Individualized Quality Therapy, LLC

Individualized Quality Therapy, LLC Certified Hand Therapy: occupational therapy. Our clients deserve an Individualized plan!

06/04/2026
Individualized Quality Therapy at Heritage Hand is seeing patients right as they are coming out of wide awake surgery to...
06/04/2026

Individualized Quality Therapy at Heritage Hand is seeing patients right as they are coming out of wide awake surgery to start an individualized hand therapy program with them. Shorter recovery and faster results, working directly with hand therapy immediately after this surgerical procedure.

My recertification just arrived in time for hand therapy week. "Hand Therapy Week is an integrated national program esta...
06/03/2026

My recertification just arrived in time for hand therapy week.
"Hand Therapy Week is an integrated national program established by ASHT. Throughout the week, members of the hand and upper extremity therapy community sponsor and organize events and celebrations in an effort to raise awareness among various audiences, highlight the benefits of the specialty and educate the public."

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05/12/2026

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🚨 STOP DESTROYING Your Wrist With Constant Scrolling 🚨
Is there a sharp pain on the thumb side of your wrist every time you make a fist, open a jar, grip a pan, lift your phone, or turn a doorknob?
You may not have “wrist fatigue” at all.
You could be developing De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis — a painful biomechanical overload condition sometimes called “Texter’s Thumb.”
And despite how common it has become, this is not a harmless irritation.
It is a mechanical failure occurring inside a tiny tendon tunnel at the base of your thumb, where friction, compression, and repetitive motion slowly begin strangling the structures that control your grip.
[The Anatomy]:
Your thumb is powered by an incredibly precise tendon system designed for controlled movement and fine motor coordination.
Two major tendons are involved:
• The abductor pollicis longus (APL)
• The extensor pollicis brevis (EPB)
These tendons pass side-by-side through a narrow anatomical tunnel near the wrist called the first dorsal compartment, held tightly in place by a thick connective tissue band known as the extensor retinaculum.
Under healthy conditions, the tendons glide smoothly through this tunnel like cables moving through a pulley system.
But modern smartphone use changes the mechanics completely.
Endless texting, scrolling, gaming, swiping, typing, and awkward thumb positioning force the tendons into thousands of repetitive micro-movements every single day — often at unnatural angles the human hand was never engineered to tolerate continuously.
[The Mechanical Failure]:
The Repetitive Strain Cycle:
Constant thumb movement creates excessive tensile stress on the tendon sheath surrounding the APL and EPB tendons.
The Friction Zone:
As the tendons repeatedly slide through the tight tunnel, friction increases dramatically. The tendon sheath begins swelling from chronic irritation.
The Compression Trap:
Because the compartment is rigid and cannot expand easily, swelling creates internal pressure that compresses the tendons even further. The tendons begin rubbing aggressively against surrounding tissue and bone.
The Degeneration Spiral:
Over time, pain intensifies during gripping, pinching, twisting, or lifting. Even simple daily tasks become painful because the inflamed tendons can no longer glide normally through their biological tunnel.
Left untreated, chronic overload may eventually weaken tendon integrity and severely limit hand function.
[Why Conventional Treatment Often Fails]:
Many people continue stretching the wrist aggressively, believing tightness is the problem.
But excessive stretching on an already inflamed tendon sheath can worsen microscopic irritation and increase friction.
Painkillers may temporarily dull symptoms, but they do not reduce the mechanical compression inside the compartment.
Cortisone injections can sometimes reduce inflammation short term, but repeated injections may weaken surrounding tendon tissue over time.
Meanwhile, the real cause — repetitive overload from modern hand mechanics — continues daily.
[The 3-Step Mechanical Fix]:
Step 1 (Mechanical Decompression):
Reduce repetitive thumb motion immediately. Limit scrolling, gaming, texting, and prolonged gripping activities while allowing irritated tissue to calm down.
Step 2 (Immobilization & Protection):
Use a thumb-spica brace temporarily to reduce tendon friction and prevent excessive movement inside the compartment.
Step 3 (Controlled Tendon Reloading):
Once acute irritation decreases, begin gentle isometric thumb exercises and gradual strengthening to restore tendon capacity without recreating friction overload.
👉 SAVE this before temporary irritation becomes chronic tendon degeneration. Your wrist pain is not random inflammation — it is a biomechanical warning that your thumb’s tendon system is being crushed by repetitive modern movement.

Thank you to our patients for making 7 years happen! This year we are even more blessed with a second location opened at...
05/06/2026

Thank you to our patients for making 7 years happen! This year we are even more blessed with a second location opened at heritage hand and plastic surgery. We look forward to continuing to providing Individualized care for our patients for many more years to come!

Happy OT month!!"April is National OT is celebrated every April to honor the profession, increase awareness of its benef...
04/22/2026

Happy OT month!!

"April is National OT is celebrated every April to honor the profession, increase awareness of its benefits, and highlight practitioners who help people improve their ability to perform daily activities. It promotes the role of occupational therapy (OT) in regaining independence, boosting, and improving quality of life for all ages

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04/21/2026

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🛑 STOP IGNORING THAT CLICKING FINGER.

That finger that catches, clicks, or locks when you bend it?
That’s not stiffness…

That’s Trigger Finger — and it’s a mechanical jam inside your hand.

Here’s what’s really happening 👇

Your fingers move thanks to tendons that glide smoothly through small tunnels called pulleys.

Now imagine this…

A rope sliding through a ring — smooth, no problem.

But if that rope develops a small knot…

Every time it passes through the ring — it gets stuck.

That’s exactly what’s happening in your finger.

Because of:

Repetitive gripping
Overuse (tools, gym, phone)
Inflammation

Your tendon thickens and forms a small nodule (“knot”).

Now when you bend your finger:

It catches
Then suddenly releases
Or even locks completely

That’s why you feel:
⚡ Clicking or popping
⚡ Finger locking in a bent position
⚡ Pain at the base of the finger
⚡ Stiffness, especially in the morning

This is what I call the “Tendon Jam Effect.”
Because the system isn’t broken — it’s blocked.

Now here’s where people mess up ❌
They keep using it… stretching it aggressively… forcing it open…

That only increases irritation and swelling.

So here’s how you actually fix it 👇

First — remove the trigger.
👉 Rest from heavy gripping:

Gym handles
Tools
Repetitive phone use

Second — keep it straight at night.
👉 Use a finger splint while sleeping.
This prevents repeated bending that keeps irritating the tendon.

Third — let inflammation settle.
Give it time so the “knot” can shrink and glide again.

Why this works 👇
You’re reducing friction inside that tight space — allowing smooth movement to return.

Think of it like this:
A swollen rope won’t pass through a ring smoothly…

Reduce the swelling → the system flows again.

Ignore it… and it can get worse — even requiring injections or surgery.

04/14/2026

Testimonial Tuesday

"Sydney is great and I appreciate that she had a keen sense of when I needed to push myself. I've done therapy at other places and Sydney is my favorite."

Address

836 Centennial Way Ste 160
Lansing, MI
48917

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