We treat more than than the hand. Our skill set includes the hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder.

Tennis elbow is an example of a common elbow injury we treat. The first line of defense is a well-fitting counterforce brace, as well as education, ergonomics and exercises depending on the stage of recovery. Rotator cuff injury is another common issue we treat as hand therapists and this is typically managed with a combination of education and exercises.

Joint pain can be due various factors - from injuries, to repetitive strain, to medical conditions or to hypermobility. Sometimes people are naturally very flexible, aka “double-jointed” or hypermobile. We provide education, exercise and usually some form of support for the joints. Custom splints, Oval 8 splints, and Digisplints are some examples that help take the pressure off joints.

Stephanie Chung, pictured above, has over 18 years of experience in hand therapy with a special focus on joint issues, arthritis and hypermobility.

It is very common to have pain in tendons due to overuse, poor ergonomics or even trauma (i.e. after a fall).

A common example is DeQuervain’s tenosynovitis (aka “new mum thumb”). Key symptoms: pain along the thumb side of the wrist, tenderness to touch that area, and pain when moving your thumb. A custom thermoplastic splint is a key part of recovery and is superior to an off-the-shelf brace. This splint is pictured above.

An example we often treat is skier’s thumb - a ligament injury. A removable, custom thumb splint is usually necessary during the initial phase of recovery in order to ensure there is little strain on the healing ligament. This puts your thumb in the ideal position for healing and is light-weight. Eventually we progress you to an exercise program while weaning off the splint.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is an example of a very common nerve issue we treat. It can be caused by compression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel, trauma or underlying medical conditions. This can result in pain, numbness or tingling in the hand. It can also lead to weakness with pinching and gripping.

The gold standard custom thermoplastic splint is pictured above. This splint supports both the wrist as well as the ‘knuckles’ (the MCP joints) to prevent you from flexing your wrists or making a fist at night, keeping the pressure in the carpal tunnel to a minimum.

We treat a variety of traumatic injuries and often work closely with doctors and surgeons. When a doctor or surgeon has prescribed a custom splint for a broken bone, fracture, or other traumatic injury, we make these in our clinic. We also provide education, exercises and manual therapy at the appropriate phase of your recovery.

Lisette Cheng, pictured above, works at the Vancouver Hand Clinic as well as Vancouver General Hospital in trauma & hand therapy.

The assessment is the most crucial part of the session. This is how we determine which structure (ligament, tendon, pulley, joint capsule, etc) is the main issue and then we develop an individualized treatment plan.

A common injury in rock climbing is a pulley injury. A custom pulley splint is the gold standard treatment in healing this type of injury. This splint supports the pulley and allows for healing while maintaining functional use of your hand.

Alex Osatchuk, pictured above, has a special interest in climbing injuries and enjoys climbing herself.

At the Vancouver Hand Clinic, arthritis care is about attention to detail, compassion and experience. Our therapists provide a detailed assessment and subsequent individualized rehab plans which may include exercise, custom splint or bracing. And of course, lots of sensible advice.

Stephanie Chung has extensive experience in arthritis management through her many years of work at Vancouver Coastal Health and also teaches relevant Masters level courses in the UBC Department of Occupation Therapy.

Shirin von Mende is one of our hand therapists who has specialized skills in treating arthritis and also works at the Mary Pack Arthritis Program.

Stephanie Chung fabricates fully waterproof, fully washable splints. These are often a requirement for infection-control protocols in the hospital system. These splints follow the IPAC guidelines (Infection Prevention and Control Canada).

The splint material is plastic, non-perforated and does not contain any velcro components. Most splints are available in this form - call us if you have any questions.