What should you know about High 5 hand therapy?

A hand therapist assesses pain, swelling, scar tissue, joint movement, grip, pinch, coordination, and how symptoms affect tasks such as dressing, writing, cooking, or work. The plan may include exercises, tendon or nerve gliding, splinting, scar care, swelling control, and advice on modifying tasks.

It can support recovery after a distal radius fracture or surgery and help people living with hand osteoarthritis, De Quervain's tenosynovitis, Dupuytren's contracture, or rheumatoid arthritis. The approach depends on the diagnosis, healing stage, tissue protection needs, and goals.

Bring information about your symptoms, work demands, hobbies, previous injuries, and any splints or medicines. Practise only the exercises prescribed for your stage; too much force or repetition can irritate healing tissue. Use pain, swelling, and next-day function as feedback rather than trying to progress quickly.

Follow splint instructions closely and keep scheduled reviews, because fit and exercise difficulty may need adjustment as swelling changes. Ask how to protect the hand during lifting, gripping, keyboard use, or household tasks.

Contact the therapy or surgical team for increasing swelling, a splint that causes numbness or colour change, wound discharge, spreading redness, or a sudden loss of movement. Seek urgent care after a new injury with severe deformity, uncontrolled bleeding, a cold or pale hand, or rapidly worsening numbness or weakness.

What is the main limit in my hand right now: pain, stiffness, weakness, tendon healing, or nerve irritation? Which exercises and loads are safe? Could I need a splint, hand therapy review, or a procedure such as carpal tunnel release or Dupuytren's surgery?