News

New MSOP Study: Preliminary Evidence for Mind-Body Techniques in Hand Therapy
September 14, 2020

A newly published MSOP lab study demonstrates the utility of mind-body techniques as preparatory activities for hand therapy patients. Specifically, when provided with a brief mindfulness-based intervention at the outset of a hand therapy visit, patients reported a significant decrease in anxiety that was maintained throughout the therapy session. Moreover, when experiencing either a mindful body scan or sonographic biofeedback at the outset of a hand therapy visit, patients demonstrated a greater decrease in stress biomarkers (i.e., salivary cortisol) across the therapy session.  Decreasing anxiety and stress may be exceptionally useful for preparing patients to more fully engage in their hand therapy sessions and reducing stress-related hormones can promote healing.  This preliminary study serves as an early proof-of-concept and establishes feasibility for further investigation of integrating mind-body techniques into hand therapy across a full episode of care. Read the full study ⟩