5 signs you should schedule hand therapy near you today

It goes without saying that your hands do quite a bit throughout your day-to-day tasks. They help you do everything from type up emails at work to open your car door. When any part of your hand isn’t functioning properly, or it’s causing you pain, hand therapy is worth considering.

Hand therapy refers to specialized physical therapy treatments to help you manage injuries or conditions that impact your arm, hand, wrist and fingers. While it may be tempting to try to wait out any issues in hopes they go away, hand therapy is often the best option to reduce the risk of worsening damage.

By learning about a few indicators to be aware of, you’ll gain better insight into when it’s time to book a hand therapy appointment near you, including at a Performance Rehab location.

1. Your symptoms are persistent or worsening.

When you’re trying to determine if you should talk to a health care professional about an issue, the first thing you should ask yourself is, “Is it getting better?” 

Many mild issues will heal on their own with at-home treatment (ice, rest, etc.) and don’t require professional treatment. However, if you’re experiencing pain and stiffness that aren’t improving with time, or even worsening, a hand therapist can help to start the recovery process.

2. You’re having trouble doing everyday tasks.

It can be frustrating if you’re not able to text a friend or clean your house because your hand is causing you pain, or the reduced mobility is impacting the function of your wrist and fingers.

Once an issue with any part of your body hinders your ability to complete your daily responsibilities, it’s time to talk to a physical therapist. A hand therapist can not only decrease the symptoms, but they’ll also help to improve the overall function of your hand to reduce the risk of future issues.

3. You’re trying to recover from an injury.

Physical therapy is often part of the treatment plan for someone who has sustained an injury, such as an arm, wrist or hand injury. The goal is to help you safely regain the affected area’s strength, flexibility and mobility while also reducing any symptoms that came from the injury, such as pain or stiffness.

Injuries that can be treated by a hand therapist include:

• Ligament sprains or tears

• Muscle strains

• Fractures

• Dislocated or jammed fingers

4. You’ve recently had surgery.

Every surgery requires rehabilitation afterward, and physical therapy is usually part of that. If you’ve recently undergone surgery of your upper limb, hand therapy can help to reduce the formation of painful scar tissue while improving or restoring presurgical strength and function.

There are several conditions or injuries that may require surgery and hand therapy afterward, including arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome and broken bones.

5. You want to return to a sport as quickly as possible.

If you play a sport, there’s always an increased risk of injury. There’s a chance you’re overusing your upper limb to throw a ball or swing a racket; you might also sustain trauma from a fall or collision. 

Hand therapy will not only help your upper arm to complete daily functions after an injury, but it will also help you return to your sport as safely as possible with the ability to perform your specific skills.

Performance Rehab provides hand therapy near you 

Your health should always be a priority. When something is getting in the way of that, such as hand pain or reduced range of motion, it’s important to take action. 

While some hand issues will heal on their own, knowing when to book an appointment with a hand therapist in your area can reduce the risk of causing more damage. 

At Performance Rehab, our certified hand therapists can help to alleviate symptoms in your upper limb that are impacting your productivity while also boosting your strength, flexibility and range of motion. We’ll create a personalized treatment plan for you based on the cause and severity of your symptoms, as well as your goals for physical therapy.

We also offer custom splint fabrication to support and restrict an injured arm or wrist as it heals.

From injury prevention to elite-level performance, we tailor every treatment to your unique needs. Request an appointment or contact us to join the thousands who trust Performance Rehab to help them perform at their best.