title: Therapy after injury to the hand.
abstract: Surgical and nonsurgical management of upper extremity disorders benefits from the collaboration of a therapist, the treating physician, and the patient. Hand therapy plays a role in many aspects of treatment, and patients with upper extremity injuries may spend considerably more time with a therapist than with a surgeon. Hand therapists coordinate edema control; pain management; minimization of joint contractures; maximization of tendon gliding, strengthening, and work hardening; counseling; and ongoing diagnostic evaluation. Modalities used to manage hand injuries include ultrasound, splinting, Fluidotherapy (Chattanooga Group, Chattanooga, TN), cryotherapy, various electrical modalities, phonophoresis, and iontophoresis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dorf
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blue
authors.forename: Beth P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: L Andrew
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Koman
mesh_terms: D001458:Bandages; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000628:therapy; D003646:Debridement; D004867:Equipment Design; D006230:Hand Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007478:Iontophoresis; D015612:Phonophoresis; D013165:Splints; D004561:Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology