Newsletter for REHABILITY
He a l t h & F i t ne s s The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
RELIEVING ARTHRITIC PAINS IN YOUR UPPER EXTREMITIES
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He a l t h & F i t ne s s The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
REDUCING PAIN. RESTORING FUNCTION. ACHIEVING GOALS.
RELIEVING ARTHRITIC PAINS IN YOUR UPPER EXTREMITIES
INSIDE How You Can Practice Hand Therapy On Your Own
Meet the Team: Nick Mullery, DPT
Exercise Essentials
at relieving pain and promoting healing. Occupational therapy, while it is a similar form of conservative treatment, focuses more on rehabilitation and the “relearning” of daily activities. The purpose of occupational therapy is to make daily life easier by participating in treatments and exercises. Hand therapy is also a form of occupational therapy. While the title only specifies hands, this form of therapy focuses on the upper extremity as a whole, which also includes the wrist, forearm, elbow, arm, and shoulder. Hand therapists will treat injuries and ailments that affect the upper extremity and work toward returning the affected area to its highest level of function. Hand Therapy for Arthritis Relief: A hand therapist typically uses manual techniques to manipulate the affected arthritic area, in order to release tension, swelling, and pain. Through the use of massage and hands-on treatments, patients can find significant improvement - sometimes after just one session! In some cases, additional techniques, such as ice and heat therapies, ultrasound, or electrical stimulation may also be used as part of your treatment plan, in order to manage your pain and keep symptoms at bay. Perhaps one of the biggest roles of a hand therapist, however, is prescribing targeted stretches and exercises. These will be dependent upon the type and severity of your arthritis, and will focus on improving the range of motion, strength, and overall function of your affected upper extremities, so you can safely and comfortably perform your daily activities once again. A large part of hand therapy is helping patients regain their independence in day-to-day tasks and improving their quality of life.
You use your hands, elbows, and shoulders hundreds of times throughout the day for both basic and complex tasks. This can make it extremely difficult when living with arthritis, which limits your ability to move freely. If you are living with arthritis, you’re not alone. In fact, there are over 100 different types of arthritis that people are diagnosed with. Arthritis pain is directly correlated to the limitation of mobility in your joints, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. The more freedom of movement in your joints, strength in your muscles, and improved circulation, the less you will be affected by arthritic inflammation and pain. Arthritis in the upper extremities can be successfully relieved with the help of physical and occupational therapy. Contact REHABILITY today to find out more. Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Hand Therapy – Defined: People have found enormous success in upper extremity arthritis relief through physical therapy and occupational therapy treatments. Before you can understand why physical therapy and occupational therapy are both so important for arthritic pain relief, you must first understand the differences between physical therapy and occupational therapy. Physical therapy refers to a variety of natural and conservative treatments aimed
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HOW YOU CAN PRACTICE HAND THERAPY ON YOUR OWN
Your therapist will provide you with the necessary stretches and exercises needed to keep up with the progress you made during your sessions. It is important to make sure you complete these stretches and exercises on your own, so your arthritis doesn’t worsen. For upper extremity arthritis, there is a quick exercise you can do every day to instantly relieve your pain. This technique assists the natural flow of lymphatic fluid out of your hands and arms: 1. Bring your affected arm out to the side slightly. Open and close your hand, feeling for any stiffness or discomfort in the finger or wrist joints. 2. With your other hand, gently place your open palm on your rib cage, high up into the underarm area. 3. Gently press into the skin and move your hand in clockwise circles, moving the skin on the rib cage underneath. You should feel no discomfort while you do this. If you do, then you are pressing too hard.
4. Perform this motion for 2-3 minutes.
5. Test your hand again by opening and closing it. It should feel lighter and with less discomfort.
6. Repeat this procedure multiple times a day for best results.
Contact REHABILITY! At REHABILITY, we are equipped in providing specialized treatments and therapies for any pain or discomfort your arthritis may be causing you. To learn more about how our physical and occupational services can benefit you, and specifically how hand therapy can relieve your upper extremity arthritis, contact us today to schedule a consultation. Our team will work closely with you to determine which course of treatment will be best for your specific needs. Get back to living your life comfortably by calling us today!
Exercise Essentials
Exercises copyright of
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Helps with Weakness & Pain
HAND TENDON GLIDES 1. Hold your hand up with fingers straight. 2. Curl finger tips as shown. 3. Straighten fingers and thumb to make a “duck- bill.” 4. Curl fingers at middle joints as shown. 5. Curl finger tips into palm. At each interval, hold for 5 seconds. Repeat the entire exercise 10 times.
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Always consult your physical therapist or physician before starting exercises you are unsure of doing.
MEET THE TEAM: NICK MULLERY, DPT
Nick Mullery, DPT, is a Physical Therapist who received a Bachelor of Exercise Science from the University of Scranton in 2016, followed by a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Scranton in 2019. Nick grew up loving and playing all sports and continued his athletic career collegiately, where he played four years of Men’s Lacrosse at Scranton. Nick still enjoys keeping active by running, hiking, and participating in CrossFit and Weightlifting. Nick has known since his early high school days that he wanted to be a Physical Therapist in order to help people get back to doing the things that they love after an injury. Nick has a particular passion for treating orthopedic injuries and loves to see his patients’ progress back to and beyond their prior level of activity. He uses a combination of hands-on care and corrective exercises to help his patient’s reach their goals and reduce the risk of future injury.
REHABILITY physical therapist Nick Mullery, DPT applying MicroVas therapy to accelerate blood flow and oxygenation to an injured knee, aiding in pain relief and soft tissue repair!
Staff Spotlight
Joseph Jimenez, MD is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation specialist, with over 15 years of diverse experience and training in Interventional and Medical Pain Management, Sports Medicine and Non-Surgical Orthopedics.
technology. Dr. Jimenez also specializes in minimally invasive procedures including Percutaneous /Endoscopic Discectomy, Radiofrequency Ablation, SacroIliac Joint Fusion and Spinal Cord Stimulation. In joining the REHABILITY Team, Dr. Jimenez is eager to assist our patients in an integrative fashion achieve optimal physical function, recovery and wellness, all under one roof!
His practice ideals include preventive care for optimal musculoskeletal health, conservative management of pain and minimally invasive surgery for select patients, using cutting-edge research and healthcare
• Spine injections, such as Epidurals and Facet Joints
• Trigger Point Injections • Medical Acupuncture • Electrodiagnostic Medicine
• Ultrasound-Guided Procedures • Regenerative Medicine • Performance Nutrition
• Extremity Joint Injections • SacroIliac Joint Injections
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