Occupational therapy in Miami – Did you know that your hands are one of the most complex parts of your body? The movement of the tendons, bones, tissues, and nerves allows you to grip and perform a wide variety of complex gestures and simply get the manual tasks done. Without your hands it would be extremely difficult to do even the simplest, everyday tasks such as opening doors, using a fork, or tying your shoes. Unfortunately, being so intricate in their construction and so indispensable in everyday life (involved literally in every manual task!) they are prone to injuries that happen more often that you would think. But when they do get injured, what sort of medical specialist should you call? Although it’s not commonly known, Certified Hand Therapists and Occupational Therapists are often a great option. As a Certified Hand Therapist and an occupational therapist in Miami, Hoang Tran is perfectly qualified to – excuse the pun – give you a helping hand!
Important: If you suffer from a hand injury contact an occupational therapist in Miami immediately*.
*Unless your injury is life threatening, in which case call 911.
Surprisingly, even though hand and wrist injuries are very common, some athletes and employees never seek professional treatment. We must remember that delaying the diagnosis and treatment (of every injury, not only hand-related) may result in long-term problems, sometimes leading to permanent disability. Below is a list of some of the most common injuries that those who use their hands regularly often experience:
1. Sprains: thumb sprains, wrist sprains
Sprains are extremely common injuries but should never be ignored. A sprain occurs when ligaments are damaged. Ligaments are a type of tissue that connects bone to bone. For example, if you sprain your thumb, apart from suffering from a painful injury, you could lose some (or all) of your ability to grasp items between your thumb and index finger or to grasp well with the entire hand. Another example is wrist sprain: because putting our hands in front of us is our natural response when we fall forward (e.g. when we trip running or climbing stairs), wrists are prone to injuries. When you land on your palm and bend your wrist backwards, the ligaments connecting the bones in your wrist are extremely likely to stretch or tear – the result: wrist sprain.
There are different grades of sprain from minor tears to complete ruptures. The type of treatment and recovery time may vary and will depend on the severity of the sprain. Occupational therapy in Miami is a great option for anyone in Miami-Dade suffering from a hand injury. Learn more about what occupational therapy is and how a professional hand therapist can help you regain your mobility.
2. Fractures and dislocations to the bone
Almost everyone knows a fracture is a crack or break in a bone. It is most commonly referred to as broken bone. You might find it helpful to know that although there are many different types of fractures, common breaks fall into two general categories: nondisplaced or displaced fractures:
- A Non-displaced fracture is when the bone is broken but not shifted or moved out of its position.
- A displaced or dislocated fracture is when due to the injury a gap between the two ends of the bone occurred or the bone was pushed out of place so that they no longer line up correctly at the joint. This can decrease the ability to move and cause pain
3. Wrist fractures
Wrist fractures are very common in sports, the workplace, and motor vehicle accidents. The break most often occurs during a fall on the outstretched wrist. The angle at which the wrist hits the ground may determine the type of injury hence the more the wrist is bent back (extension), the more likely the scaphoid bone will break. Such fractures are not always immediately obvious and many people with a fractured scaphoid think they have a sprained wrist instead of a broken bone because no evident deformity occurs and there is very little swelling. Read more about occupational therapy in Miami and treatment for bone and wrist fractures.
4. Dislocations of the so-called PIP joint
An injury to the joint above the knuckle – the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint – is one of the most common injuries to a hand. This type of Injury occurs when the finger is either hyperextended (forced backwards) or forced into flexion (downward into a bent position). Injuries to the PIP joint may include fractures, dislocations and fracture dislocations.
5. DeQuervain’s Syndrome
This mysteriously named condition is a common injury among people who move their wrists a lot, especially in a repetitive rotating or gripping motion. DeQuervain’s syndrome occurs when a hand was overused to a large extent which eventually led to irritation of the tendons found along the thumb side of the wrist. Such irritation causes the lining around the tendon to swell and makes it difficult for the tendons to move properly. Rotating and gripping becomes causes discomfort and can be really painful, not to mention a weakening of the grip.
Occupational Therapy Miami – your first point of contact if you suffer from a hand injury.
Anyone with a hand injury should consider calling a doctor or seek medical attention. If medical attention is delayed, the potential for devastating and sometimes irreversible injuries increases greatly. You should know, that even the smallest cut or seemingly innocent hand injury could require advanced treatment delivered by a professional hand therapist to prevent infection or significant loss of function. The primary goal with injuries to the hand is a rapid and accurate initial evaluation followed by a relevant treatment. In other words, once an injury occurs, the certified hand therapist strives to begin medical treatment as quickly as possible so the short- and long-term effects on the hand can be minimized.
The treatment provided occupational therapy in Miami leads to pain relief, shorter treatment duration, improved treatment results, and decreased indirect expenses resulting from the injury. A Certified hand therapist can also advise about prevention and how to reduce the chance of future injuries.
Find out more about occupational therapy in Miami or get in touch with us now.
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