Hand rehabilitation, or hand therapy, is specialised physiotherapy and occupational therapy for the hand, wrist and forearm after injury, surgery or disease. Hand therapists make custom splints, guide tendon and joint movement in carefully timed stages and retrain grip, dexterity and sensation.
After hand surgery the therapy matters as much as the operation. Tendons stick and joints stiffen within weeks if movement starts too late, and repairs rupture if it starts too hard. The limit is biology: nerve recovery in particular runs at about 1 mm a day and cannot be speeded up.
Conditions this service looks after
- Flexor and extensor tendon repairs
- Fractures of the wrist, hand and fingers
- Nerve injuries and repairs, including carpal and cubital tunnel release
- Dupuytren's contracture after surgery or needle release
- Rheumatoid and osteoarthritis of the hand, including thumb base arthritis
- Trigger finger, De Quervain's tendonitis and repetitive strain
- Complex regional pain syndrome
- Stiffness after burns or crush injuries
- Replantation and tendon transfer
- Hand function after stroke
Tests you may be offered
- Range of motion measurement: A goniometer records each joint so progress can be tracked weekly.
- Grip and pinch strength: Dynamometer readings compared with the other hand.
- Sensory testing: Monofilaments and two-point discrimination chart nerve recovery.
- Swelling and scar assessment: Measurements of circumference and scar mobility.
- Functional questionnaires and dexterity tests: Scores such as DASH show how the hand performs in daily tasks.
Treatments available
- Custom thermoplastic splints: Moulded on the hand to protect a repair, rest a joint or gently stretch a contracture.
- Early controlled motion protocols: Staged exercises after tendon repair that keep tendons gliding without overloading them.
- Oedema and scar management: Elevation, compression, massage and silicone.
- Joint mobilisation and strengthening: Introduced once healing allows, usually from 6 to 8 weeks.
- Desensitisation and sensory re-education: For hypersensitive scars and recovering nerves; mirror therapy and graded motor imagery for complex regional pain syndrome.
- Joint protection and adaptive equipment: For arthritis, with advice on work and daily activities.
When to ask for a specialist opinion
- You are about to have, or have just had, hand surgery
- A finger or wrist remains stiff or swollen more than 3 to 4 weeks after an injury or after a cast is removed
- Pain, swelling, colour change and sensitivity are out of proportion after an injury
- Arthritis is making gripping, opening jars or writing difficult
- Numbness or weakness persists after a nerve release
Travelling to Türkiye for this care
Hand therapy is measured in weeks: commonly 2 to 3 sessions a week for 6 to 12 weeks, with daily home exercises. A short visit can provide an assessment, a custom splint, an intensive few days of treatment and a written programme, but the course itself must continue with a hand therapist near your home. If you travel for hand surgery, the most important question to settle beforehand is who will supervise your therapy from week one after you return, and that the surgeon's protocol is shared with them.
Send your reports, scans and a short history and a Clinic-Y coordinator replies within 24 hours with suitable teams and written, all-inclusive proposals side by side. Reviewing your case is free.
الأسئلة المتكررة
When does therapy start after tendon repair?
Usually within 3 to 5 days of surgery, in a protective splint worn for about 6 weeks.
How long until I regain full use?
Light use from about 6 to 8 weeks and heavy grip after 12 weeks following tendon repair. Stiffness and strength may keep improving for 6 to 12 months.
Is a ready-made splint good enough?
For simple conditions such as carpal tunnel symptoms, often yes. After surgery, a custom-made splint at the correct joint angles is important.
Can therapy be supervised online?
Exercise review works reasonably well by video. Splint adjustment, scar work and joint mobilisation need hands-on care.