At Cleveland Clinic, our hand occupational therapists can help you find relief and get back to life pain-free.

Hand Occupational Therapy

Sometimes your hands hurt. Maybe your fingers tingle. Or there’s a sharp, burning pain in your wrist or palm. Maybe the pain comes and goes — or it never goes away.

Your hands do so much during the day that when they hurt, even the simplest tasks like tying your shoes, opening a jar or sending a text can make you flinch. Maybe an injury or chronic condition, like arthritis, is causing the pain. Or maybe you’re recovering from a surgery. Overusing your hands when playing a sport or doing your job can also cause discomfort.

Cleveland Clinic’s certified hand occupational therapists may be able to help. This team of specialists treat problems with your hands, elbows, arms and shoulders. They’ll work with you to find ways to ease your pain.

Why Choose Cleveland Clinic for Hand Occupational Therapy?

Specialized knowledge:

Our hand occupational therapists specialize in diagnosing and treating injuries and conditions of the upper extremity (hand, wrist, elbow, arm, forearm and shoulder).

Collaborative care:

Your therapist works closely with your primary care provider, orthopaedic surgeons and plastic surgeons to create a personalized treatment plan for you. They often sit in on appointments with these other specialists to understand the details of your condition.

Convenient care:

Waiting to get help can be frustrating. At Cleveland Clinic, we try our best to get you into therapy as soon as possible after you contact us.

Personalized care:

Every hand is different, and no injury or condition is the same. Your therapist will put together a custom treatment plan based on your specific needs and personal goals.

National recognition:

Cleveland Clinic is a trusted healthcare leader. We're recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for our expertise and care.

Hand Occupational Therapy Evaluation at Cleveland Clinic

Lots of things can make your hands hurt and not work well, like:

Strains, sprains and tears in ligaments and tendons.
Bone fractures and dislocations.
Arthritis pain, swelling and stiffness.
Pinched nerves, such as carpal tunnel syndrome and cubital tunnel syndrome.
Trigger finger and trigger thumb.
Sport-related or overuse injuries, like tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow.
Congenital conditions (things you were born with).

When you meet with one of our hand occupational therapists for the first time, they’ll want to know if you have any of these conditions. They’ll take a detailed health history and want to know if you’ve had surgery. They’ll may also ask:

Are you in pain?
Do you have numbness, tingling or stiffness?
Is it hard for you to use your hand?
Do you tend to drop things?
Do you have trouble moving your hand very far (limited range of motion)?

Meet Our Hand Occupational Team

Our hand occupational therapists work closely with your primary care provider and other specialists to give you the most comprehensive treatment. Your team might also include:

Orthopaedic surgeons.
Plastic surgeons.
Physician assistants.

Locations

Our healthcare providers see patients at convenient locations throughout Northeast Ohio.

Getting Hand Occupational Therapy at Cleveland Clinic

After your therapist has figured out what’s going on, they’ll put together a personalized treatment plan with your needs and goals in mind. Your plan may include:

Activities you’ll work on with your therapist.
Things you can do at home to build on the progress you make with your therapist.
Suggestions on how avoid making your symptoms worse.
A timeline of how long you’ll need therapy (usually several weeks to several months).

Depending on your condition, your therapy plan might also include:

Custom orthotics, braces or splints.
Pain management, which may include heat and cold therapy.
Soft-tissue manipulation, similar to massage.
Stretching exercises to increase flexibility and range of motion.
Strengthening and endurance exercises.
Ways to protect your joints and conserve energy.
Ways to help with activities of daily living (ADLs).

Throughout your treatment, we’ll measure your progress according to your goals, like:

Ability to lift and handle objects.
Grip strength or pinch strength.
Coordination.
Posture.
Range of motion.
Sensation or feeling.
Stiffness and pain.
How easy it is to do daily activities.
How you think you’re doing.

Taking the Next Step

Even the smallest, everyday tasks can be exhausting and frustrating when your hands hurt or don’t work like they should. Therapy can often get things back on track again. Our expert hand occupational therapists know what to do to help you find relief as fast as possible.