Southcoast Health System & Southcoast Hospitals Group

Hand Therapy Program

Southcoast's Hand Therapy program provides quality treatment to work and non-work related injuries of the upper extremities from the acute onset of injury or disease.

Therapists provide complete hand/upper extremity evaluations and treatment including:

BTE
Comprehensive Wound Care
Desensitization/Sensory-Re-education
Energy Conservation Techniques
Joint Mobilization
Modalities
Prosthetic Training
Scar management
Static & Dynamic Splinting

Southcoast's Rehabilitation's Hand Therapy Team consists of highly skilled and experienced therapists that specialize in the care and treatment of upper extremity injuries.

The goal of the program is to provide the tools for the individual to achieve independence in the home and work activities. Returning the patient to his/her maximal level of function and independence is our primary focus. We provide a goal oriented positive approach, close communication with all parties and thorough follow-through in each case.

Return to a Productive Lifestyle

The Hand Therapy Team enables individuals to return to a productive lifestyle.

The Hand Therapy program staff consists of Certified Hand Therapists, Occupational and Physical Therapists working as a team to provide the following benefits:

Rapid return to prior level of function in ADL (activities of daily living) or work duties
Enhanced functional outcomes
Promotion of patient independence in injury management.

The integration of the Hand Therapy program with the Occupational Health Team allows for progression into functional situations and simulated work environments for the client.

This progressive team is dedicated to continuing education. A majority of the staff are members of the American Society of Hand Therapists. Each therapist completes an intensive Hand Therapy Specialty Competency Program prior to joining the team. These competencies are constantly monitored and updated annually to insure our therapists remain at the top of the hand therapy field.

Southcoast therapists have traveled across the country to attend some of the nation's most informative seminars and conferences, including:

American Society of Hand Therapists Meeting, Toronto
Surgery and Rehabilitation of the Hand Conference, Philadelphia
Hands On Tendon Trauma Conference, Las Vegas

Each therapist also keeps in close contact with area orthopedic, plastic, and hand surgeons. Many therapists spend time in the physician's offices and/or mentor with physicians in the Southcoast and Boston areas to continually improve their skills. This close communication with physicians' enhances the functional outcomes of surgical and non-surgical diagnoses including:

Arthritis
Amputations/Replantations
Arthroplasties
Burn management
Carpal tunnel release
Cumulative Trauma
Dupuytren's disease/release
Fractures/dislocations
Nerve Palsies/injuries/repairs
ORIF forearm/wrist/digits
RSD (Repetitive Stress Disorders)
Tendon & ligament injuries/repairs
Wound management
Scleroderma

Locations

Dartmouth Place

Charlton Memorial Hospital
Mitchell Therapies Center
363 Highland Avenue
Fall River, MA 02720
508-679-7135

Tobey Outpatient Rehab
1 Recovery Road
Wareham, MA 02571
508-291-3729

Links & Resources

The following links are provided as a resource to patients, staff and the community. Inclusion on this list does not indicate an endorsement from Southcoast.

Please report any links that do not work to info@southcoast.org. Be sure to indicate which link is broken.

American Society for Surgery of the Hand

American Society of Hand Therapists | ASHT's site for publications

Arthritis Foundation | Includes an "ask a question about arthritis" option.

British Columbia Professional Firefighters Burn Fund | Information on burn treatment, therapeutic management, and links to other related web sites. Includes information on burn support groups.

CTD News | Practical information about cumulative trauma disorders. Includes standards, guidelines, conferences and seminars.

Disease Classifications in Hand Surgery | Descriptions/classifications of congenital hand deformities

E-Hand.com | Dr. Eaton's page describing many areas of hand therapy and surgery.

Ergoweb | Ergonomics web site.

Exploring Hand Therapy | Includes many links. Also, "how to find a hand therapist" search engine.

Flexor Tendon Grafting | Excellent site explaining the two-stage tendon repair with Hunter Rods. Good site for both therapist and patient. Includes interactive pictures.

Hand Assessment | Provides very detailed descriptions of hand assessment and evaluation. Includes ROM and strength norms. Also describes functional impairment of the hand.

Hand Bones | Pictures with labels of hand bone anatomy.

Hand Burns | Pictures and descriptions of hand burns. Includes treatment considerations.

Hand Injuries in Rock Climbing | Detailed site explaining hand injuries related to rock climbing.

Hand University | Many links for common conditions of the hand, elbow, and wrist.

Hand & Wrist from Orthopaedic Web Links | Patient's guide for UE disorders. Includes list of links rated for reputability.

Nerve Grafting | Excellent site for patients describing nerve grafting. Includes interactive pictures.

NorthCoast Medical/Promedics Functional Solutions | Northcoast's site for catalogs. Includes "Functional Solutions" catalog info.

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy from Orthopaedic Web Links | Links for patients describing RSD. Each link rated for reputability.

Surgery Information Sheets | Dr. Belcher home page with directory for major hand diagnosis with patient education sheets.

Tendon Laceration | A surgeon's page describing flexor tendon repair surgery and rehab. Good for patients.

Trigger Finger | Excellent site for patient and therapist describing trigger finger. Includes excellent pictures showing actual triggering. Also describes conservative management/steroid injection, and surgery/rehab.

Ulnar Nerve Release | Great site for patients giving overview of ulnar nerve transposition/release.

Versalius | Many color pictures of Ulnar Nerve Transposition procedures. Requires you to create user name and password to enlarge pictures. Registration is free.

World Wide Wounds | Features wound care journal devoted to wound management, care, and dressings.

Wrist Arthritis | Patient guide to partial wrist "salvage procedures."

Wrist Ligament Injuries | Gives overview of wrist instability. Includes radiographs.

Other Southcoast Rehab Services