UPPER LIMB DYSFUNCTION AND HAND FUNCTION REHABILITATION: AN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

The dysfunction of the upper limbs plays a significant role in influencing the performance of the affected individual in carrying out activities of daily living, engagement in valuable occupations as well as ability to be independent. In this chapter, the author explores how occupational therapy can be used in assessment and rehabilitation of hand and upper extremity impairments in a holistic and client-centered approach. The chapter covers typical etiologies of upper limb dysfunction such as traumatic injuries, neurological disorders, inflammatory disorders, as well as degenerative diseases. Such evidence-based assessment methods as the standardized assessment, functional capacity assessment, and the client-reported outcome measure are examined. Current techniques of intervention are introduced in the framework of the occupational therapy practice focusing on its remediation, compensation, adaption, and education techniques. The chapter emphasizes the need to integrate therapeutic occupation and purposeful activities in rehabilitation programs in order to maximize functional outcomes. New technologies, splinting use, and multidisciplinary interventions are mentioned as the parts of a full-scale rehabilitation of the upper limb. The processes of clinical reasoning and incorporating the existing research evidence into practice are highlighted.