Occupational Therapy Connect

11/11/2025

I love seeing a splint with wear and tear. It means that this thumb is protected and the work is still being done! 😁💪

08/09/2025

I am excited to be incorporating the latest research and standards into my practice after attending the 2025 Australian Hand Therapy Association (AHTA) conference 🙌. So many fabulous speakers and presentations

03/06/2025

🎉 Day 2 of Hand Therapy Week 🎉
✨🎥 What is a Hand Therapist? 🎥✨

Hand Therapy practitioners are the unsung heroes behind recovery, strength, and movement in the hand and upper limb. We are qualified Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists who have completed advanced postgraduate training in upper-limb rehabilitation.

💪 We work across Australia – in public hospitals, private practices, regional clinics, and rural towns.

🏥 We’re trusted by surgeons, GPs, and other health professionals to deliver expert assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.

🧠 We use evidence-based care to help people of all ages recover from injury, manage pain, and regain function.

👋 From sprained thumbs to complex nerve repairs, from arthritis to post-surgical care, we’re with our patients every step of the way.

🖐️ We design and fabricate custom thermoplastic orthoses (splints), and prescribe tailored rehabilitation exercises to restore movement, strength, and independence.

🎓 We are proud members of the Australian Hand Therapy Association, committed to lifelong learning and excellence in care.
This week, we celebrate our profession, our patients, and the incredible impact of hand therapy. 💙

02/06/2025

Happy Hand Therapy Week 🫶👌👋💪

🖐️ Hand Therapy Week 2025
📅 June 2 – 8, 2025
🎯 Theme: Workplace Injuries

This Hand Therapy Week, we’re bringing national attention to the vital role of hand therapists in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of workplace injuries to the upper limbs.

🔎 Why it matters
Workplace injuries are a significant issue in Australia — especially to the wrist, hand, and fingers.

📊 Recent statistics reveal:
*The wrist and hand are the most common sites of work-related injury, accounting for 38% of all work-related hospitalisations.
*Fingers or thumbs are involved in 24% of these cases.

These injuries can have lasting impacts on an individual’s quality of life and on the workforce at large.

💡 Key takeaway
An early referral to a qualified Hand Therapist can make the difference between long-term disability and a full return to meaningful work and life. Hand Therapists are uniquely skilled in helping people recover from serious upper limb trauma – from fractures and tendon injuries to nerve damage and overuse conditions.

🏥 Need help with a workplace-related upper limb injury?
📍 Find a local Accredited Hand Therapist:
👉 https://www.ahta.com.au/directory

21/03/2025

Sometimes household objects make the best rehabilitation tools! Broom exercises can be used for some elbow and wrist injuries/conditions. We use lever length grade the exercises 👌💪

20/02/2025

Sometimes we need to make dynamic splints to regain range of motion in stiff joints. This is a custom made capener orthosis. It is worn to help straighten the PIPJ (middle joint) of the finger and is used as part of a home exercise program.

30/07/2024

19/07/2024

Calling GP’s looking for a fabulous place to live and work

07/06/2024

What is a hand therapy practitioner? We are qualified Occupational therapists and Physiotherapists.

We have undertaken advanced postgraduate upper-limb education and training and are recognised as experts in hand and upper-limb rehabilitation.

We work in public hospitals and private practices in cities and regional and rural towns across Australia.

Surgeons, GPs, physiotherapists and other health professionals refer to us because we provide expert assessment, diagnosis and treatment, reducing recovery time and improving patient outcomes.

We see patients of all ages. We treat trauma, injuries, and conditions affecting joints, tendons, muscles, and nerves, including ligament sprains, inflamed tendons, broken bones, and damaged nerves. We also treat pain and arthritis and manage post-operative wounds, scars, and swelling.

We specialise in custom-made thermoplastic orthoses (or splints) to rest and protect an injury in the long and short term. These may be small splints for the finger or thumb or larger for the wrist or arm.

We prescribe rehabilitation exercises that improve range of motion, strength and function.

We care for our patients and use evidence-based practice to ensure they get the best outcomes so they can return to work, recreation, and life.

We are members of the Australian Hand Therapy Association and embrace lifelong learning.

06/06/2024

05/06/2024

Hand Therapy Week Day 2: Mallet Finger 👎

“The end of my finger is drooping”
A mallet finger is an injury to the tendon that straightens the end joint of your finger or thumb. This injury can occur when a ball hits the tip of your finger, forcing it to bend further than it is intended to go. In some cases, the tendon ruptures off the bone or there may be a chip of bone that comes off as well (avulsion fracture).

Symptoms:
• Drooping at the end joint of the finger that can’t be actively straightened
• Pain / swelling if an avulsion fracture is present
• Generally, no pain if just a tendon injury
• Potential hyperextension of the middle joint (PIP joint) causing a “swan neck deformity”

What to do after sustaining a mallet finger injury?

Treatment:
• Immobilising the end joint fully straight for 6-8 weeks to allow time for the tendon to successfully heal and reattach back to the tip of the finger.
• Avoiding any heavy and forceful griping
• Depending on the severity of the injury, surgical intervention may be required.

Australian Hand Therapy Association

04/06/2024

Happy Hand Therapy week 🙌🏻

🏃‍♂️🤕 Did you know that seeing an Accredited Hand Therapist (AHT) can make all the difference when it comes to a sports injury of the thumb? AHTs have the expertise and experience to ensure optimal recovery. 🖐️✨

Don't settle for less when it comes to your sport. Choose an AHT and get back to doing what you love, faster and stronger! 💪

For patient information visit our website: https://www.ahta.com.au/patient-info

An AHT is is a registered occupational therapist or physiotherapist who has demonstrated an advanced level of competence; has undertaken over 300 hours of advanced upper-limb education and assessment; has a minimum of 3600 hours in hand therapy clinical practice; has been assessed as qualified and competent to provide safe, evidence-based diagnosis, advice and treatment; and is awarded the credential of Accredited Hand Therapist by the Australian Hand Therapy Association Credentialing Council.

American Society of Hand Therapists
Hand Therapy Certification Commission
Hand Therapy Association of California
Hand Therapy New Zealand
British Association of Hand Therapists
International Federation of Societies for Hand Therapy