HealthWorks Rehab and Fitness is celebrating Hand Therapy Awareness Week June 13-17, 2005. Hand Therapy Week is to promote the hand therapy profession, make known its benefits to patients, and demonstrate the importance of hand therapy professionals in the rehabilitation environment.

Patients who have sustained injuries to the skin, tendons, nerves, and/or bones of the upper extremity could benefit from services provided by a Certified Hand Therapist (CHT). Additionally, CHTs are qualified to treat wounds, scars, burns, repetitive motion disorders such as tendinitis, bursitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome, and even upper extremity amputations.

A Certified Hand Therapist is either a physical or occupational therapist who, through advanced study, specializes in working with patients who have problems affecting the hand, wrist, elbow, and/or shoulder. The Certified Hand Therapist's high degree of specialization enables him or her to work effectively with patients and hasten their return to work, sports, or normal activities of daily living.

The intricate anatomy of the arm and hand frequently requires very delicate surgery, often with microscopic techniques. The technical complexity of these kinds of surgeries requires a high level of competence by therapists with advanced skills in upper extremity rehabilitation after surgery. Therapists must be knowledgeable about these advanced surgical techniques and postoperative therapy programs to become Certified Hand Therapists. They must also remain current with changes in hand therapy practice. The CHT credential is recognized by many professional organizations as a benchmark for excellence in advanced specialty credentialing in health care.

HealthWorks has two CHTs, Christine Wiley, PT, CHT and Mia Erickson, PT, CHT, who combined, have twenty years of experience treating injuries to the upper extremity. Chris and Mia have provided lectures and workshops nationally and locally on hand injuries and their treatment. These include educational programs at HealthWorks for the community, health fairs, and lectures for the Family Medicine Department at WVU. Should you choose HealthWorks for your rehabilitative hand therapy needs, they will provide you with the very best and current specialized services.

Hand Therapy Week is sponsored by the American Society of Hand Therapists. Founded in 1977, the ASHT is an organization comprised of more than 3,000 hand therapy professionals who are dedicated to establishing clinical standards and promoting research in the hand therapy profession. For more information on the hand therapy profession, you can visit the ASHT's website at www.asht.org, and for more information on Certified Hand Therapists, visit www.htcc.org.

Remember, when your body hurts, go to HealthWorks.