News
Updates & Communications
April 2021
Shoulder Therapy Available
Did you know that Melbourne Hand Therapy also employs shoulder physiotherapists to treat our shoulder patients? We don't just do hands!
We have Physiotherapists specialising in the treatment of shoulder conditions such as frozen shoulder/adhesive capsulitis, rotator cuff injuries and fractures such as those of the humerus and clavicle. Our Physiotherapists can assess your shoulder pain and provide hands on treatment and a home exercise program.
Our therapists also closely liaise with shoulder surgeons if we feel you need a surgical opinion. We work closely with GP's and Upper Limb Surgeons and will get you back to doing what you love in no time!
Australian Hand Surgery Society
Jennifer Mathias
The Melbourne Hand Therapy team would like to say a huge thank you to the organisers of the AHSS meeting and particularly for the international guest speakers; PC Ho, Max Hearle, Paco del Pinal and Eva-Maria Baur. It was an inspiring meeting with lots of take home messages. Thank you!
Happy Easter
Easter Clinic Hours
During the Easter holiday break all of our clinic locations will be closed from Friday 2nd April until Monday 5th April. All clinic locations will recommence normal daily operating hours on Tuesday 6th April 2021. From the entire Melbourne Hand Therapy staff, we wish you a happy Easter and hope you all stay safe during the holiday break.
Ulnar Side Wrist Pain
Emmeline Fooks
Wrist pain particularly over the ulnar aspect is a common problem. Many patients present without a known aetiology or trauma and often with a prolonged history of symptoms. Pain with weight bearing, supinating or pronating the forearm and ulna deviation are frequently reported, as are difficulties with many ADLs.
Thorough assessment of the wrist and imaging can highlight a variety of causes for ulnar wrist pain, including triangular fibrocartilage (TFC) tears. Our November edition of this newsletter highlighted some of the rehabilitation strategies we use to treat this condition.
An important component to this treatment is the use of appropriate splinting. Immobilising the wrist is often unhelpful as it causes stiffness and weakness. An alternative to this is a velcro strap that is worn over the distal radius and ulna, stopping them from spreading, supporting the DRUJ and essentially taking over the role of the TFC. Combined with a neuromuscular rehabilitation program, this can then allow the TFC to heal naturally and without surgery. An example of this strap is shown below.
Pain Management
At Melbourne Hand Therapy we are passionate about returning patients to their meaningful activities as soon as possible. A significant obstacle to this is pain. Be it acute or chronic pain, our therapists are specialised in pain management and utilise evidence-based treatments to overcome it. Therapy includes education on pain and biological changes occurring within the body, pacing and a graded exercise program tailored to each patient. We use a multidisciplinary approach often liaising with GPs, surgeons, psychologists, and other health professionals to achieve the best possible outcome for our patients.
