Advice to improve your movement, fitness, and overall health from the world's #1 in orthopedics.
PT or OT? Choosing the Best Therapy for Hand Disorders
The function of the hand is very important in our daily lives. Learn more about how hand therapy is critical to recovery and regaining function after injury.
Advice to improve your movement, fitness, and overall health from the world's #1 in orthopedics.
What to look for in a therapist
For the upper extremities, which include everything from your fingers to your shoulders, it's important to see a therapist who specializes in that body area. There are two types of therapists you might see:
- A physical therapist (PT) focuses on how the body moves and functions.
- An occupational therapist (OT) focuses on fine motor function and the psychosocial aspects of recovery.
Both a PT and an OT can treat hand and upper extremity injuries. However, there is a third classification that is crucial to look for: a certified hand therapist (CHT).
A CHT has the academic background of a PT or OT, but is also required to amass thousands of hours of experience in direct clinical practice taking care of patients in need of upper extremity rehabilitation. The movement of the elbow, wrist, and hand are very complex, but these parts of the body don't receive as much attention in PT and OT training as other body parts such as the back, knees and hips.
Published 12/22/2020