Therapy Services

The Therapists at the Hand and Upper Extremity Center of Northeast Wisconsin treat patients with the following types of diagnoses:

• Shoulder, elbow, forearm, wrist, hand, and finger disorders
• Traumatic injuries such as crush injuries, fractures, sprains, burns, tendon and nerve lacerations, amputations, and replants
• Arthritis, congenital deformities, and acquired disorders
• Acquired disorders such as nerve compression/traction syndromes and tendonitis
• Preoperative and postoperative rotator cuff tendonitis/tears, shoulder instability, hemi-resection arthroplasties, thoracic outlet syndrome, scapulothoracic dysfunction, and brachial plexopathy

Therapy Services Provided

• Individualized Therapeutic Exercise
  • Range of motion
  • Strengthening
  • BTE primus strengthening and work conditioning
  • Functional activities and exercise
  • Desensitization
  • Nerve gliding
  • Postural retraining
  • Neuromotor re-education
  • In-depth analysis of movement imbalances causing
    joint and muscle dysfunction

• Hands-On Manual Therapy
  • Joint mobilization
  • Soft tissue mobilization
  • Myofascial release
  • Cross friction massage
  • Edema control
  • Manual edema mobilization techniques (MEM)
  • Scar remodeling techniques
  • McConnell taping and Kinesio® Taping

• Advanced Wound Care
  • Advanced dressing supplies
  • Dressing changes
  • Whirlpool
  • Debridement
  • Vacuum assisted closure
  • Burn care

• Splinting to provide protection of injured structures
  (bones, tendons, nerves, ligaments), correction of deformity,
  immobilization of joints, or as a tool for exercise
  • Custom static splints
  • Custom static-progressive splints
  • Custom dynamic splints
  • Fitting of prefabricated static, static-progressive, or dynamic splints

• Thermal and Electrical Modalities
  • Hot and cold packs
  • Fluidotherapy
  • Ultrasound
  • Iontophoresis
  • NMES, FES, interferential current, premodulated current
  • HVPC
  • TENS
  • Biofeedback

• Home Exercise Program Engineering
  • Range of motion, dexterity, and strengthening exercises
  • Edema control
  • Scar management
  • Biofeedback
  • Pain management
  • Postural exercises
  • Exercises addressing muscle and joint imbalances

• Patient Education
  • Nature of injury or dysfunction
  • Precautions
  • Importance of commitment with home program and precautions
  • Prevention techniques and strategies
  • Adaptive equipment and techniques to improve function
  • Ergonomic adaptations