Hand therapy helps a patient regain maximum use of his or her hand after injury, surgery or the onset of disease. Treatment is provided by a hand therapist.

To become a hand therapist, a your health care professional must first train as an occupational or physical therapist and then receive additional training in hand therapy.

Hand therapists teach exercises, apply modalities and create custom splints to help the hand heal and to protect it from additional injury.

Definition of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.