Hand therapy is a key part of your recovery following hand surgery.

It is important that you see a hand therapist as soon as possible after your surgery, ideally within the first 3-5 days or as soon as your surgeon advises. Delays can mean that your injury may take longer to recover, needs more costly therapy time and delays you in getting back to doing what is important to you.

Early hand therapy after surgery will:

Try your best to do the following. These tips will help you to avoid your hand becoming worse or not healing well.

Make sure that you follow all instructions that your hand therapist gives you. The gains you make will happen because you are following your home program diligently.

As a priority:

• Always keep your splint on and only remove if your therapist has said that you can. Make sure you know how to put your splint on correctly and that you show your therapist how you do this.
• Don’t get your splint or bandages wet. Make sure you put a bag over your hand or arm when in theshower. Do not remove your splint for showering. Wet bandages on skin can lead to infection. You can buy bags for showering from your chemist.
• If you start to feel unwell, or your hand is hot to touch or swollen you may have an infection and should see your doctor immediately.
• We use our hands for so many activities often together, don’t be tempted to use your injured hand as a helper to hold or carry things. This can lead to increased swelling and complications. Respect your pain.
• Resuming running or exercise in the early days can increase swelling that can form scar. Sometimes it is important to take a break and to let healing occur.
• Keep your hand elevated at the level of your heart during the day and while sleeping.
• If your splint is uncomfortable contact your therapist for an adjustment don’t try to adjust it yourself.
  

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• After injury you may not feel like moving, either because it is painful, you want  to avoid pain or because you feel you might damage things. Always do what your therapist has instructed you to do. Take pain relief if necessary, so that you can move to the best of your ability. Do not ignore pain. Make sure you always move in the most pain free way possible.
• Don’t overexercise. The motto “No pain no gain” should not be followed.
• There will always be pain following surgery. Many people do not like to take medications that are prescribed. Relieving pain will help you rest and will help you do your exercises without pain, helping you to achieve early gains. You will only be prescribed what you need, usually only for a short time.
• Weak muscles and scar tissue can stop joints from moving properly. Scar forms early in the first few days and it can be a battle to get all structures moving early so that scar doesn’t everything together and restrict movement.

Cupping treatment for scar management after a hand injury or surgery.

• Be prepared. Everyday activities suddenly become a challenge. Being prepared will reduce some of the stress.
• Pick out clothing that is easy to put on or take off. Bulky splints and bandages often don’t fit through the sleeves. Pulling clothing or struggling to get it on may reinjure your hand.
• Have some meals prepared or meals that can be microwaved. There are many options. Stock up on grocery or pantry items so you don’t need to drive or shop.
• Make sure you get enough rest. Much of your recovery will happen while you are sleeping.
• Try not to delay or skip coming to your hand therapy session or finishing rehab too early.

Once you start to feel better it may be tempting not to attend therapy sessions. Rehab can be painful and costly but avoiding it or ending too soon can delay healing and lead to complications. Often complications happen months from the surgery, as scar starts to mature and contract. This can happen slowly without  you noticing and you may find that you can no longer straighten a joint and or bend it fully. These complications can be avoided by finishing your rehab fully.