Description
Assess, plan, and deliver specialized rehabilitation for the hand, wrist, and upper extremity to restore function, reduce pain, and maximize independence after injury, surgery, or disease. Use evidence-based techniques, custom orthoses, manual therapy and modalities, scar and edema management, task adaptation, and patient education to overcome upper-limb limitations.
- • Complete and maintain necessary records, including outcome measures and surgeon communications.
- • Evaluate patients' progress and prepare reports using range-of-motion, strength, edema, pain, and DASH/QuickDASH scores.
- • Assess upper-extremity function by testing ROM, strength, sensation, dexterity, wounds, scars, and pain to set protocol-driven goals.
- • Select therapeutic activities and exercises to restore grasp, pinch, dexterity, and ADL/work skills within surgical or injury precautions.
- • Plan, organize, and deliver evidence-based hand and upper-extremity therapy in clinic, hospital, or outpatient settings.
- • Recommend ergonomic modifications, adaptive tools, and joint-protection strategies for home, school, or workplace tasks.
- • Collaborate with hand surgeons and the rehabilitation team to align care plans and progress through post-operative protocols.
- • Provide sensory re-education, desensitization, neuromuscular re-education, manual therapy, and therapeutic modalities as indicated.
- • Develop and lead prevention and wellness education on safe hand use, overuse injury prevention, and self-management.
- • Train and mentor students and staff in hand therapy techniques, splinting, and documentation standards.
- • Fabricate, fit, and adjust custom upper-extremity orthoses; manage splint wear schedules and skin integrity.
- • Implement work conditioning and task simulation to support safe return to work or school.
- • Prepare, maintain, and sanitize splinting supplies, therapy tools, and modality equipment.
- • Advise on workplace risk reduction, ergonomics, and transitional duty planning.
- • Participate in or conduct quality improvement and research related to hand therapy outcomes.
- • Coordinate graded return-to-work plans with employers, case managers, and insurers.
- • Educate patients and caregivers on wound and scar care, edema control, pain management, orthosis wear, and home exercise programs.
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
