“Can occupational therapy help my mother regain strength in her hand faster?”
My mother took a hard fall a few weeks ago and needed to have surgery on her hand. She's still in recovery and I feel like it's going by so slowly. Would occupational therapy help her regain strength in her hand?
5 Answers
Most patients benefit from hand therapy.
Sometimes patients need to come in frequently to be seen by therapy, but often therapists can teach patients what to do at home and see them periodically to provide services that patients can't or won't do on their own.
Sometimes patients need to come in frequently to be seen by therapy, but often therapists can teach patients what to do at home and see them periodically to provide services that patients can't or won't do on their own.
As an occupational therapist and certified hand therapist, I can strongly encourage you to connect your mother with an OT who works with hands. Hand therapy combines knowledge of the microanatomy of the hand with rehabilitation principles and helps people get range of motion and strength.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery!
Haley Van Escobar, MOTR/L, CHT
Best wishes for a speedy recovery!
Haley Van Escobar, MOTR/L, CHT
Absolutely. Occupational therapy will likely be helpful in terms of her regaining her motion and strength quicker. Occupational therapy is very often an integral part of recovery after hand surgery.
Remember, we can only do three things in medicine. We can prescribe medication, do surgery, or prescribe physical therapy. Physical therapy is a necessary adjunct post-surgery.
A. T. Hadley III, M.D., MPH + TM, MBA
A. T. Hadley III, M.D., MPH + TM, MBA
YES is the short answer here. However there are many variables to consider after surgery. So it’s best to have this discussion with her surgeon. Good luck!
