HFL_Relief for Your Arthritis

Living Hands for

SPECIALTY EXPERTISE For Shoulders, Arms, and Hands

NEWSLETTER

Relief forYour Arthritis withHand Therapy and CustomOrthotics

www.handsforliving.com

NEWSLETTER Living Hands for

SPECIALTY EXPERTISE For Shoulders, Arms, and Hands

Relief for Your Arthritis with Hand Therapy and Custom Orthotics

Arthritis pain in your hands can make it difficulttoperformdailyactivities.Whether it’s brushing your hair, driving a car, or typing at a computer, you use your hands hundredsoftimesthroughouttheday!This can make it extremelydifficult when living with arthritis, which limits your ability to move freely. If you are living with arthritis, you’re not alone. In fact, there are over 100 different typesofarthritisthatpeoplearediagnosed with. Arthritis pain is directly correlated to the limitation of mobility in your joints, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. The morefreedomofmovement inyour joints, strength in your muscles, and improved circulation, the lessyouwill be affected by arthritic inflammation and pain. Handarthritiscanbesuccessfullyrelieved withthehelpofourcertifiedhandtherapists and, when needed, custom orthotics. For more information on how hand therapy andcustomorthoticscanhelprelieveyour arthritis pains, contact Hands for Living today! Hand Therapy for Arthritis Relief A hand therapist typically uses manual techniques to manipulate the affected arthritic area, in order to release tension, swelling, and pain. Through the use

of massage and hands-on treatments, patients can find significant improvement -sometimesafter justonesession! Insome cases, additional techniques, such as ice andheattherapies,ultrasound,orelectrical stimulationmayalsobeusedaspartofyour treatment plan, in order to manage your pain and keep symptoms at bay. Perhaps one of the biggest roles of a hand therapist, however, is prescribing targeted stretches and exercises. These will be dependent upon the type and severity of your arthritis, and will focus on improving the range of motion, strength, and overall function ofyour hands, soyou can safely and comfortably perform your daily activities once again. A large part of hand therapy is helping patients regain their independence inday-to-daytasksand improving their quality of life. Because of this, our certified hand therapists are also more than happy to prescribe custom orthotics to help with your hand arthritis as needed. How Can Custom Orthotics Benefit Me? Dependingontheseverityofyourcondition, thereareamultitudeofdifferentbracesthat may help in making daily activities easier to perform. Custom braces can help with the alignment of joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments, allowing for optimum

healing. By working closely with one of ourhighlytrainedhandtherapists,youcan beconfidentthatyouhavetheproperbrace for facilitating healing and protectingyour hands during everyday tasks. AtHandsforLiving,wecancreateacustom orthoticspecificallyforyourneeds.Weoffer a wide range of orthotics for the hands, aimed at articulating and immobilizing, to help aid in pain management during certainactivities.Manypeoplewithchronic conditions, such as arthritis, have found successandreliefwithourorthoticdevices. Ourhandtherapistswillconductaphysical evaluation to examine the current levels of mobility in your upper extremity. From there, they will design a personalized treatment plan and custom orthotic that will help relieve pain, improve your range of motion, and increase strength in your arthritic hand(s). Get Started Today! If arthritic pains in your hands have been making daily life difficult for you, contact Hands for Living today at 425-368-7943 to schedule a consultation. Don’t suffer in silence – take the steps to relieve your painand improveyourfunctiontoday!We willdetermine ifcustomorthoticscouldbe beneficial toyou, andwe’ll getyou started on the path toward long-lasting relief!

www.handsforliving.com

Exercise Essentials by Laurie Walters, OTR/L, CHT Micro Breaks:

www.simpleset.net

Forearm Stretches:

anyposition.Try leaningtheexercisesittingwith yourbackstraight.Theabsolutetimeyouspend on inhalation and exhalation is not important by the ratio of 4:7:8 is important, so if you can’t hold your breath or exhale for the 7/8 seconds adjust the timing to maintain the ratio of 4:7:8. Atyougetbetterat ityoucanslow thingsdown and get to the 4:7:8 timeframe. 1. Exhalecompletelythoughyourmouth,pursing your lips slightly (like you are blowing out a candle) and make a whooshing sound. 2. Close your mouth and inhale through your nose slowly for a count of 4. 3. Hold your breath for a count of 7. 4. Exhalecompletelythoughtyourmouth,pursing your lipsasabove,makingawhooshingsound to a count of 8. 5. This is one breath, now inhale and repeat the cycleforatotalof4breaths.(Donotdomore than4breathsfor thefirstmonthofpractice, later you could increase to 8 breaths. You can’t perform this too often, but at first aim for twice a day.)

Extensor Stretch:

No chair or efficiently arranged workstation, no matter how comfortable, can protect you from the

Hold your arm straight in front of you with the palm down (facing the

potential hazards of staying the in the same position every day. Exercise and activity are the best overall medicine for pain. So, for every 30 minutes of repetitive tasks/prolonged sitting take a short break (about 2 minutes) or switch to another task. Get up and go to the restroom, placeyourprinter ina locationthatyoumustwalk tofordocuments,performsomesoundpostural exercises (like Bruegger’s Relief Position) and breathe (in through your nose, out through your mouth like you are blowing out a candle). Relaxation Breathing: Controlling and regulating our breathing is one of the best ways to achieve relaxation and to handle the stress that can come from a myriad of health issues and to clear our minds. The 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise requires no special equipment and can be done anywhere and in

floor). With your other hand, gently press your hand down. Only press down until you feel a gentle stretch. If you experience elbow pain, eitherdecreasetheamountofpressureorslightly bend your elbow. Hold the stretch for 30-45 seconds.

Flexor Stretch: Hold your arm straight in front of you with the palm up (facing the ceiling). With your

other hand, gently press your hand down (push in the palm, don’t push your fingers back). Only press down until you feel a gentle stretch. If you experience elbow pain, either decrease the amountofpressureorslightlybendyourelbow. Hold the stretch for 30-45 seconds.

Welcome, Lolly! We are pleased to announce that Lolly Brasseur, Office Coordinator, has joined our Hands for Living team!

HFL HOLIDAY PARTY Our holiday party was a lot of fun! We went to cooking school at HipCooks inSeattle, learningtomakeSpanishtapas.Westrapped on our aprons, chopped, stirred and flipped with abandon, and came away with great ideas and new cooking tips! We made several dishes together, learned about different techniques, and then ate ameal together. Ifyou’re looking for a fun group activity, I think we’d all give it five stars!

Lollyisoftenyourfirstpointofcontactforschedulingand insurance questions! She is our Front Office Coordinator, and a bright spot in our day.

Herfavoritetraveldestination: Wales. Anywhere in Wales, thank you! (She’d do again in a heartbeat.) A fun fact: Shevolunteers as a singer intheSeattleSymphony Chorale. A pet peeve: When drivers don’t use their blinkers. Abookshewouldrecommend: “Wives and Daughters”, by Elizabeth Gaskell.

A movie she would watch again and again: “Ever After”, featuring Drew Barrymore. In her spare time: She loves to teach music, read, spend time with family, and go trail-biking with friends. Personal quote to live by: People are a gift. Look for opportunities to love.

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CONGRATULATIONS TO HELEN! HELEN REILLY, MOTR/L, CHT

PATIENT SPOTLIGHT

“Awesome

staff with great

We are pleased to announce that Helen Reillyhaspassedtherigorousexaminationto becomea Certified Hand Therapist (CHT). She joinsourotherCHTswhohaveachieved

teamwork... I would highly recommend!”

thismilestone,and isnowourfifthCHT!Shehasworkedveryhard to achieve this designation, and we are proud of her commitment to our patients and her professional development. Therapists must have at least 3 years of experience and 4000 hoursworking inhandtherapybeforetheyareeligibletositforthe CHT exam. Therapists re-certify every five years, demonstrating continuedactivepractice,andongoingprofessionaldevelopment.

“ Kari was amazing at identifying my particular needs after having carpal tunnel surgery on both wrists. Hands for Living has an awesome staff with great teamwork. I would highly recommend to anyone if you’re looking for a very professional staff as well as a very clean facility, to highly consider the team of experts at Hands for Living. Thanks again to the entire staff, including the young ladies at the front counter. They go above and beyond to fit your schedule in!” - T.

A fun fact is that Helen managed to achieve this designation just four months after the birth of her first child, her son George, who was born in July!

2020 in Focus Living Hands for

FromJoAnn Keller Founder and Owner of Hands for Living

The start of a new decade brings lots of excitement. Hands for Living is nearly 9 years old, and we love to see how things have grown and changed in that time. This year will be no different, and we have new things on the horizon. One of the most exciting is the full launch of our Video Conference Service . You can now talk with me via video conference from the comfort of your own home or office! We are offering a special introductory event and will include details with this newsletter. No more traffic hassles! This cutting edge technique allows us to reach people from all over Washington state. We are pleased to be the first clinic to offer it in Washington for hand therapy consultations. Please let us know how we can serve you this year - can’t wait to catch up! Call us with any questions you might have. Best wishes for a happy, healthy 2020! – JoAnn Keller

We are SOOOO excited about 2020! We finally feel like we are fully settled in to our new clinic space, after being here for a year. It takes awhile, whether you’re moving into a new space, whether it’s home or clinic, to be able to find just the right furniture and spot for everything. Patients now enjoy a full view out the windows during their appointments, and we love the extra light that the big windows bring.