The Hand to Shoulder Podcast

Join us as we explore work rehabilitation with Mitchell Vossfrom Green Bay, WI. Mitch discusses the perfect candidate for work rehab post ortho injury and walks us through a case study what a patient experiences in a work rehab setting. Pay attention to clinic pearls to give the patient the best simulation to return to work safely and more efficiently post acute care. Hope you enjoy the show! Mitc...

Our 50th podcast episode!! Sit up tall, stand up straight? Don’t you feel like a squeaky wheel with your shoulder and thoracic outlet patients? Join Ann, Cassie and Joan Vicente as we comb through cutting-edge research regarding the relationship between the thoracic spine and shoulder. Joan discusses physical performance between symptomatic and asymptomatic adults including posture and mobility in...

As spring approaches, our patients are excited to return to some of their long-awaited outdoor activities! Today we are joined by Ryerson Stinson, a hand therapist and golf expert from Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland as he discusses the importance of individualizing programs for patients as they return to their sport. Here's a little background about our guest!: Ryerson is an Occupational...

Mike Lennie, OTR/L, ATC, CHT has an undergraduate degreeand certification in Athletic Training from Southern Illinois University. Rehabilitating overhead athletes with the baseball and softball programs drove his interest to pursue a career in rehab for the UE. In 2011, he graduated from Midwestern University with his OT degree and has been working as an orthopedic OT since that time. He became a...

Hand therapy isn’t limited to the outpatient setting—many patients begin their recovery in the hospital. Join us as we interview Adrienne Tesarek, OTR/L, CHT from San Diego, CA, who began her career working in the acute care environment then became a CHT in an outpatient setting.  Adrienneshares her insights on working with patients during the early stages of recovery and highlights the key elemen...

“The long bone is connected to the short bone”, remembersinging that song? Well, it’s true in our everyday life! Everything is connected and should be addressed when seeing as hand therapy patient. Mike Mueller, OTR, CHT joins us from Rothman Orthopaedics from Philadelphia,Pennsylvania to discuss the kinetic chain with an upper extremity hand patient and how looking at the whole picture will chang...

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to practice in a different country? Or perhaps what hand therapy practice looks like in Northern Ireland? Today we dive into the day and life of Karen Murphy, MS, OTR, CHT, AHT as the owner and director of Health Pub Professions. Karen's explores hand therapy in Northern Ireland and the differences from the US. She shares her passion for hand therap...

Many of you are studying for the CHT exam or have already put many hours into passing the specialty hand therapy exam. Don't you wonder how this exam came about or even how hand therapy became a subspecialty? Well, today we talk with Wisconsin native Mary Dimick, who previously served as the president of the Hand Therapy Certification Commission, also known as the HTCC. She gives us a backgrou...

For those of you who work in hand therapy clinics, it can be intimidating to see high- level athletes.  This population has specific demands above and beyond the regular day-to-day activities of daily living.  Join us as we discuss what typeof issues affecting these patients with Jean-François Ouellet, BSc (OT), CHT! He works with a team of physicians and therapists who specialize in treatment of...

Please join Hand to Shoulder podcast members Ann and Cassie as they interview Kantessa Stewart out of Southwestern Ohio Orthopedics discussing a hand therapy technique called CMMS for addressing stiff joints. Kantessa talks through launching the program and how patients with stiff joints benefit from casting to relieve stiffness. Learn clinical pearls regarding materials and length of time in betw...

Patients with hypermobility syndromes who present with shoulder instability have traditionally been told to go to therapy. But what if therapy is not enough?  Join Dr. Tamara Scerpella as she explains how she evaluates and treats this challenging issue. She goes into details regarding surgical procedure, sling use, protocol and rehabilitation post-surgically for capsular shift or tightening. Liste...

Supercharged and ready for rehab! Are you working with a brachial plexus patient that had a nerve transfer? Well, listen up, this is the podcast for you! Jen Dodson joins the Hand to Shoulder podcast team to discuss rehabilitation theories and principles as well as a timeline of what to expect. Jen is a part of a qualitative research study involving rehabilitation processes with outcomes. We hope...

Nerve transfer surgery involves reconnecting a functioning nerve fascicle to a damaged or lacerated nerve to restore connection to muscles with absent innervation. This is an extensive surgery that takes a lot of time and education with our patients before and after surgery. Dr. Munaretto explores common nerve transfers he completes at the Hand to Shoulder Center while discussing appropriate candi...

 Wrist instability can be a difficult condition to treat. Today’s episode covers the intricate mechanics of midcarpal instability and the two types of clinical presentations: midcarpal VISI (volar intercalated segmental instability) and the less common midcarpal DISI (dorsal intercalated segmental instability). Clinical testing for each of these conditions will be covered as well as evidence-suppo...

Somatosensory rehabilitation is a method of assessment and treatment for neuropathic pain developed in Switzerland two decades ago by Claude Spicher, a Swiss hand therapist. It draws on contemporary understandings of functional neuroanatomy to address both sensory loss and sensory gain (allodynia). While it can be used for the entire body, it is especially useful for conditions commonly seen in th...

Jyo Supnekar, OTR/L, OTD, CHT, CLT, C/NDT, COMT and her colleagues at Johns Hopkins Health System had the vision of building a hand therapy fellowship in 2015 and after much research and numerous hours dedicated towards the application process, creating a curriculum, creating a core group of mentors and educators, marketing and receiving candidacy status, the Fellowship was launched in 2017. Jyo s...

Neuromodulation coaching is a unique treatment approach which helps to assess and categorize each patient into specific archetypes with associated neurophysiological profiles. By understanding each patient’s archetype, a clinician can create and implement more effective plans of care which address the physical, mental, and emotional health of the patient. Join us to learn more about Neuromodulatio...

We become accustomed to our role as a hand therapist in the clinic where we practice, often not giving a second thought to how we perform our daily duties. But what does the role of a hand therapist look like in another part of the world? Blair Agero, occupational therapist, joins us from Dubai, UAE to share what his day-to-day roles entail. Please join us for an interesting look at hand therapy p...

We’ve seen lots of hype about Blood Flow Restriction, or BFR in social media, but how does it work? Join us as Jim Wagner, seasoned hand therapist and powerlifter as he brings to light the physiologic benefits of BFR and how this can be incorporated into your hand therapy practice! Jim Wagner has been practicing for 30 years with clinical experience of the UE in orthopedics. He received his post p...

Open wound? Don’t panic, Nora is here to help! Join us with Nora Barrett discussing how to evaluate, cleanse, dress and document all different types of wounds. Nora organizes all the products that she recommends for various types of wounds seen in a hand clinic. You will not be disappointed in the takeaways and clinic pearls after listening.   Nora Barrett OTR/L, CHT, WCC graduated from the Progra...

“The arm bone is connected to the wrist bone”….. come on now, we all know this song! Well, it’s a fact, everything is connected. Derek Clewley, DPT, PhD., not only details us through examination of an injury, he clues us in on treatment of the kinetic chain. Join us as we discuss looking proximal to the cervical spine when we are treating conservative lower arm issues such as ulnar wrist pain or l...

Stuck on you! Have you ever used Kinesiotape before? Where did you put it and for what purpose? Did you know there’s different degrees of tension when applying the tape? Well, all these are questions you may not have thought of when using Kinesiotape. Listen up, we have all these pondering thoughts answered in this podcast. Teresa Casagrande, PT, CHT from Sturgeon Bay, WI energetically greets us t...

Motor Neuron Deficits: Lesions leading to lost function! Join Hand to Shoulder with Cassie and Shelly as we dissemble motor neurons and variations of symptoms, which in turn, lead to ALS. This very energetic podcast with Cynthia Ivy out of Phoenix, AZ, will open your mind to neurological deficits and the role of a hand therapist with someone who presents with hand or upper limb weakness. We hope y...

Is your wing broken? How much do you know about shoulder surgeries involving the GHJ and surrounding soft tissue? Well, here is an episode for you. Join Cassie Schuh and Shelly Somers as they dissect shoulder surgeries with Dr. Shawn Hennigan, where together, they discuss procedures, immobilization time and rehab. Learn cutting edge surgery techniques that are completed for capsular, noncapsular,...

In this episode Shelly and Steve are joined by Theresa Parry OTR, CHT, COMT to discuss common wrist pain exercises found on YouTube. The five most common exercises are discussed. Are these exercises appropriate? When should they be given out? What considerations need to be made before prescribing these exercises? What modifications could be made? It is all here in this episode!