Our hand therapists work with people of all ages who have neurological conditions to help them achieve their potential to use their hands.
Our hands play a vital role in our day to day lives. They help us to experience and control our environment through the sense of touch, expression of affection or communication through gestures, and by steadying, gripping, and manipulating objects. Our hands help us to participate within the world around us.
People who have neurological conditions often encounter problems with their hands which can make daily living tasks such as cleaning the hands, getting dressed, feeding or school-based tasks difficult, thus reducing their level of independence.
These functional problems can be a result of various symptoms including muscle spasticity, muscle weakness, reduced sensation, reduced coordination or awareness of the hand or limb. These symptoms are a direct result of the neurological condition and all too often lead to the development of secondary problems over time. Secondary problems include areas of joint or muscle tightness, loss of range of movement, joint hypermobility, weakness, and inability to develop hand function. These secondary problems can then result in further reductions in functional ability.
The earlier that specific symptoms are addressed the more effective we can be in preventing the secondary complications and the more opportunity there is for learning, no matter what the level of disability the person is experiencing.
For those we work with who have more complex and profound disability the aims may be around comfort, positioning, accessing their environment and ease of activities of daily living when assisted by others. Functional goals are appropriate no matter what the level of disability and everyone has the potential to maximise their quality of life.
Our Unique Approach
Neurological rehabilitation and hand therapy treatments are all too often considered in isolation from each other.
What makes our approach so effective is that our team come from both neurological and hand therapy backgrounds. We are able to combine our knowledge from these clinical areas to provide a truly specialised MDT service, utilising the right treatment in a timely manner alongside other interventions to enable the best possible outcome to be achieved.
Our team are widely recognised for their dynamic approach to spasticity management using Botulinum toxin injection therapy. Our highly targeted use of injection therapy in combination with hand therapy and splinting techniques sets us apart from the majority of other care providers in the field of neurological rehabilitation.
Our knowledge, skill, and techniques have been developed over the years by clinicians passionate about this area of practice, resulting in us being one of the leading service providers in this specialist area in the UK.
Our tried and tested approach, which combines the knowledge of our leading team of experts, means we usually see progress being made quickly, with longer-lasting outcomes.
Each patient’s need is assessed at the outset, and a bespoke treatment plan will be put in place to outline the best approach to achieve the rehabilitation goals. Treatment plans may include the following:
- Deformity prevention
- Use of specific exercises and techniques to enable improved movement
- Joint protection
- Spasticity management
- The use of botulinum toxin to improve muscle balance and function in the upper limb and hand
- Splinting
- Recommendations for surgical intervention
- Post-operative rehabilitation
Collaborative Approach to Care
Our Neurological Hand Therapists work collaboratively with young people and their families to establish treatment goals, which can ultimately enable them to develop new ways to achieve increased independence in everyday activities.
Our clients are often referred to us by case managers or solicitors having suffered a birth or traumatic brain injury. We also work with young people who are referred to us from other healthcare professionals who may wish to complement their treatment programme with specialist knowledge to address hand problems.
We work closely within the multi-disciplinary team to ensure that our advice and interventions are incorporated into the day-to-day routines and plan of the young person. This means that the frequency of our contacts is minimised as we ensure that we educate those around the young person to optimise their rehabilitation.
Get in touch
Please contact one of our experienced hand therapists today to discuss how we can help and what services we can offer.