Hand in Hand, We Are Your Hand Therapists
The University Orthopaedic Center (UOC) houses the state’s largest hand and upper extremity therapy clinic in the Mountain West. This state-of-the-art hand therapy clinic is located on site with the UOC hand surgery clinic. By working with the hand surgeons, our hand therapists create personalized evidence-based therapy plans and provide you with the best treatments available.
Find a Hand Therapist
Our Hand Therapy Services
Our certified hand therapists provide the following services:
- Comprehensive evaluation
- Evidence-based treatment for everything from sprains and strains to complex traumatic injuries
- Custom splints/bracing
- Wound care
- Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) treatment
- Injury prevention programs
Injuries & Conditions We Treat
- Fractures and dislocations
- Sports injuries
- Reconstructive hand surgery
- Multiple trauma injuries
- Congenital reconstruction
- Brachial plexus injuries
- Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis
- Scleroderma and other autoimmune disorders
- Nerve compression and nerve injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Non-surgical treatments: splints, casts, exercise/strength building programs, pain management, and rehabilitative therapy
What Is a Certified Hand Therapist?
A certified hand therapist (CHT) is a physical therapist (PT) or occupational therapist (OT) who has continued their education to achieve the highest level of competency and experience in hand therapy. Certified hand therapists receive this designation by having at least three years of experience as a PT or OT, 4,000 hours of hand therapy practice, and passing a national certification exam.
After these requirements are met, the PT or OT is then allowed to use the CHT designation. Therapists must renewed their certification every five years through continued education and continued care in hand therapy.
Benefits of Working With a Certified Hand Therapist
- Accurate assessments, immediate care, and effective methods to reduce the number of necessary treatments you need
- Faster recovery results, leading to lower medical costs
- Functional movement outcomes ensuring a faster return to work and everyday lifestyle
- Comprehensive care for your injury
Hear From Two of Our Hand Therapy Specialists
Level 1 Trauma Care for Hand
University of Utah Health is a Level 1 Trauma Center, which is the highest classification among trauma centers. The Hand Surgery Clinic and Hand Therapy Clinic work together on the toughest trauma cases in the Mountain West. Patients choose our facilities for our highly-specialized care.
The UOC hand team includes surgeons, fellows, therapists, and athletic trainers who provide the highest level of care for most traumatic injuries in the Mountain West including:
- Multiple trauma injuries
- Hand replants
- Degloving injuries
- Burns
- Vascular injuries
- Injection injuries
- Infections
- Tendon ligament injuries
- Cumulative trauma injuries
Our Hand Therapy Clinic Team
The UOC Hand Therapy Clinic team includes nine highly skilled and certified occupational therapists and physical therapists. We offer a comprehensive and multidisciplinary team approach to your hand rehabilitation. This approach maximizes your outcomes. Our expertise and specialized training guide us to provide evidenced based, individualized, compassionate, and comprehensive treatment plans.
Our team has been recognized locally, nationally and internationally for our:
- Current evidenced-based treatments
- Commitment to education and teaching
- Peer-reviewed literature contributions
- Clinical research
We use all our resources and expertise to stay up to date and provide our patients with the best hand care in the area.
Make an Appointment with Our Orthopedic Specialists
You might not think about how important your wrists and hands are to daily life—until they are hurt or injured. If you have been taking care of your wrist or hand pain at home and the symptoms are still present after seven to 10 days, it may be time to see one of our orthopedic doctors.
Referrals are welcome but not necessary. You can make an appointment with an orthopedic doctor by calling 801-213-4263.