Occupational & Hand Therapy
For the care you need to do daily tasks better after an injury, illness or surgery, turn to the occupational therapists at St. Bernards Healthcare. We’ll help you regain skills for everyday life—such as eating, dressing, bathing, preparing meals and other activities. Count on us for the support you need to reach your goals.
Conditions We Treat
Occupational therapy might be a good treatment option if you experience:
- Arthritis
- Hand, elbow or shoulder injury or surgery
- Lymphedema
- Neurological condition, such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke or Parkinson’s disease
- Wound or burn
Personalized Therapy
We’ll work with you to create an individual care plan. Depending on your condition, it may center on improving skills related to:
- Personal care
- Work or school tasks
- Recreational activities
When necessary, we’ll teach you about assistive devices that can help you use certain objects or get around more easily.
Hand Therapy
St. Bernards’ certified hand therapists offer specialized care for your fingers, wrist, elbow and shoulder. You may benefit from hand therapy if any part of your arm feels painful, numb, weak or hard to move due to:
- Arthritis
- Repetitive stress injury (such as carpal tunnel syndrome or tennis elbow)
- Traumatic injury (such as broken bones, crushed fingers, deep cuts or torn ligaments)
Locations for Hand Therapy
Certified hand therapists are available at these clinics, all in Jonesboro:
Hand Therapy Methods
Your therapist may:
- Teach exercises to build strength and coordination
- Retrain muscles with gentle electrical stimulation
- Use physical contact techniques to improve joint mobility and ease pain
- Recommend certain adaptive tools, like modified kitchen utensils
- Provide sensory re-education to help an injured hand feel again after nerve damage
- Recommend splints and orthotics that support and protect injured joints
You’ll also learn how to take care of your hand at home.
Lymphedema Therapy
Relieve uncomfortable swelling in your arms or legs with care from an occupational therapist who specializes in lymphedema therapy. Available at St. Bernards Rehab Services at Red Wolf Blvd, this type of therapy may help you if you have:
- Damaged lymph nodes
- Lymph nodes removed during cancer treatment, especially breast cancer care
- Poor circulation (blood flow)
Lymphedema Therapy Methods
Your therapist might use one or more of these methods to reduce swelling:
- Compression wraps and garments – Put mild pressure on your arms or legs to keep fluid from building up
- Manual lymphatic drainage – Uses special massage techniques to move fluid away from swollen areas
- Therapeutic exercise – Stimulates your lymph vessels to move fluid out of affected areas of your body during light physical activity
Industrial Rehabilitation
Help your injured employees return to their jobs in a safe, timely way with industrial rehabilitation. St. Bernards occupational therapists work one-on-one with your staffers to restore work-related skills, especially those using the hand or arm. We also teach workers how to prevent injuries, so your team can be as productive as possible.
Learn about all the occupational medicine services available from St. Bernards.
