Hand Therapy
Hand therapy supports recovery from injuries, surgeries, pain, and mobility issues affecting the hand, wrist, forearm, and elbow.
When hand or arm problems affect daily life
Your hands and arms are involved in almost everything you do: work, sport, hobbies, household tasks, driving, cooking, lifting, typing, and caring for others. Pain, stiffness, weakness, swelling, or loss of movement can quickly affect independence and confidence.
Hand therapy may help with concerns such as:
- sprains or strains of the hand, wrist, forearm, or elbow
- wrist or hand fractures
- post-surgical recovery
- arthritis affecting the hand or thumb
- tendon overuse injuries
- carpal tunnel symptoms
- tennis elbow or other elbow pain
- stiffness, weakness, or reduced grip
- shoulder or upper extremity issues that affect arm function
How hand therapy works
Hand therapy focuses on the specific needs of the hand, wrist, forearm, elbow, and related upper extremity function. Your therapist will assess movement, strength, swelling, sensitivity, pain, grip, dexterity, and how the issue is affecting the tasks you need or want to do.
Because the hand and arm are complex and highly used, treatment is often very specific. Small changes in mobility, strength, control, or support can make a meaningful difference in daily function.
Treatment may include
Your treatment plan will depend on your injury, surgery, symptoms, and goals. Hand therapy may include:
- range-of-motion and strengthening exercises
- swelling and scar management strategies
- education about healing, protection, and activity modification
- manual therapy for stiffness or restricted movement
- grip, dexterity, or functional retraining
- custom bracing or splinting for some hand and wrist concerns
- guidance for return to work, sport, hobbies, or daily tasks
If your recovery involves a surgeon, physician, or other provider, your therapist may help support the plan already in place.
Care from a Certified Hand Therapist
Hand therapy requires detailed knowledge of the hand, wrist, forearm and elbow, including how these areas recover after injury or surgery.
Robert Wingert is a Certified Hand Therapist (CHT), and currently the only CHT working in private practice in Kamloops. The CHT certification is held by physiotherapists and occupational therapists who have completed extensive clinical experience in hand and upper-extremity rehabilitation and passed a recognized certification examination.
This focused experience can be particularly helpful for post-operative rehabilitation, fractures, tendon injuries, persistent pain or stiffness, hand and wrist conditions, and custom splinting needs.
What to expect
Your first visit will include a detailed discussion about your symptoms, injury or surgery history, goals, and how the problem is affecting your daily life. Your therapist will assess the area and explain what they are finding.
Treatment may begin during the first appointment. You may leave with exercises, protection strategies, bracing recommendations, or guidance on how to use the hand or arm safely while it recovers.
The goal is to help you improve comfort, movement, strength, and function for the activities that matter to you.
