Hand Therapy Secrets is a community of therapist (OT/OTA) with an interest in upper extremity management and the goal of specializing as a Certified Hand Therapist.
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Want more choices in your career, what setting you work in, and being respected as a therapist who can help people with hand and arm injuries?
Develop your skills in hand therapy by becoming a critical thinker and decision maker - for any hand and arm cases that come your way.
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i had flexor tendon cut deeply in zone two my little finger only, my dr just started the therapy 24 days after opewtion and i have a lkttle bit numbness but a very little and stifness
@@HandTherapySecrets0 the reason of this the surgeon started the rehab too late? is there any chance it could fix?, it happen 1 month from.now.since i have the operation, i start to therapy this morning and it was totally bullshit coz therre where to many patient and only one therapist, and showing only wrist moves which i dont have issue kn my wrist
Oof. For some reason I'm struggling watching it . I'm better with necrotic toes that just need to go! 😂I guess hands aren't in my future. But it was very educational. Ty for sharing
Not really but I don’t know without a full exam. I recommend talking with your hand doctor or certified hand therapist. They can help you determine what’s going on and make the best recommendations. Even if it’s been 12 years.
Would you recommend tenolysis if pinky finger flexor tendon is at 60% ROM after already having 2 surgeries. (Ruptured after 1st surgery). Is it worth the risk if you have already had to have a tendon graft? Or should I settle for the 60%
Hoang .. I so agree with the quick fix . I find that when I am upfront and tell them I am not the one for the quick fix , the patient gets it most of the time . Also, I have been doing exactly what you are doing with asking the patient what is it that that truly want to do ? I told one patient flat out … no matter how good your as a clinician and could have all the tricks of the trade to treat you but if I have not addressed your goal and what you truly want to do , I have short changed you as therapist . Period! Since I have been doing this , patients are getting better. One rock climber came to me with tennis elbow . He did all the treatments like you mentioned but still having pain in the elbow and pain near A-2 pulley in his ring finger . I decided to get him away from the treatment table and take him to the floor . Boom, he had such a weak core and peri scap and I was out done . I literally could not see how he was climbing. I also saw the root of his issue . He had been to several therapists and all he was given was massage , US and wrist exercises. One I started him on core , peri scap… he started to heal ! The root of the issue was weakness in unrelated areas. Hoang , this is so inspiring as I am Really leaning towards cash-based !
I have a quick question. After 7 weeks of being in a cast i am currently undergoing physiotherapy in my right hand. The sessions are extremely painful as conducted by the main therapist. However, one time as my therapist was unable, a substitute conducted the session. Not only was it less painful, I believe I achieved a lot more that day. The following day the original therapist was back and I was in pain and my palm a lot stiffer too. Is it normal to feel a very high degree of pain? Please advice. I need to decide if I should ask for the other therapist. Another question I have is typically how long after a 7 week cast does it take for getting back full mobility of your fingers and wrist?
You already know your answer, it is in your question- just ask for the one that makes you feel better. Hand injuries take a while - ask your therapist for what they think your progress is and based on your injury, what will it take.
Thanks for watching. Depends on what you want to learn. I teach out of rehab of the hand as way of learning to become a CHT. Check out the links to the website and there’s some free guides there for you.
Check out the links provided- there’s a job guide because you need the hours and years. And there’s also a checklist guide that can help you map out what you can do. Hope that helps.
Good morning from the uk! I love your videos, you are helping me so much as a hand therapist. The book you reference in this video early on I need in my life, thank you 😊
Hello Hoang, I am a physical therapist from India. I have completed my masters in musculoskeletal physiotherapy with a clinical experience of 7 years. I have developed a keen interest in hand therapy and have been seeing hand patients since 5-6 years. I wish to develop more qualification regarding the same. Does certifying for CHT help when my practice is located in India? Also what other options should i explore? Kindly guide me. Thank u.
I can’t see why becoming more specialized wouldn’t help - no matter what part of the world you are in. It’s up to you to make the decision to invest in yourself and make it in the back end as you get better and can help more people.
Is it possible for me to have a clinic ? I am not an OT but I have completed the first year in college taking the OT course. I am a special education teacher for 12 years. Is it possible?
It’s up to you to decide what services and business structure you want to have 🤷🏻♀️ but you can make it work if you work on it. People hire other professionals all the time.
I hear many people say "I don't want to be stuck only treating hands. I still want variety and once you specialize, all you get is hands." I also think people that are interested often get spooked by the 4000 hours requirement before they even start looking at pass rates. 4000 sounds like a really daunting number and it is higher than most any other specialty I've ever looked into requires
Thanks for sharing. You only get stuck if you allow that to happen. Sometimes people seek it out as well and only want hands. When it comes to hours, I break it down in my Checklist for the CHT exam. It’s not that many hours and most people get it without even working that hard. But if you let it, those requirements will stop you from achieving anything.
Sorry to hear about your injury. You need to find a trusted hand therapist. There’s so many reasons why and what to do, that when you find a good hand therapist, they can guide you. It’s worth paying for. The thumb does 50% of the work of your hand.
Tendon transfer is definitely going to be a plan for my right hand and wrist. I have Dystonia and it turned into a contracture unfortunately. Haven't been able to use that hand/dominant since I was fifteen. It's my dream to have some function and less pain.
Getting function depends on the severity. Find a great hand surgeon and a great hand therapist. You don’t always have to go to the surgeons own hand therapist…just find people you trust. Good luck. It’s not an easy issue but the right person can share their perspective on what’s possible.
Just depends on your schedule and how you need to study and retain. It’s not the same for everyone because everyone has a different need and has different experiences.
i cut my thumb tendon pretty bad to where they had to replace my tendon with the one from my ring finger they told me i might not be able to bend my thumb again so its like i got surgery for no reason
Sorry to hear that. Tendon injuries are tough but maybe I’m optimistic and usually find that there can be some progress even if it’s not perfect. Consider working with a certified hand therapist in your area.
Hoang , this is awesome . So true what you said about putting yourself out there for marketing . Sometimes falling on your butt is just what you need to get the extra push . Love it
Thanks for the video. It's really beneficial. I will love if you could share some videos on how to manage neuro deficit of the hand as an OT. I'm a neuro OT in training. Thanks
@@HandTherapySecrets0 Hi, Can you repost the sublexed shoulder video, I tried to watch it, but it won't play. I have a sbblexed shoulder. I can' get it to close. I had therapy and exercise.
Can the pins effect mobility? I have two they put them in through the wound by opening it up at the top and bottom it’s been almost 5 months since the injury it’s healed decently well i had crushed 40% of my tendon with multiple fractures and a open wound one i would’ve assumed the bone and tendon would be mostly healed by the mobility hasn’t improved since January when i had all my stitches out
Pins are usually used to stabilize something. So yes it typically will stop motion then the therapy required after is to help get the motion back. Good luck to you!
If you want more information about studying for the hand therapy exam, grab the details here. handtherapysecrets.com/certified-hand-therapy-exam-practice/
Hello, I had primary tendon repair but sadly I rerupturd on pinky flexor tendon. I had 2nd surgery with with palmaris longus graft that was successfully with no rupture. Unfortunately now I have minimal rom in this pinky and it’s very unsettling to be stuck like this. What are your thoughts on tenolysis in my situation and what did u mean when U said some don’t get the option to get 3rd surgery and are Stuck
Each person has to make a decision on a tenolysis and understand the limitations and therapy requirements. Small fingers can be extremely frustrating. I say don’t get a 3rd opinion really from the idea of having a hard time when you have too many options that it’s hard to make a decision. But at the end of the day, you have to do what’s right for you and find someone you trust. Sorry to hear about your injury, it’s a tough one even though it might feel like so small.
@@HandTherapySecrets0 thanks for the advice. I am trying to reach out to real people who have gone through this but it’s very hard. What source do you recommend using if I’m trying to get input from real people who have dealt with flexor tenolysis besides my hand surgeon and therapist ??
Outpatient PTs and OTs are getting burned out by the long hours, doubling, tripling of patients at a time. Whether you’re an employee or an owner, balance is key to maintaining good staff. Not overworking them.
