Hand Therapy
A Hand Therapist is a Registered Physiotherapist or Occupational Therapist who undergo further post-graduate training and continual ongoing education. They have a very specialised skillset and ability to treat finger, thumb, hand, wrist and elbow injuries/disorders and wound care. In NZ, rather than returning to the hospital, Hand Therapist often do the post-surgical management for elbow/wrist/thumb and hand surgeries. This may include acute management such as wound dressing changes, scar management, putting on casts and making splints.
Hand therapists use a wide range of techniques and tools such as: custom splinting, manual therapy and exercise prescription in managing swelling, regain joint mobility and strength. This enables our clients to stay as functional as possible and return to hobbies, sports and work as soon as possible and with the best achievable outcome.
Our Kowhai Hand Therapists work closely with our Physiotherapy team, with Hand Surgeons, and GPs. We also work with hospitals for pre and post-surgical management. We hold the contract to do post-operative Hand Therapy for WDHB Hand Surgery Patients.
As Registered Hand Therapists we can refer for further investigations such as X-rays and Ultrasound Scans and we can refer you to a Hand Surgeon should we require further investigations and management.
You do not need a referral to see us. We can lodge ACC claims here.
As our ACC funding contract is different to that of Physio, there is no surcharge for Hand Therapy, after the initial appointment administration fee.
We treat many conditions:
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Broken Bones
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Sprains
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Repetitive strain injuries
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Carpal Tunnel syndrome or surgical management of this
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Amputations
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Surgery due to infection or removal of foreign bodies
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Arthritis
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Dupuytren's contracture
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Trigger fingers
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Chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
This is just a short list and you are always welcome to contact us should you have an inquiry.
Telehealth Video/Phone Consulting
After two years of Lockdowns, our staff are well-versed in phone and video-based Telehealth consulting. Other than hands-on therapy, our ‘Injury diagnosis & treatment’ process is exactly the same.
You may prefer to choose this type of consult if you have concerns about covid, or if you live rural or remotely.
We have experienced that accurate diagnoses and effective treatment plans can be established via Telehealth. Our software is encrypted for security. We will email your exercise programmes to you. We are also able to order x-rays and ultrasound scans, refer to Specialists/Surgeons, and provide contactless delivery of braces, splints and other equipment that can be funded through ACC.
