Hand Therapy & Occupational Fitness Center

The Hand Therapy & Occupational Fitness Center is very pleased to welcome Nick to his Fieldwork II Occupational Therapy Internship! Already 2 weeks down and the time is already flying by. Our first student since the pandemic onset, things are nowhere near normal, but it feels good to return to our ability to provide this mentorship role. If you are interested in hand therapy, please join us here at Learn with the Intern. In addition, all of our weekly learning modules are posted on LearnWithTheIntern.weebly.com.

Happy Holidays from the Hand Therapy & Occupational Fitness Center family to you and yours!

Please, read, share and support. Throughout this pandemic, physicians, nurses, and frontline health care workers have risked their health, their safety and their lives to treat their patients and defeat a deadly virus..... The suggestion that doctorsin the midst of a public health crisisare overcounting COVID-19 patients or lying to line their pockets is a malicious, outrageous, and completely misguided charge." Statement attributed to Susan R. Bailey, M.D., President, American Medical Association

Interested in hand therapy and feeling brave? Visit (virtually, of course!) with Mr. Bones as he attends a hand therapy session this Halloween! Bwaahahaha!

Although a spectacular 4th of July tradition, setting off fireworks can result in severe hand injury. Two high-profile examples are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback C.J. Wilson and the New York Giants defense end Jason Pierre-Paul who both suffered hand burns and finger amputations following firework injuries. As community celebrations are cancelled due to COVID-19, there is a much greater risk of hand injury this year as more individuals and families will be using both ...sanctioned and non-sanctioned explosives. Before lighting up the skies, visit the @AmericanSocietyForSurgeryOfTheHand for tips from hand surgeons and hand therapists that will help you avoid hand injuries. New this year, also due to COVID-19, is the potentially dangerous combination of hand sanitizer use and fireworks as reported by CNN. Hand sanitizer contains alcohol, which will burn quickly. If you plan to set off fireworks, or have children holding sparklers, use soap and water to wash hands rather than using alcohol-based products which can ignite when close to flames. Enjoy the holiday! And please be safe! https://www.assh.org/handcare/safety/fireworks #Fireworks #HandInjury #HandBurns #FingerAmputation #HandSanitizer #HandTherapy #HandSurgery

Just signed up for the American Hand Therapy Foundation June Virtual Marathon. Who wants to join me??!! I'm slow as can be but I'm a plugger. We have through the end of the month to accumulate 26.2 miles (or 13.1 if you would rather do a half). That's only 1-2 miles a day for the remainder of June. The entry fee has been waived this year. For those who are not as financially COVID-challenged, donations are being accepted. The AHTF states that its mission is to fund... clinical and scientific research and education in order to advance the practice of hand therapy and quality of patient care throughout the world. A fantastic goal as evidence-based practice to produce optimal outcomes is truly one of the facets of the hand therapy specialty! Let's get this done! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ahtf-5th-annual-run-walk-for-h

One of my favorite quotes of all time. I strive to follow this philosophy during all my treatment sessions. #HandTherapy #OccupationalTherapy #compassion #EmpathyMatters #ReformHealthcare #OT #PT

During Hand Therapy Week 2020, I’d like to take a moment to thank all of those who shared their time, expertise and services to help our profession and our businesses survive during the initial stages of the COVID-19 crisis. The amazing thing is, all of this positive support happened during a time of daily (sometimes hourly) changes in policies and procedures while reacting to unknown events, short-staffing and remote work environments. My list is too short - not intentionall...Continue reading

Thank you to @Kirstie Gillespie Dalton, a fellow hand therapist, for putting into words what I could not. Beautifully said. I hope she does not mind my quoting her and borrowing the concept. You will never know what color melatonin resides above these bones. But it’s easy to know that these hands belong to someone who is someone’s child, someone’s friend. They’re attached to someone with a soul. Someone who has hugged others, wiped tears, had adventures, lived a life. This person has worth, as does every person, every being. The color of our melatonin shouldn’t determine that, because we’re all the same underneath, and we’re all created equal #blacklivesmatter #asht #htw2020

A year and a picture for the record books. A selfie for the Hand Therapy Week 2020 daily challenge......mask hair, mask breath, mask can’t catch my breath fatigue, foggy goggles....but, couldn’t be more proud to be a Certified Hand Therapist navigating through uncharted waters while striving to provide excellence of care. #OccupationalTherapy #HandTherapy

#HandTherapists are celebrating Hand Therapy Week 2020, kicking off today! Hand Therapy is the art and science of evaluating and treating injuries and conditions of the upper extremity (shoulder, arm, elbow, forearm, wrist and hand)." Therapists: How are you celebrating?... Patients: How did hand therapy help you improve your ability to do the things you want and need to do following an injury? Tag #HTW2020 with your stories! Visit American Society of Hand Therapists for more information. Fun Fact: Did you know that there are almost 7000 Certified Hand Therapists worldwide with almost 6500 of them located in the United States?

Very well said!

Another great resource and a big "Thank You!" to the Pulvertaft Hand Centre for offering quality, no cost webinars during the COVID-19 Pandemic. If you are a hand therapist or have an interest in hand rehabilitation, and if you have the time to attend Mondays @ 12:30 Pacific Time (8:30 PM London), register at https://www.pulvertafthandcentre.org.uk/derby-on-line-teac/. But don't worry if you can't attend. The webinars have been posted on the Pulvertaft Videos YouTube cha...nnel. Dr. Donald Sammut's presentation on Biomechanics of the Intrinsics is a must-see. He is not only a skilled speaker, but an amazing artist as well. https://www.youtube.com/cha/UCfIWjry390XjuV6t3tln2eA/videos See more

With appreciation on this #MemorialDay to those who put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe, whether it be #military, #FirstResponders, frontline #healthcare professionals, or #EssentialWorkers. Thank you. #AmericaStrong (#hand image courtesy of publicdomainphotography.com)