Treatments Available

Below is a list of some of the hand therapy treatments offered by Houghton Hand Therapy: 

• Splints –bespoke and pre-fabricated - used by hand therapists to rest, protect or, increase movement. They can assist in hobbies, work or other tasks. Splints can also be used to exercise in. Splints are generally moulded around your hand, finger, thumb, wrist or forearm. They are made specifically for you. Prefabricated splints may are also be used in treatment. These are usually made of neoprene or similar materials.
• Exercise therapy - specific exercises used to increase movement, strength and dexterity.
• Soft tissue massage - a way of relieving muscle knots or tight muscles. This in turn can enhance freedom of movement.
• Scar management - the use of topical silicon products to flatten and soften thickened scars and to improve the colour of red scarring. Scar massage is a way of improving the flexibility of scars and to help in the prevention of the adhesion of scars to underlying tissue.
• Swelling management - may involve the use of icing, pressure gloves, kinesiology tape, cohesive tape ,or a specific type of massage(retrograde massage)These are all treatments used to reduce swelling.
• Joint protection and energy conservation techniques - refers to the way that we can use our hands, to prevent, or limit further damage, that may occur while we are performing everyday tasks. This is particularly relevant for people who suffer with osteo or rheumatoid arthritis. This may involve the use of aids and adaptations at home or at work e.g. adapted kettles, cutlery or plugs on household appliances, adapted pens to ease grip or adapted keyboards to ease wrist pain.
• Work and activity strengthening - involves analysing how you use your hands at work and in specific activities. A hand therapy programme will be designed specifically for you, to work on the improvement of grip strength, individual muscle strength or your ability to manipulate small objects or tools.
• Kinesiotaping - a treatment used to assist the function of specific muscles or muscle groups and to assist in the control of swelling.
• Desensitising - involves the use of different textures, touch and percussion to help scars or tender soft tissue to become less sensitive.