Here's my input on PT for hand issues related to PTS. When I first went to my hand doctor my index finger was in a rigid state - I could only touch my thumb and index finger together at the very tip - with the index finger STRAIGHT! My grip strength was greatly reduced. The hand doctor did a steroid injection directly into the base of the index finger on the palm side. After the injection I waited for some great improvement - after 10 days I could make the tiniest of bends occur in the outer digit on the finger. I was so disappointed! But then I started with the hand therapy. I did 8 weeks of therapy, 2x's per week. First thing they did was the buddy loops. The real CORE of the therapy is the manipulation of the hand/finger by the therapist. Each week he would massage and slowly exert more pressure against the finger to get it into the bent position. I'm not going to lie... it was very painful at times. I was VERY motivated to make this work so put up with alot of pain to get there! Also there was ALOT of desensitivity training. Here's a list of things I did over that time: fluidotherapy - this is a machine with heat that is filled with corn "husks" - just little flakes of husk and get blown against your hand. Warms up your hand and gets it used to this feeling. Electric Stimulation in a water bath - this was like a tens unit giving mild shock. Was suppose to reduce inflamation? Did ultrasound on the finger and hand. As I started to get movement in the hand I did things like: picking up marbles with index finger against thumb, picking up "puffs", running hand through bin of plastic pellets, using clay -- either pushing fingers into it, or pinching it with index and thumb. Using tiny vibrator on the finger. Did mirror box therapy... that was interesting... you put the bad hand in a box that has a mirror on the side. Then you place your good hand beside the box. You move BOTH hands through the motion of making a fist. You look at the mirror - so what you see is the mirror image of your GOOD hand making the fist. Although your bad hand (inside the box) is not able to make the fist you trick your mind and slowly your bad hand will move further than it did before. Not sure how effective this was, but very interesting!

I want to also add to this that during this time I also had 2 injections of steroid's in my spine (for suspected neck issues). While it wasn't for my hand, the Dr told me that steroid injected anywhere in the body with work on inflammation anywhere in the body. So its possible that extra steroid helped me get good results.

At the end of the 8 weeks, the therapist was finally able to get the index finger into the FULL flexed position. Once he was able to do that, I started doing it myself 2 or 3 times a day and then exercising the hand from fully opened to closed. Only a few minutes after having it fully closed I again can't make it close. But so much better than before!! I continue to have hand issues and I'm still on gaba... but I force it closed daily. I'm going back to the hand dr next week - I'm guessing he will do another injection. My hand is at 85%... I want it back to 100%!! My strength greatly improved once I was able to make a fist again as well. The hand doctors opinion is that my hand issues are caused by tendonitis that was brought on by the swelling during struggles with PTS. After this 2nd injection there is still potentially a "tendon release" procedure that can be done if I still don't get full hand function. I'll keep this blog posted on my progress!!

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