Hand therapy is the treatment and management of hand disorders and injuries using physical methods such as exercises, stretching, splinting and wound care.

Hand therapists specialise in the rehabilitation of patients with conditions affecting the hands and upper limb disorders that affect hand function.

Our hand therapy service at St Joseph’s Centre for Clinical Physiotherapy is led by Tom Hughes.  Tom has developed a reputation for patient care of the highest level and has built strong working relationships with specialist hand surgeons that operate at St Joseph’s hospital.  Hand therapy has a crucial role in the recovery from injury of the hand or wrist, and in the recovery from hand surgical operations.  Your hand therapist is a key part of the hand surgery team, planning and implementing post-operative care in order to hasten patients’ recovery following surgery.  Post-operative treatment by a hand therapist is essential for optimal recovery.

Your experienced hand therapist will evaluate and identify problems affecting the fingers, hand, wrist and upper limbs.  This enables the correct treatment and help needed for patients to return to a productive lifestyle following injury, surgery, disease or deformity affecting the hand.  They can provide advice regarding exercise, preventative care, aids to daily living and ergonomic consultation.  The hand therapist can also assist with emotional and psychological support which is often a major factor following hand injuries and surgery.

Common hand conditions include tendon disorders such as trigger finger/thumb, De Quervain’s syndrome and tendon repair surgery; arthritis of the finger joints and base of the thumb; Dupuytren’s contracture causing the fingers to curl; carpal and cubital tunnel syndromes; and hand injuries including fractures, finger sprains and dislocations, and nerve injuries.

Our physiotherapists have extensive experience and expert training in all these areas of treatment, so are ideally placed to manage these conditions and provide high-quality, evidence-based care that gets you back doing the things you want to.

Please contact us with any concerns you may have regarding symptoms of the fingers, hands or wrists with one of our highly trained physiotherapists, or have any further questions to ask.  One of our team would be happy to discuss things further with you at any time.