From wound care to biofeedback therapy, the occupational and physical therapists at Hand to Shoulder Center of Wisconsin offer a wide range of therapy services to get you back on track after an injury or surgery. We have an expert therapy team that is passionate and friendly and treats each patient with professionalism and respect.
To discover the array of therapy services we offer, click on the links below. To schedule an appointment with our expert therapists, contact us today.
A Team Approach - Orthopedic Therapy
When you walk into the orthopedic rehabilitation therapy department, the first thing you will notice is how well everyone works together. The occupational and physical therapists, orthopedic surgeons, physicians and nurses all have your best interest at heart. Their goal is to provide personalized, one-on-one care to best meet your individual needs.
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Biofeedback Therapy
Biofeedback is a therapeutic tool that can be used to help recruit muscles, as needed in a case of prolonged immobilization, or to relax them to promote pain relief. The biofeedback unit senses electrical pulses within the muscle and displays them on a computer screen so you can get an idea of how well they are recruiting or relaxing. Our state-of-the-art biofeedback therapy unit also has an electrical stimulation component allowing a pulse of electricity to help “kick in” the muscles. This can be advantageous following a severe injury.
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BTE Strengthening and Work Conditioning
Using a specialized machine called the BTE, your therapist can set up specific tasks to mimic the activities you need to be able to perform at home or at work. This machine can also be used to get objective measures to compare the strength of your non-injured side to your injured one. This therapeutic treatment will also help track progress towards your orthopedic goals.
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Cross Friction Massage
Your therapist can provide this cross friction massage therapy to help alleviate symptoms from repetitive use of your finger, hand, wrist, forearm, elbow and shoulder.
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Custom Static Orthotics
Hand therapists specialize in fabricating custom orthotics to protect injured structures to assist with movement.
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Dynamic Orthotics
Your therapist has specialized training in the fabrication of custom dynamic orthotics often needed to protect your hand following surgery or to alleviate stiffness after an injury or surgery.
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Evaluation for Best Treatment Approach
The therapists at Hand to Shoulder Center of Wisconsin in Appleton have specialized skills in the evaluation of finger, hand, wrist, forearm, elbow and shoulder issues. Your therapist will perform an individualized evaluation tailored to meet your specific needs to determine the best therapeutic treatment approach.
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Edema (Swelling) Control
After an injury or surgery it is natural to have some swelling. This is a normal process of healing; however, if the swelling (also called “edema”) remains for a prolonged period of time, it can cause joint stiffness and problems with your tendons moving. Your therapist can provide various types of treatment techniques to minimize your swelling after surgery or an injury.
These therapeutic techniques can include manual edema mobilization, use of compression sleeves or gloves, Kinesio taping, and active movement.
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Fitting for Orthotics-Prefabricated
If a pre-fabricated splint is needed, your therapist can help to select the most appropriate orthotic to help relieve your symptoms and optimize your function.
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Functional Capacity Evaluation
A Functional Capacity Evaluation is a scientifically developed, performance-based evaluation used to measure an individual’s current level of function. The FCE also referred to as a work capacity assessment, records data specific to the patient’s ability to conduct meaningful tasks on a safe and dependable basis in the workplace. All FCE exams completed at Hand to Shoulder Center are performed by a certified functional capacity evaluator.
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Joint Mobilization
Your therapist can help to reduce joint stiffness in your finger, hand, wrist, forearm, elbow or shoulder through specific manual techniques to restore your range of motion.
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Myofascial Release
Your therapist can use myofascial release to improve the mobility of the tissue around your muscles to decrease pain and improve your function.
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Neuromuscular Re-education
Sometimes your body can forget how to move correctly after an injury. Your orthopedic therapist at Hand to Shoulder Center of Wisconsin can help teach your body how to move more normally through verbal and manual cues.
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Physical Agents and Therapeutic Modalities
Your therapist can use a variety of physical agents and therapeutic modalities including hot packs, Fluidotherapy, electrical stimulation and ultrasound to decrease pain and increase range of motion in your finger, hand, wrist, forearm, elbow and shoulder. These therapeutic modalities can also help to minimize your swelling or scar adherence to allow you to return to your regular activities more quickly.
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Scar Treatment
After an injury or surgery, your body will make scar tissue to heal the area. This is a normal occurrence; however, sometimes the scars can become thick and adherent, which can limit your ability to move. Your therapist can utilize various types of scar treatment techniques to maximize your scar tissue mobility to help restore your tendon and joint mobility.
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Soft Tissue Mobilization
With some conditions, you may need deep soft tissue mobilization to decrease pain and promote more normal movement patterns. Your orthopedic therapist can provide these hands-on techniques as a part of your treatment regimen.
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Specialized Wound Care
The therapists at our clinic have experience in treating a variety of advanced wound issues, including post-surgical incisions, traumatic wounds, and burns. Your therapist can provide whirlpool and debridement of injured tissues to facilitate faster healing! Advanced dressings, applied during your treatment session, are sometimes needed to optimize the healing environment.
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Static Progressive Orthotics
Custom-molded orthotics are sometimes needed to help minimize stiffness and improve your motion following a surgical procedure or orthopedic injury. The therapists at Hand to Shoulder Center of Wisconsin have extensive training in the fabrication of custom orthotics and will be able to determine what will best fit your needs. These types of orthotics can be remolded as you progress.
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Therapeutic Exercises and Activities
Research has shown that performing therapeutic exercises and activities that resemble your daily tasks are more beneficial in restoring your function. Your therapist can assist you in setting up various activities that mimic daily activities to facilitate improvements in your functional strength and endurance.
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Therapeutic Strengthening Techniques
Using various types of therapeutic exercises and strengthening techniques, your therapist can gradually increase your strength to get you back to full function!
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Therapy Taping Techniques
The therapy tape specialists at our clinic have received training in various taping techniques to help facilitate the correct movement pattern, decrease swelling, or promote pain relief. Taping can be extremely beneficial in carrying over gains made during your treatment session!
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