Have you ever stared at your hands and wondered how much we rely on them? Our hands are a complete extension of who we are. They are complicated. When our hands are injured or maimed, we quickly realize how these complicated limbs are such a simple and essential part of our everyday lives.
Occupational therapy of the hand is nothing new. It continually provides great results in helping people rehabilitate from hand injuries. Approaches to occupational therapy of the hand, such as holistic hand therapy, can enhance the rehabilitation experience to help people get back into what they want to do.
Holistic Hand Therapy
People who have injured their hands want to do one main thing – to get back to their lives as quickly as possible. A holistic approach to hand therapy is to go beyond just the medical approach and work on the mobility within the specific areas where the patient wants to use their hands.
Through this approach we become aware of the whole person. In addition to just doing exercises of the little pinky for example, we will get them up, standing and working on solving the problems needed to allow them to accomplish exactly what they want to do. It helps them problem-solve by adding functional activities in addition to regular exercises to establish extension.
This holistic approach not only provides the necessary medical rehabilitation to treat and overcome an injury but brings passion and excitement into the process as it helps people once again begin performing the things they do – things they may have worried they would never be able to do again!
More detailed information on occupational therapy for the hand can be found by listening to my RMUpload podcast, Hand Therapy: Melding Art, Science, Wellness, and Breath.
For additional information on RMUoHP’s Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree program go to https://rm.edu/academics/doctor-of-occupational-therapy/
Guest blog by Kristin Biggins, OTD, OTR/L, CHT, CYT-C (Elective Track Director, Doctor of Occupational Therapy – Hand Therapy Track)
