One of the most common reasons patients participate in outpatient physical and/or occupational therapy services, whether post-surgery or by physician referral, for other reasons is injuries to the hand or arm. It is crucial for patients who experience these types of injuries to receive specialized care to regain the function of their arms and hands to carry on with their careers or with daily tasks. Pikeville Medical Center (PMC) is committed to providing high-quality, comprehensive care to patients throughout Eastern Kentucky, and offering specialized hand therapy services is one way to achieve this.
Hand therapy can be utilized in overuse injuries, traumatic injuries, fractures, dislocations, crush injuries, burns, arthritis, tendon/nerve injuries and more. PMC has provided hand therapy services for several years, resulting in many patients regaining strength and the ability to resume their daily lives through these rehabilitative services.
PMC offers the only high-level hand therapy treatment facility in the area, allowing patients to remain close to home to receive this specialized care. Therapists at Pikeville Medical Center utilize a variety of techniques and interventions to treat hand injuries and promote recovery. The specific methods used are determined by the nature and severity of the injury and the patient’s needs. Treatment plans employ a range of devices such as TENS Units, which stimulate muscle activity and reduce pain, grip strength trainers, manual massage, past range of motion flexing and stretching. Patients also work on performing daily activities such as buttoning a shirt and gripping pens and pencils. Other exercises include using Velcro tool exercise boards, resistance bands and more.
“PMC is definitely leading the way in terms of hand therapy in our region, and we strive daily to get more and more of the hard-working people in our area back to performing necessary activities using their hands,” said Reese Ward, Occupational Therapist. “I am so grateful to be able to give back to the area and help heal the hands that raised me.” For more information about the PMC Hand Therapy program, call (606) 430-9300.
