Tanya Coats Occupational Therapy
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When you’ve injured your hand or wrist, and you need help, where do you turn? The list can be long and confusing: physical therapy, occupational therapy, hand therapy. Which one do you make an appointment with? Does it matter? Actually, it does. There is a difference between a physical therapist and a hand therapist. Choosing the …
Have you ever jarred your finger playing basketball? Got it caught in a guernsey? Knocked it in a guernsey? These injuries can STING and make it hard to tell what level of care you need. Sometimes, a little bit of first aid – ice, compression, rest, tape – is enough. Other times, these injuries need …
I hurt my finger playing sport – when should I see a hand therapist? Read More »
Gout and Pseudogout are two types of arthritis than can appear suddenly and cause sore joints in the hands and sometimes in other parts of the body. This condition can be common in the elbow, wrist, finger, knee and big toe joints. Here are 6 signs that you may have gout or pseudogout: Hot joints Swollen …
After an injury, surgery, or onset of certain conditions, your doctor may ask you to see a hand therapist. Your prescription for therapy might include the need for a custom orthosis, commonly referred to as a brace or splint. A custom orthosis is a device that is molded to and worn on a specific body …
Does smoking really make that big of a difference?? About 25% of our adult population smokes cigarettes. We understand that quitting smoking can be extremely difficult. But what if you have had an injury and/or surgery? Will it really make a difference if you smoke? Yes. This is not what the smokers out there want …
An injury to the extensor tendon in Zone 1, over the Distal Inter-Phalangeal (DIP) joint and/or middle phalanx, is termed a mallet finger. This injury occurs when there has been a disruption of the terminal slip extensor tendon, causing the finger to droop and the inability to actively extend the fingertip. The mechanism of injury …
We all know the health benefits of regular exercise. Many fitness workouts involve putting pressure on your wrists. You may have noticed some discomfort while lifting weights or during yoga poses that require you to put weight on your hands. Here are some tips to make sure you are not straining your wrists while staying …
Are you at risk of ‘selfie wrist’? Doctor warns scores more patients have numbness and tingling caused by twisting to get the perfect shot Dr Levi Harrison, an orthopedic surgeon based in San Francisco, says he is seeing a rise in patients developing ‘selfie wrist’ He describes the condition as a form of carpal tunnel …
Many of us start our holiday preparations by “making a list and checking it twice!” Suddenly, we are overwhelmed by its length. The fact that baking, decorating, shopping, wrapping and travel all come before December 25 can be dismaying. If this describes your current quandary, please continue to read about how you can have a …
So you decided to get into the Christmas spirit and put up some decorations. You got out the ladder, but oops, you fell. Now your hand is swollen and bruised, however, you have full range of movement of your fingers and wrist. What is it? A broken hand is when a break/fracture occurs to one …