Hand Therapy Expands Rehabilitative Services

Brookings Health System has expanded its comprehensive rehabilitative and therapy services to now include hand therapy. Occupational Therapist Sara Lutz, MSOTR/L, will treat patients with conditions that affect their upper extremity, including the hand, wrist, forearm, elbow, arm and shoulder. 

Hand therapy services Lutz offers on an outpatient basis includes:

• Customized splinting or bracing to help immobilize an affected area or to support the limb during day-to-day activities
• Treatments to reduce pain and improve tissue healing
• Edema management techniques to reduce swelling
• Scar tissue management
• Stretching and exercises to regain motion and improve strength.

Conditions Lutz will treat include:

Hand/Wrist

• Tendon injuries
• Crush injuries
• Fractures
• Arthritis
• Trigger finger
• Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Tendonitis
• DeQuervain’s tenosynovitis
• Wrist sprains

Elbow

• Tendonitis
• Ligament repairs
• Cubital tunnel syndrome
• Radial tunnel syndrome

Shoulder

• Rotator cuff repairs
• Joint replacements
• Tendonitis
• Instability and general pain

Lutz comes to Brookings Health from Hand Therapy of Wyoming in Gillette, Wyo., where she worked for over three years providing direct patient care with a heavy emphasis on orthopedic hand therapy. She holds a master’s degree in occupational therapy from The University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D., and an associate degree in occupational therapy assisting from Lake Area Technical College in Watertown, S.D.

Brookings Health takes a comprehensive, team approach to rehabilitation that focuses on the whole person. Our team of speech-language pathologists, physical therapists and occupational therapists work with patients on both an inpatient and outpatient basis. The team also treats patients in the home health program.

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