Our Services
Hand therapy services include the assessment and rehabilitation of any injury or condition that relates to the upper limb. This extends from the elbow down to the fingertips and includes any structure in the body, eg. bone, tendon, ligament, muscle, nerves and skin.
First Hand Rehab works with local GPs, surgeons, physiotherapists, the District Health Board, ACC and many other health professionals. We accept referrals from all sources including, directly from you.
There are an enormous number of conditions that hand therapists treat. Listed below are just some examples of conditions that can be treated by a hand therapist.
+ Burns/Wounds
Open wounds, either post surgically or from an injury create a risk of infection. The body heals wounds by contraction of the surrounding tissue as well as depositing scar tissue.
+ Carpal tunnel compression
Pressure on the median nerve as it passes underneath the carpal tunnel can cause damage to the nerve and result in pins and needles, tingling or numbness into the fingers as well as weakness in grip.
+ De Quervains tenosynovitis
This is a condition where the tendons that extend the thumb and wrist become inflamed and/or thickened and are irritated as they pass underneath a ligamentous tunnel.
+ Fractures
A fracture is the medical term for a broken bone. Fractures occur when the physical force exerted on the bone is stronger than the bone itself, e.g. as a result of a fall or when the hand strikes an object.
+ Osteoarthritis
This has been called ‘joint wear and tear’ and can occur in any joint of the body. Osteoarthritis is when the cartilage that surrounds the ends of the bone (and acts as a shock absorber) becomes thin. Eventually changes occur to the bone that can be seen on X-ray, such as bony spurs, loss of joint space, etc.
+ Tendon laceration/rupture
Tendons are tough bands of fibrous tissue that transmit forces from the muscles to the bones to create joint motion. Tendons can rupture, eg mallet injury to a finger, and they can develop inflammation from repetitive actions, eg. intersection syndrome.
“My hand was crushed in a wood splitter. It took over 10 months just for the swelling to go down, 6 surgical operations over a period of 18 months and many hours of hand rehab.
This was my dominant hand and mentally/emotionally it was very taxing. They assured me continually that if I put in the effort and listened to them I would regain full use of my hand again. To this day I have to say they were right! I have a 90% functioning hand, which is more than most medical professionals would have expected me to regain.
Without Daniella and Bridget’s help this would never have been achieved. I don’t hesitate in recommending them at all for any form of hand/arm rehab. They are the best!”
Leo
Contact us today to book your appointment
Referrals not mandatory.