What is the difference between Certified Hand Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy?

A certified hand therapist is a occupational therapist OR physical therapist that has decided to specialize and focus on evaluation and treatment of injuries and conditions that affect the upper extremity (hand, wrist, forearm, elbow, arm, and shoulder). 85% of certified hand therapists are occupational therapists and not all occupational therapists specialize in the hand! Being a certified hand therapist means that you’ll be provided care by a specialist versus a generalist. It’s similar between going to a primary care physician versus a neurologist or OBGYN. One has just decided to focus primarily on their specialty.

What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational therapists evaluate and treat people who have injuries, illnesses, or disabilities to help them with vocational, daily living, and other skills that promote independence. Physical therapists help injured or ill people improve movement and manage pain. In the hand therapy setting- occupational therapists and physical therapists have similar goals.

What Does a Hand Therapy Visit Look Like?

Every visit caters differently to each patients needs, but they often involve a combination of patient education, stretching, strengthening, hands-on treatment, and therapeutic modalities.

Your first session involves your certified hand therapist (CHT) doing a complete assessment to get a clear picture of your current level of function and difficulties, understand your diagnosis and medical history, and craft a plan of care to maximize your outcome.

During your following sessions, your therapist can start you off with therapeutic modalities (paraffin wax, hot pack, laser, ultrasound, soft tissue work) which are aimed at reducing your symptoms and restore function of your hand. You’ll also be instructed on exercises to perform in clinic and at home to speed your recovery.

How Frequent Will My Sessions Be? How long will they be?

Your CHT will tailor your treatment session to your specific condition and goals, but typically you’ll be seen 1-2 times a week. For more chronic conditions, such as Ehlers Danlos Syndrome or arthritis, you may be seen just 1-2 times a month to touch base and follow up on your needs.

Therapy sessions range from 45-60 minutes.

Will Insurance Cover My Treatment?

Most insurances cover our services, however, you should check with your insurance carrier about your specific plan. We fall under “Outpatient Occupational Therapy” and are seperate from physical therapy visit caps.

What Should I Wear to My Hand Therapy Appointment?

Please wear loose clothing that allows easy access for the therapist to evaluate your entire upper extremity. We make sure to check up to the back and neck to see if your symptoms are referring from other areas.

Do You Accept Students (Pre-OT/Fieldwork I/II)

We currently DO accept occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant students and allow shadowing at this time. Please contact us for specific dates & times and to set up a fieldwork affiliation if needed.