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Hand and Upper Extremity Therapy

When your hands are not performing in the way that you are used to, it can be disruptive to the flow of your life. We use our hands to cook our favorite meals, play instruments, to drive to work and for other meaningful activities throughout the day. This use is so natural, we rarely think about our hands until we encounter challenges. These challenges may present as feelings of numbness, tingling, discomfort, pain, or a combination of different symptoms. You may also notice it is harder to perform activities you need and want to do.

At the USC Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice, we have developed the first-ever hybrid model between hand therapy and Lifestyle Redesign®. Our occupational therapists provide highly customized interventions to address the needs of patients experiencing challenges with the use of their hands and/or upper extremity due to repetitive stress injuries, chronic conditions, or other specific impairments. Treatment is tailored to you and your needs by using soft tissue massage, thermal modalities, therapeutic exercises and more. Your occupational therapist will collaborate with you to address lifestyle factors that impact recovery and quality of life. They will also work with you to modify your daily routines, identify risk factors for injury in your environment, and provide education on modifications and strategies to help you maximize function.

We can help you:

• Manage symptoms related to carpal tunnel, golfer’s/tennis elbow, arthritis, and other hand/upper body conditions
• Learn therapeutic exercises to strengthen fine motor skills
• Apply joint protection techniques
• Explore adaptive equipment
• Modify everyday tasks to manage pain and improve performance
• Provide training on ergonomics and body mechanics
• Learn to utilize a splint to ensure stability and support
• Manage stress that could exacerbate your symptoms

Get more information/contact us

To make an appointment, or for more information, contact us today!

USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
1540 Alcazar Street, CHP 133, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9003

ACOTE accreditation | NBCOT certification

The USC entry-level master’s degree program (cost of attendance) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® (ACOTE®) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The USC entry-level doctorate in occupational therapy (OTD) degree program (cost of attendance) is accredited by ACOTE®. View our program’s ACOTE® standards public data. ACOTE® c/o the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.®, 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814, (301) 652-AOTA, www.acoteonline.org.

Professional program graduates are eligible to apply for the national certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.® (NBCOT®), nbcot.org. All states require licensure to practice; a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT® OTR certification examination or attain state licensure. Program results from the NBCOT® can be found online at www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.