29 Oct Hand therapy – more than just hands

“But don’t you just treat hands?” – Things we do at Melbourne Hand Rehab that you might never have expected!

Our team of highly trained therapists offer a full range of hand, wrist, elbow & upper limb rehabilitation. Hand therapy consists of many different rehabilitation treatments. From therapeutic interventions and post-operative rehabilitation, through to pain management programs and work site assessments. Our work is varied and it isn’t always just about hands.

Hand therapy – more than just hands

Burn injuries

Everyone knows that a burn can cause severe pain. But did you know that a deep burn may be painless? This is because the nerves responsible for sensation have been damaged. Our therapists work with people with varied degrees of burn injuries to help improve many different outcomes including skin aesthetic, suppleness, joint mobility, and hand function.

A recent 60 Minutes interview with burns survivor Steph Browitt, shows how we work with patients in the healing and recovery process.

Water-proof casting

Thankfully, the days of wrapping your cast in a plastic bag and sticking your hand awkwardly outside the shower are gone.

Our therapists are experienced at making fibreglass casts and can even replace an existing plaster cast. Not only do fibreglass casts look and feel great, but you can wear them in the shower, too!

Handwriting

In a world that has embraced technology, you might be thinking, why would anyone want to improve their handwriting? However, poorly legible or easily fatigable handwriting may become a serious (and stressful) issue during hand-written school examinations.

Our therapists can help to improve handwriting technique, speed and/or endurance, and help to turn students’ ‘curses’ to ‘cursive’!

Musicians

Musicians often present with complex and challenging injuries. This is because they often know their hands intimately, and even a 1% decrease of dexterity or strength can throw off an entire performance.

Our therapists are trained to assess musicians playing their instrument and work with them to provide a suitable management plan that takes into consideration the demands of a playing schedule.

Amputations

Ok, so perhaps this one is slightly obvious. But do you know about ‘phantom limb pain’? This is when pain is still experienced in a digit or limb, despite it having been amputated.

Injuries resulting in finger amputations are more common than you might think. Our therapists have a few tricks up their sleeves (such as mirror box therapy) to help overcome symptoms including phantom limb pain. 

Home and Hospital Visits

Sometimes, people just aren’t able to come into the clinic. When telehealth isn’t an option (for example, if a splint is required), then a time can be organised for one of our suitable therapists to drop in. Many of our surgical partners and nursing home clients highly value this service.

Hydrotherapy

Whilst aquatic physiotherapy is typically associated with lower limb injuries, the benefits of heat, buoyancy, drag and hydrostatic pressure are not lost on the upper limb! People with swelling, stiffness, weakness or generalised deconditioning may benefit (and are encouraged) to perform their rehab in the blissfully warm hydrotherapy pools.

Shoulder and elbow

This one is perhaps the most obvious – We don’t just see ‘hands’!!!

Everyone knows that we are experts at assessing and treating finger, hand and wrist injuries, but our therapists are also experts with elbow and shoulder injuries. So, if you have had a recent injury/condition or have been delaying treatment, we’d be happy to lend a helping hand.

By Ed Antonov

At Melbourne Hand Rehab, we offer a wide array of hand therapy and hand rehabilitation services. Check out our Services > HERE

If you are uncomfortable or in pain, don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’d love to help you.

For more information, call us directly on 03 9458 5166