What Does a Hand Therapist Do?
We offer hand therapy here, in Northern Ireland in our Hillsborough and Belfast clinics. Hand therapy is a specialised area of rehabilitation focused on the hand, wrist and upper limb. Our Occupational Therapists bring advanced training, clinical experience and a deep understanding of how the upper limb supports your daily occupations and roles. Because hands are central to almost everything we do, even seemingly small changes to strength, movement or activity tolerance can have a big impact on your quality of life.
What Is a Hand Therapist?
A hand therapist is a highly trained Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist who has undertaken additional training in the assessment and treatment of conditions affecting the hand, wrist and upper limb. At Hand Therapy Services NI, our background is Occupational Therapy and unlike general therapy or rehab, our hand therapy clinic provides specific expertise in upper limb anatomy, biomechanics and functional movement patterns. This allows our team to accurately identify what’s limiting your occupational performance and customise a plan to restore it.
Our approach goes beyond simply reducing pain or swelling. Because we come from an Occupational Therapy background, we emphasise assisting you to return to the meaningful tasks and activities that your injury or condition has interrupted. Whether that’s typing at work, gripping tools, gardening, holding a child, or playing sport. Instead of treating symptoms in isolation, we look at how your hand or upper limb difficulties impact your daily life and functional abilities and tailor rehab to bridge that gap.
Who Do We Treat?
People of all ages and lifestyles benefit from hand therapy. You don't need a referral from a Doctor to been seen at our clinic, if you are experiencing difficulty with everyday activities due to a hand or upper limb injury or condition, we can help. Patients frequenlty seen at the hand therapy clinic often present with injuries such as:
• Injuries- Wrist fractures, Finger fractures, tendon injuries, nerve trauma • Post-operative rehabilitation - after surgery to the hand, wrist or elbow • Chronic conditions - arthritis, repetitive strain injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome • Functional limitations that affect your everyday activities • Occupational challenges- work-related injuries or tasks your job requires
No matter the cause, our goal is the same: to help you regain strength, movement, skill and confidence so you can return to the tasks and roles you value.
What Happens in a Hand Therapy Session?
Your first hand therapy session starts with a comprehensive assessment tailored to your situation. We don’t just look at a joint or muscle, we evaluate how your hand and upper limb functions in real life. This includes assessing range of motion, strength, pain, swelling, wound or scar tissue, and how your condition affects your ability to perform daily and occupation-based tasks.
Using that information, we work with you to set meaningful, achievable goals that reflect your life, whether that’s cooking dinner, working on a laptop, returning to sport, or managing household tasks without discomfort.
How Do We Treat You?
Our treatment plans are personalised and begin at your first session. They may include: • Bespoke exercises, to build strength, mobility and precise control • Custom splinting and braces, to protect healing tissues and support function • Manual therapy techniques, to improve joint movement and reduce stiffness • Pain and swelling management • Scar management and tissue mobility work • Strategies for safe return to work or other occupational tasks
We also provide education and practical advice, helping you understand your condition, manage symptoms at home, and adapt tasks safely while you recover. This educational component is key to long-term success and prevention of re-injury.
Why Occupational Focus Matters
Because we are Occupational Therapists, we automatically view your recovery through the lens of activity and participation. This means we place just as much importance on your ability to do meaningful tasks as on clinical measures like range of motion or strength. For example, instead of only prescribing exercises to increase wrist flexion, we will also work on gripping tools for work, lifting children, or handling everyday objects comfortably. This results in therapy that is not just about healing tissue, but about getting you fully back into your life, a perspective that sets speciality hand therapy apart.
A Collaborative Approach to Your Recovery
We work alongside Surgeons, GPs, Physiotherapists and other healthcare professionals to support your recovery journey. This ensures continuity of care from diagnosis and surgery through every stage of rehabilitation, all with your functional goals at the forefront.