Hand therapy comes under occupational therapy as a practice and a discipline. The aim of any sort of occupational therapy is to get patients to successfully do everyday tasks with ease through various exercises.

These can be physical, mental, or even psychological. Occupational therapy, particularly hand therapy, can be used for any person who has a hard time properly performing daily tasks due to injury, trauma, or illness. They are especially useful for aging individuals who struggle with tasks due to weakness or age. In today’s blog, we will discuss 3 key benefits of providing this sort of therapy for senior citizens.

Dealing with Arthritis

Arthritis is often an expected and dreaded part of growing older. The chances of suffering from it increase with age, and it is often something that a person just has to manage for the rest of their lives once it begins. The best way to deal with arthritis is to prevent it from even beginning. Hand therapists can teach you how to properly rest and use your arms and hands to avoid inflammations that cause arthritis. Following their techniques can increase hand strength, grip, and endurance.

Improve Movement in Your Hands

One of the most common types of treatments in hand therapy includes a set of exercises that are referred to as ‘range of motion’ exercises. These exercises aim to alleviate pain from your hands, prevent stiff joints, and increase the level to which hand and arm movement is possible.

These exercises are divided into two groups. The first is a set of exercises that patients can do by themselves called ‘active range of motion exercises.’ The other requires the help of a therapist, which are called ‘active-assisted range of motion exercises.’

Hand exercises

Deal with Chronic Pain

Pain is a normal part of life. It’s meant to be a warning sign to our body, so we know when to stop and when to continue. Chronic pain outlives that usefulness and just continues. Through methods of proactive pain control, reduction of pressure felt on muscles, and inclusion of ergonomic design, hand therapy can help manage the pain to a point where it isn’t preventing active living.

If you or a loved one are looking to receive occupational hand therapy from a professional, get in touch with our team at Able Hands Rehab. Our team of experts provides various treatments, from trigger finger therapy to creating custom static splints for our patients.