Hands In Motion

On this episode, we are joined by Tom Lattre, a physiotherapist and hand therapist from Belgium. Tom has taken a special interest in using virtual reality in the clinic and he shares with us how this evolving technology can be used with patients in their recovery. Tom Lattre is a physical therapist and hand therapist with more than 20 years of experience. He owns a private practice in Ypres, Belgi...

On this episode, we are joined by Jem Hopkins and Karen Ayala, both occupational therapists and Certified Hand Therapists who are serving as this year’s ASHT Pediatric Specialty Day co-chairs. They share with us what we can expect at this year’s meeting, the layout of the day, the educational offerings and opportunities to network with other pediatric therapists. Guest Bio: Jemerie Hopkins graduat...

On this episode, we are joined by Jason Albers, an occupational therapist and professional drummer with the band Flatland Cavalry. Jason was also born with a genetic limb difference – monodactyly. He shares with us his experience of growing up with a limb difference, what led him to the field of occupational therapy and how his career shifted to music when the opportunity arose. Guest bio: Jason A...

On this episode, we are joined by Rachel Pigott, this year’s ASHT Annual Meeting Chair. Rachel gives us the inside scoop on what we can expect at this October’s Annual Meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We discuss the pre-conference offerings, the educational program and the various networking opportunities to connect with our hand and upper extremity therapy colleagues. Guest bio: Rachel Pigott wor...

On this episode, we are joined by Scott Gould, an occupational therapist and certified hand therapist, to discuss a potpourri of topics related to the elbow. We discuss ligament injuries, tendon injuries, joint reconstruction and techniques to restore range of motion following traumatic injuries. Guest bio: Scott Gould is an occupational therapist, certified hand therapist and certified kinesio ta...

On this episode, we are joined by Jyo Supnekar, an occupational therapist and certified hand therapist who recently traveled to Nepal to share her expertise with therapists and other healthcare workers. Jyo shares with us the work that the mission team did in delivering medical care to patients in the hospital, as well as the education that was provided to local therapists. Jyo Supnekar, OTR/L, OT...

On this episode, we are joined by Juliana Larocerie to discuss Dupuytren’s disease. Juliana has been involved with researching this condition for many years and shares with us the changes in treatment strategies that have occurred most recently. Juliana Larocerie, OT, MSC, CHT, is a certified hand therapist at the Roth-McFarlane Hand & Upper Limb Centre in London, Ontario. She earned her Bache...

On this episode, we are joined by Lisa Michael, the 2025 AAHS Vargas International Hand Therapist Teaching Award recipient. Lisa is an occupational therapist and Certified Hand Therapist who traveled to St. Lucia to share her knowledge and skills in an underserved area. She shares with us what it was like evaluating and treating patients in St Lucia, how she provided education to the local staff a...

On this episode, we are joined by Sarah Doerrer, an occupational therapist and Certified Hand Therapist who is devoting most of her time these days to academia and research. She shares with us how she is connecting with clinicians in the community to collaborate on community-engaged research. We discuss the benefits to these collaborations, but also some of the barriers to clinical research and ho...

On this episode, we are joined by Saba Kamal, an occupational therapist and Certified Hand Therapist who has taken a special interest in treating patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) and hypermobility. She shares with us how patients are diagnosed with EDS or hypermobility and how we as upper extremity therapists can educate these patients on joint protection, stability and lifelong manageme...

We are joined by Stephanie Hassler, an occupational therapist and Certified Hand Therapist who is also a Certified Lymphedema Therapist. Stephanie shares with us what lymphedema is and how she combined her background as a hand therapist to address the effects of lymphedema. We discuss early recognition and practical treatment strategies to integrate into practice. Stephanie Hassler , MS, OTR/L, CL...

On this episode, we are joined by Jessie Perchaluk, an occupational therapist and Certified Hand Therapist who has taken a special interest in learning more about and implementing remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) into her practice. Jessie shares with us the various ways that we can utilize RTM as an adjunct to the care we currently provide and how we can stay connected to our patients. Jessie P...

We are excited to welcome our guest on this episode, Danielle Sparks. Danielle is our 2025-2026 ASHT president. During her incoming presidential address at the Annual Meeting, Danielle challenged us to consider how we can be advocates for our specialty and our patients. There are many challenges we face daily, but she shares with us how small, atomic changes can have a lasting effect.  ...

On this episode, we are joined by Tara Packham, an occupational therapist who has worked for many years in upper extremity rehabilitation and is now educating the next generation of occupational therapists. Tara recognizes the impact social media has had on knowledge mobilization and she shares with us how clinicians, researchers and educators are utilizing social media and other digital platforms...

On this episode, we are joined by Marty Walsh, Keri Landrieu and Karol Young to discuss the HTCC Practice Analysis. The examination to become a Certified Hand Therapist isn’t put together overnight. There is a lot of work that goes into developing the examination questions, ensuring they are testing knowledge and application of practice standards in hand therapy.  Marty, Keri and Karol share...

On this episode, we are joined by the 2025 ASHT Pediatric Specialty Day co-chairs, Emily Ho and Meagan Pehnke. They give us all of the inside information on what we can expect at this year’s Pediatric Specialty Day. They discuss the layout of the meeting, the educational offerings, and the opportunities for networking with our fellow pediatric upper extremity specialists. Welcome to Hands in Motio...

On this episode, we are joined by Mike Mueller, an occupational therapist, Certified Hand Therapist and exercise scientist who has taken a special interest in treating female athletes across the lifespan. We discuss unique characteristics of female athletes, common injuries we are seeing in this population and how we as upper extremity specialists can help to return these athletes to their sport.&...

Things are a little different on this episode of Hands in Motion. As you may already notice, Cara Smith is in the guest seat today and will be the one answering the questions, not asking them! Cara is the Annual Meeting Committee Chair for this year’s ASHT Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, UT. On this episode, we discuss the ins and outs of the conference, including educational Pre-Conference Inst...

On this episode, we are joined by Kimberly Masker, an occupational therapist and certified hand therapy, and Tauni Bird, also an occupational therapist who have been researching and educating others on treating patients in the context of substance use.  They share with us what substance use disorder is, the stigma that surrounds these patients, and what we as hand therapists can do to mitigat...

We are joined by physical therapists Saurabh Mehta and Christos Karagiannopoulos, who – along with a team of therapists and surgeons – developed a clinical practice guideline for rehabilitation following distal radius fractures. They share with us how a CPG is developed, how the evidence is synthesized and how they came to their conclusions based on the evidence to provide recommendations for eval...

On this episode of Hands in Motion, we are joined by Thomas Berger — the recipient of the 2024 American Association for Hand Surgery Vargas International Hand Therapy Teaching Award. As a recipient of this prestigious award, Thomas traveled to Guatemala to provide hand therapy services, as well as educate local occupational and physical therapists on upper extremity rehabilitation. Thomas shares w...

While in Washington, DC for the IFSSH and IFSHT Triennial Congress, Stephanie and Cara had the pleasure of sitting down with Lisa Newington, a physiotherapist and hand therapist from London to discuss sustainability and the efforts that the UK is taking toward this.  Lisa shares with us how their medical system is addressing sustainability and how we as hand therapists can do our part when tr...

In this episode, we are joined by Stacey Doyon, President-Elect of the International Federation of Societies for Hand Therapy. Stacey shares with us information about IFSHT, their mission and how they are connecting upper extremity therapists across the globe. We also briefly discuss the upcoming IFSSH-IFSHT Triennial Congress being held March 24-28, 2025, in Washington, DC.  Silent Auction L...

On this episode, we are joined by Lauren DeTullio and Preston Lockwood, both occupational therapists and Certified Hand Therapists who serve on the ASHT International Committee. They share with us the work that the committee is doing to spread knowledge of hand and upper extremity therapy across the globe and specifically about a recent trip to Columbia where they had the opportunity to present di...

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Alex Kelsheimer, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in upper extremity surgery, to discuss injuries that many of us find difficulty treating — PIP joint injuries. He shares his approach to addressing injuries at the PIP joint and how surgeons and therapists can collaborate with the patient to achieve an optimal outcome. Guest Bio: Dr. Kelsheimer&nbsp...