Occupational Therapy Hand Specialty
Hand injuries account for nearly 10 percent of all hospital emergency visits. Most commonly, this includes lacerations, contusions, fractures and infections due to automobile and motorcycle accidents, sports injuries, falls, industrial accidents, and other traumas. Additionally, the hand can be adversely affected by repetitive injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, and arthritis and tendonitis.
Losing the function of a hand can be devastating. It can affect one’s job, ability to enjoy recreational activities like sports and music, use a computer, or even perform many of the tasks of daily living.
The Occupational Therapy Department at Jersey City Medical Center is one of the few facilities in northern New Jersey that provides comprehensive therapy for the hand, wrist, forearm and elbow both as a conservative option to surgery and following surgery to return the area as quickly as possible to maximum function.
We treat about 1,200 hand patients annually on an outpatient basis and receive referrals from throughout the region from orthopedists, plastic surgeons, rheumatologists and primary care physicians. We also serve as a fieldwork site for occupational therapy students at NYU and other professional schools.
Specialized Care
Hand therapy requires extensive training and can only be performed by a certified hand therapist as it involves knowledge of the very complex and intricate workings of the hand and adjacent areas.
The following diagnoses are commonly treated here:
- Trauma- and sports-related hand injuries
- Amputations and replantations
- Repetitive injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome
- Tendonitis and arthritis
- Finger, hand, wrist, forearm and elbow fractures
- Tendon repairs
- Nerve injuries
Therapy itself might last for several sessions or require multiple times weekly for a year or longer to restore range of motion and function, strengthen the area, reduce swelling, help scars heal and minimize pain. Often, therapy must begin immediately after an injury or surgery to optimize the outcome.
Our hand therapy team performs the following treatment protocols:
- Joint mobilization
- Custom fabrication of static and dynamic splints
- Adaptation of tools and devices
- Soft tissue mobilization
- Wound care
- Exercise programs
- Modalities including electrical stimulation, ultrasound, iontophoresis, moist heat, etc.
- Work and home-simulated activities/ Activities of Daily Living
The Occupational Therapy Department at Jersey City Medical Center is located next to the hospital on the 3rd floor of the Ambulatory Care Center.
To make an appointment, or for more information, call (201) 915-2410.