How Orthotics Can Help People With Joint Hypermobility
NEWSLETTER Living Hands for
SPECIALTY EXPERTISE For Shoulders, Arms, and Hands
Do You Have Joint Hypermobility? How Orthotics Can Help
www.handsforliving.com
NEWSLETTER Living Hands for
SPECIALTY EXPERTISE For Shoulders, Arms, and Hands
Do You Have Joint
Hypermobility? How Orthotics Can Help
We have a new Redmond clinic! DETAILS INSIDE! Living Hands for
What is joint hypermobility? Hypermobility is defined as an excessive range of motion across multiple joints and typically runs in families and is thought to be due to genetic changes to the collagen in our body. Collagen is the main structural protein found in skin and other connective tissues found throughout the body (i.e., in skin, muscles, cartilage, and ligaments). People with hypermobility are thought to have changes in their collagen, making their joints loose and more flexible. Hypermobility can cause a range of symptoms that often affect many body parts. The most common symptoms include: • Pain and stiffness (especially at the end of the day and after physical activity)
Do you notice you seem to be overly flexible compared to your friends? Do you notice your elbow appears to bend backward when you straighten it? If you have been told you are double-jointed, you may have joint hypermobility. Joint hypermobility means that some or all of your joints have an unusually large range of movement. Often people with hypermobility can move their limbs into positions others find impossible. If you are someone that “pops” your joints out to freak out a friend, you may have hypermobility. At Hands for Living and Hand Therapy NW, our certified hand therapists have proven results in helping people with hypermobility find pain relief and improve their ability to use their upper body. Our therapists will assess your condition and recommend splints and orthoses as needed. Contact our clinic today to set up an appointment with one of our certified hand therapists!
• Regular soft tissue injuries (i.e., sprains and strains)
• Poor coordination
No matter what symptoms you may be experiencing, our certified hand therapist can help! We are experts at assisting people in dealing with hypermobility in their upper extremities. We will conduct a thorough evaluation and identify the areas where the support of an orthosis is needed. What is an orthotic, and how can it help hypermobility? An orthotic is a type of support, brace, or splint used to support, align, prevent, or correct the function of the joints. Most people are familiar with foot orthotics, but wrist braces, arm braces, thumb spica, and SilverRing™ splints are also orthotic devices. They all help alleviate pain or improve function and basic movements to resume normal activities again. The hand and upper extremities are vital for most daily activities, including at work, home, and sports. Some people
• Clicking joints
• Lack of proprioception (ability to sense the position of a joint) • Joint dislocations or subluxations (partial dislocations)
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dealing with hypermobility can affect their ability to tolerate normal day-to-day activities. Our certified hand therapist can custom design an orthotic to support the loose joints and help restore normal functioning of the upper extremities. Our team will use different devices depending on the specific diagnosis and joint impairment. We will use the SilverRing™ splint, which allows our patients to adjust the splint in different positions and provide varying degrees of joint support. Ring splints are effective ways to support alignment, improve function and keep deformities from getting worse. We also customize the type of orthosis we use for specific hand-related conditions. We use a hand-based splint, which affects just the hand, including the palm and webspace, to minimize bulk while providing adequate support to enhance your overall function. We will provide you with cutting-edge, custom-made orthosis and therapies to ensure you achieve the best results possible! What to expect from your therapy sessions At Hands for Living and Hand Therapy NW, we have a team of experienced and caring therapists who will help you reach maximal recovery. We will conduct a comprehensive assessment of any pain, injury, or problem you may be having. In addition, we will also take a thorough history to learn more about any previous injury or condition you have dealt with and your overall health status. We use this information to identify all the factors contributing to your condition, including hypermobile joints. We will assess your range of motion, strength, dexterity, and coordination during the physical examination. How Orthotics Can Help People With Joint Hypermobility
Hands for
Living
We are experts in custom splint fabrication for positioning and protecting your finger(s), hand(s), elbow(s), and shoulder(s). These splints and braces protect injured or hypermobile areas and support mobility and function to ensure you have the best possible outcome. Our team will use targeted hands- on techniques to decrease pain and implement suitable strengthening exercises to support the joints and improve your overall function. Our approach to hypermobility includes: • Support (recommend specialized external supports) • Adapt (help you find “workarounds” and adaptations for activities you love), and • Strengthen (recommend specialized exercises that are safe for loose joints) Request an appointment today! At Hands for Living and Hand Therapy NW, our therapists achieve high levels of success due to the variety of treatment options we use, including customized orthotics and our hands- on approach to care. Call to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists and see if an orthotic is right for you!
We want to help you live pain-free, regaining and maintaining the ability to do the things that you love to do! Schedule your appointments TODAY.
www.handsforliving.com
Sources: https://peerj.com/articles/7625/; https://journals.eco-vector.com/turner/article/view/10396; https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal. pone.0236266; https://ijshr.com/IJSHR_Vol.6_Issue.3_July2021/IJSHR08.pdf; https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0309364620956866
Hand Exercise Relieves elbow pain Sit with your affected elbow resting against a table, with your palm facing up, then apply resistance with your free hand and slowly raise your palm towards your face. Repeat 10 times. ELBOW RETRACTION
Always consult your physical therapist or physician before starting exercises you are unsure of doing.
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A Note from JoAnn Keller, OTD, OTR/L, CHT Founder and Owner of Hands for Living (Lynnwood) New owner of Hand Therapy Northwest (Redmond) Hand Therapy Northwest has been active in the Redmond community since 1999 under the direction of former owner, Jocelyn Davis, OTR/L, CHT. Jocelyn has (almost completely!) retired, although she will continue to provide some telehealth consultations for our new, combined clinic. Hand Therapy Northwest will keep its name, location, phone number, and existing staff. We are adding therapists to strengthen our presence in the community. I will have clinic hours available there, as will Ryan Walter, our lead therapist. The acquisition of Hand Therapy Northwest means that we currently have nine providers available, with one more (bilingual/Spanish!) therapist arriving in early May. We strive to have same-day or next-day appointments available to serve our patients and referring providers. We work regularly to share current clinical skills, tips, and suggestions between all of our therapists, many of whom have 20 or more years of experience in hand therapy. Thank you for your confidence in our services — we love to share patients with other local providers and look forward to the rest of this busy year!
New Redmond Clinic!
I AM PLEASED TO SHARE that Hands For Living now has a Redmond clinic, Hand Therapy Northwest! Our Lynnwood clinic is 11 years old, and has tripled in size over the past few years, and is expected to continue that growth. Over the past few months, we have worked quickly to bring two existing clinics under one umbrella!
All the best!
JoAnn Keller, OTD, OTR/L, CHT
Welcome, Sadie!
Get Back To Living! LYNNWOOD Hands for Living (425) 368-7943 NEW CLINIC! REDMOND Hand Therapy Northwest (425) 881-1921 www.handsforliving.com
JoAnn got a new puppy! Sadie comes to visit the office sometimes and might one day qualify to be a therapy dog!
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