Occupational Therapy: Hand Therapy

HAND THERAPY

While searching around the internet for a topic for this week's open blog post, I kept coming across something called hand therapy. Although I have gone through other specializations of occupational therapy in my previous posts, I have not yet looked into this one. The title "hand therapy" can be deceiving. Judging by the name, it sounds as if hand therapists only work with the hands. However, they also work to rehabilitate the wrist, elbow, and shoulder girdle. Hand therapy requires much more experience than just occupational or physical therapy. To become a hand therapist, a personal must have at least 5 years of experience working as an occupational or physical therapist and at least 4,000 hours practicing hand therapy. Hand therapists also have to pass a test in advanced clinical skills and theory of upper quarter rehabilitation, and re-certify every 5 years. This field is very beneficial because if you think about it, how much could we really do with a loss of functioning in our hands and upper limbs? Just about every job that I can think of requires well functioning hands in someway, and it is a hand therapist's job to help those who have lost that function to regain it as soon and as completely as possible. 

WORKS CITED

"The Recognized Specialist in Hand Therapy." HTCC. Hand Therapy Certification Therapy, Inc. N.d. Web. 11 March 2013.