic exercise is billed as 97110 and Therapeutic activity is billed as 97530.  Both are ...

How to Use Translation for Improving Fine Motor Skills after a Hand Injury:

I’m always looking for new therapy ideas. I want to keep my patients interested and engaged in therapy. I also want to keep things functional ...

How to Strengthen the Intrinsics with Puttycise Tools:

I’m always looking for ways to strengthen the hand intrinsics.  It is easy to overlook the importance of these small but mighty muscles. They are ...

Which is better: Splinting the MCP or PIP joint when managing Trigger Finger?

Teo, S. H., Ng D. C., Wong, Y.K.(2018).  Effectiveness of proximal interphalangeal joint blocking orthosis vs metacarpophalangeal joint blocking orthosis in trigger digit: A randomized ...

Scar Wars: Scar Management Techniques

Why do we have scars? Scar formation is a normal process in how our bodies respond to an injury or surgery.  It is basically our ...

Stretching Alone Can Change P1 Bone Shape in Patients with Camptodactyly

Woo Hong, S. Kim, J., Sang Kwon, O., Ho Lee, M., Sik Gong, H., Hyun Baek, G., (2019). Radiographic Remodeling of the Proximal Phalangeal Head ...

3 Common Reasons for Ulnar-Sided Wrist Pain and Non-Surgical Hand Therapy Treatment Options

1.) Arthritis Arthritis occurs when the bones on the ulnar side of the wrist are rubbing together.  An example of this is Ulnar Impaction Syndrome ...

Hand Therapy: How to Treat the Client with a New Distal Radius Fracture

The new eval can be scary. The client had open reduction and fixation of a distal radius fracture (DRF) and they are coming to see ...

What? I just received an order for suture removal…

How many of us have practiced suture removal in occupational or physical therapy school??  NOT I!! Often, hand surgeons will ask the therapist to remove ...

How to Get Started in Hand Therapy

I started OT school knowing that I wanted to do pediatrics. I set up everything to build up my resume for my first therapy job ...

Putting Occupation in Hand Therapy

It was early in my career, maybe a year out of school. I was working with a veteran physical therapist that had been practicing for ...
wound care hand therapy

7 Tips to Help your Patients Manage Hand Osteoarthritis

Our hands are one of the most intricate structures in the human body. They are composed of a network of tendons, ligament and nerves that ...