Have you injured your hand(s) and now struggle with regular daily activities? Accidents to your hands can happen on the job, on the playing field, or in the home. When they do, our team at Rose City Physical Therapy and Hand Therapy Specialists can help you with personalized care to help you regain your quality of life as soon as possible!
The hand and upper extremities are vital for most daily activities, including those at work, home, and in sport. Our function will be impaired when we suffer trauma, such as bone fractures, soft tissue injuries, and tendon injuries.
These impairments of the hand’s function can significantly impact your quality of life, ability to work and play sports. Fortunately, at Rose City Physical Therapy and Hand Therapy Specialists, our occupational therapists and certified hand therapists specialize in treating traumatic hand injuries. We focus on helping even the most complex hand injuries to ensure you get the best results in the shortest amount of time!
Schedule an appointment with one of our therapists!
How hand injuries affect your life
The hand is vital to our everyday life. Any injury to the hand carries the potential for severe limitations and loss of function. Proper identification and treatment of traumatic hand and wrist injuries are critical to preventing loss of function, nerve damage, joint restrictions, and persistent pain.
Having a hand injury can limit activities like:
- Brushing your teeth
- Bathing and using the restroom
- Getting dressed
- Preparing and eating meals
- Performing work duties (i.e., driving, computer work, using tools)
- Sports participation (i.e., golf, tennis, and pickleball)
Every day, people’s lives are impacted because of damaged bones, joints, ligaments or tendons in the hand. When surgery is necessary, it is important to get guidance from our hand therapists. We will help prepare you for potential problems after surgery. The most common concerns are:
- Bleeding
- Bruising
- Infection
- Scarring
- Stiffness
Our certified hand therapists and occupational therapists in Portland, OR, can help you find solutions to your problems. We work closely with surgeons and have even been involved in research studies to stay on the cutting edge of hand therapy!
What are the most common hand injuries?
The hand is susceptible to traumatic injuries as well as repetitive stress injuries. A thorough evaluation is the first step in identifying the nature of your injury and then creating a successful treatment program for you.
The most common work-related traumatic hand injuries can be divided into these general categories:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Cuts (lacerations) and bruises
- Fractures and dislocations
- Soft tissue injuries (i.e., sprains and strains)
- Amputations
- Burns
The most common sports-related hand injuries include:
- Finger dislocations
- Ligament sprains (i.e., gamekeepers or Skier’s thumb)
- Strains and tendonitis (i.e., Tennis elbow, Golfer’s elbow, DeQuervain’s Stenosing Tenosynovitis)
- Fractures (i.e., scaphoid fracture, finger and wrist fractures)
We use our hands all the time. This makes them particularly vulnerable to injuries, especially overuse-type injuries. While some injuries are not always avoidable, understanding how to take care of your hands can help prevent some conditions.
How hand therapy can help
If you have undergone surgery on your hand, or you’re recovering from an injury sustained at work or on the field, Rose City Physical Therapy and Hand Therapy Specialists has your back.
Our therapists will perform a thorough evaluation, including a detailed history and physical examination. We want to get to know you during this evaluation and discuss what is important to you, including your goals and the things you would like to resume, including work duties or sports activities.
We will assess your range of motion, strength, dexterity and coordination during the physical examination. Another critical aspect of the assessment is testing your sensations and ensuring the nerves function correctly.
We will then analyze all the information and design a treatment program specific to your problem and goals. Our team will use targeted hands-on techniques to increase joint and soft tissue mobility. We will incorporate techniques to reduce swelling and pain and pay special attention to scar tissue management and wound care.
Our hand therapists are experts in custom splint fabrication for positioning and protecting your hand following traumatic injuries or surgery. We use these splints and braces to protect injured or post-surgical areas, improve motion and/or function to ensure you have the best possible outcome!
Contact us today
Have you sustained a hand injury related to work or sports? Are you recovering from surgery and in need of hand therapy? You’re covered here.
With your pain, overall condition, and goals in mind, we will create a targeted, individualized care plan for you. The goal at our clinic is to promote accelerated recovery and future injury prevention in all of our patients!
Contact Rose City Physical Therapy and Hand Therapy Specialists today to set up an appointment. In Oregon, a referral from your physician or surgeon is required to be evaluated and treated by an occupational therapist, that which our hand therapists are. We are leaders in hand therapy and are here to help you find solutions that work, so you can return to your job or the sport you love!