Hand therapy is a type of rehabilitation performed by an occupational or physical therapist with patients who suffer from conditions affecting the hands and upper extremities. Therapy enables patients to hasten their return to a productive lifestyle.
Patients who are candidates for hand therapy may have been affected by an accident or trauma leaving them with wounds, scars, burns, injured tendons or nerves, fractures, or even amputations of the fingers, hands or arms. Others include patients who suffer from conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow, as well as from chronic problems such as arthritis or a neurologic condition (i.e. stroke).