We have developed a number of specialty programs for the kinds of hand and arm injuries we see most often in our region. To learn more about one of these programs and how it may help you return to work, call 585-341-9050.
Following a work or auto related injury, Hand and Upper Extremity Rehabilitation therapists can help you return to the same or a similar job, even if you need some changes in your workplace to do so. Following the initial injury management program, we guide you through a Work Hardening/Work Conditioning Program to maximize your ability to return to work. Before you return to work, we perform Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCE) to measure your ability to tolerate an 8-hour workday. If you need more time, we continue to work with you to strengthen and condition the injured area.
Whether as a result of an on-the-job or out-of-the office injury, hand and arm problems can affect your livelihood as well as your life. In Hand and Upper Extremity Rehabilitation, we perform ergonomic evaluations of workstations and provide advice on workplace changes and tools to help you on the job. We often evaluate your job site, where we also educate managers and employees about proper body mechanics to prevent further injury.
Sign language interpreters often suffer from injuries because of repetitive motion, awkward postures, and inadequate rest of their hands and arms. Our specialists work with agencies that employ sign language interpreters to help reduce these risk factors. We also work with interpreters to improve posture, increase flexibility, and help you relieve pain and recover from repetitive motion injuries.
Myofascial pain is a chronic pain disorder in which a pressure point in one muscle can cause pain in a seemingly unrelated spot somewhere else in your body. It can affect any muscle, but it often occurs in hands when you contract a muscle repeatedly for a long period of time—in your job, or in a sport or a hobby, for example. You may feel pain in the contracted spot, or pain in a "referred" spot elsewhere when you press on a specific point. Tightness, tenderness, popping and clicking, stiffness, limitation of movement, twitching, and muscle weakness are all symptoms of this condition.
Our Hand and Upper Extremity Rehabilitation therapists can be helpful in decreasing myofascial pain. They can use a number of different treatments, including therapeutic ultrasound (phonophoresis), pain suppression through electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), a hands-on technique called myofascial release, and stretch and spray techniques.
Whether you play an instrument professionally or for your own enjoyment, you may experience hand and arm problems. These can come from playing continuously for a long time, or from the extra effort required before a competition. If you have a sedentary lifestyle, you may simply not have the endurance you need to play for long periods. In addition, a completely unrelated accident or a degenerative condition can affect your ability to play.
In Hand and Upper Extremity Rehabilitation, we begin with an ergonomic evaluation while you play your instrument. We help you adapt your position and posture to see if we can relieve some of the pain right away. In very special occasions, we will discuss possible modifications to your instrument. We may teach you specific exercise routines that will help you improve your posture, increase flexibility and strength, and continue to play.
