Jennifer Mathias
MHT Director
Senior Clinician
Hi Everyone,
Welcome to our spring newsletter! The blossoms are out, the days are longer, and for some, the hayfever has kicked in early in Melbourne this year.
We have a very unique special running this month at a few of our clinics. We are offering $25 off all initial appointments for the month of September with our Senior Hand Therapist, Catriona Anderson, at our Blackburn rooms. Catriona’s schedule fills up quickly, but we still have a few available appointments left for 20th September. Catriona has specialised in Hand and Upper Limb Rehabilitation since 1990. She brings extensive experience, sharing her expertise between Melbourne Hand Therapy and St. Vincent’s Public Hospital.
To take advantage of this special with Catriona
Max Minuzzo has specialised in hand therapy and has been involved in an intensive hand therapy training programme since joining Melbourne Hand Therapy. This has included enrolment in Australia’s leading postgraduate hand therapy course, intensive face-to-face learning, weekly tutorials, fortnightly case studies, and countless hours of supervision. Prior to joining us, Max worked in the public healthcare system in the Northern Suburbs. How lucky are we to have Max!
Although Kate Rayner has specialised in Hand Therapy since 2013, she remains active in furthering her education, whether by lecturing herself or attending conferences. This year, the Australian Hand Therapy Association held its national conference in Tasmania for the first time, and Kate attended virtually.
The conference theme was ‘Exploring Fresh Perspectives,’ and Kate immersed herself in learning from various health professionals, including hand therapists, surgeons, rheumatologists, and radiologists. These experts are collaborating to provide best practice and evidence-based care. Kate attended talks on TFCC treatment, updated De Quervain’s assessments, lateral epicondylitis treatment, and hypermobility management.
As Kate said, “It’s always great to consolidate and further our knowledge base to provide the best quality of care for our patients.”
At Melbourne Hand Therapy, we value continual education for all our therapists. Last month, Alison and Jana participated in a full-day splint fabrication course hosted by OPC Health and led by Debby Swartz, Physical Rehabilitation Product and Educational Specialist at Orfit Industries America. This practical workshop equipped our therapists with new evidence-based techniques for splint making to help achieve the best outcomes for patients.
Valuable takeaways from the course included an introduction to the use of Orficast material, which allows for more pliable and breathable custom splints. Alison says, “I’m excited to bring this material to the clinic, particularly for my patients with arthritis who need a good long-term splint option for everyday life.”
The course also provided new strategies for making splints for stiff fingers needing more than just stretching exercises. Jana notes, “It’s always great to learn new techniques for splinting, especially for stubborn stiff fingers! These splints are comfortable and functional for improving range of movement.” These inventive splints have been designed with a bit of engineering flair and make creative use of practical everyday items—see if you can spot a common sewing device and the creative use of a pipe cleaner in the pictured splints!
In total, Alison and Jana learned more than 10 new splinting techniques, and the feedback from patients has been great. Make sure to book in with Alison or Jana to experience this first-hand (pun intended)!
Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is a common condition that predominantly causes pain on the outside of your elbow. This condition can arise from any movement that involves repetitive overuse of the arm, forearm, and hand muscles, including activities like typing, painting, or even lifting heavy objects. Despite its name, you don’t have to play tennis to get it!
What Causes It?
Tennis elbow occurs when the tendons in your elbow are irritated, usually by repetitive motions involving an extended elbow and wrist. Tendons are tough bands of tissue that connect your muscles to your bones. When you repeat the same motion over and over, these tendons can become strained and develop small tears. Common activities that can be particularly aggravating are gripping objects, carrying groceries, or performing repetitive movements like cutting vegetables.
What are the Symptoms?
What is the Recommended Treatment?
As tennis elbow is predominantly an overuse injury, it’s important to address the load and stresses you are placing through your elbow and forearm. This essentially means reducing your load initially and then gradually building the capacity of the tendon—so basically, it’s rest and then controlled load.
If you’re experiencing symptoms, consult with one of our skilled Hand Therapists. Early intervention can prevent further injury and speed up recovery!
Margaret
Most knowledgeable very pleasant. Very helpful, Many thanks.
Kargn
Alison takes great care to attend to my individual needs of my broken wrist on hand and broken finger on the hand, always explaining what…
Jeanatte
On time, very experienced and very helpful
