- Blog
Occupational Therapy & Custom Orthoses
Posted on 07-16-2025 in Wrist, occupational therapy, Hand, Elbow & hand therapy by Dr. Steven Kronlage
At its core, occupational therapy helps you regain independence in all areas of your life, including those that may affect your emotional, social or physical range of needs. Certified Hand Therapists (CHT) are board-certified in Occupational Therapy with an added qualification in Hand Therapy. As we step into April, we are fortunate to have the opportunity to recognize Occupational Therapy Month and our talented CHTs who provide these services to our patients.
When it comes to sustaining and optimizing the desired outcomes of your orthopaedic health, specialized hand therapy plays an instrumental role in expediting the healing process, increasing mobility, and extending the overall functionality of the upper extremities. They bridge the gap to provide non-operative interventions, preventative care and post-surgical rehabilitation for a wide variety of upper extremity disorders.
Under the guidance of our fellowship-trained Hand Center surgeons, our CHTs will evaluate your medical history, occupation, and day-to-day activity. They will also perform a series of evaluations that monitor the following areas: musculoskeletal, sensory, cognitive or perceptual. Additionally, they will assess surrounding vascular, skin or connective tissues. Further understanding of these factors will help your care team determine a comprehensive set of goals and a treatment plan that best serves you.
Depending on the condition or injury, treatment options may include custom orthosis fabrication for a fitted device molded to and worn on a specific body part. These devices can help to protect and support bones, tendons, ligaments, and nerves and keep these structures in safe and healthy positions. A custom orthosis can also be used to help fix differences or help improve limited functionality. They can also be used to immobilize (keep the body part and tissue still), mobilize (move the area) or restrict partial movement in an area.
Each individual orthosis has a specific purpose and falls into three primary categories: static, static progressive, dynamic (for increasing motion) and dynamic (for function). Custom orthoses are commonly prescribed for conditions and injuries such as:
- Arthritis
- Tendon injuries
- Broken bones
- Pain
- Burns
- Nerve injuries
- Stiffness
- Weakness
Regardless of your needs, our team of fellowship-trained surgeons, Dr. Steven Kronlage, Dr. Alex Colemanand Dr. James Piorkowski, work closely with our CHTs to provide patients with the most appropriate treatment options. With same-day and next-day appointments available in Gulf Breeze and Pensacola and telehealth options, our goal is to make visits as accessible as possible. State-of-the-art, on-site imaging and diagnostics are also available at both locations for your convenience. Call 850.807.4200 or schedule an appointment online today.
Check out some of our related posts:
Treating Ankle Arthritis
May is National Arthritis Awareness Month, and of the more than 100 forms of this painful condition, many can affect the ankle. In fact, almost half of people in their 60s and 70s have arthritis of the foot and/or ankle, but not all of them have symptoms.
Gardening Smart: How to Prevent Joint Pain & Injuries
Springtime in North Florida is the perfect season for gardening, but hours spent planting, pruning, and digging can take a toll on your body. At North Florida Bone & Joint Specialists, we often see patients with gardening-related injuries affecting the hands, upper extremities, shoulders, and knees. Whether you're a weekend hobbyist or an avid green thumb, practicing proper ergonomics can help ensure you stay injury-free while you enjoy your time outdoors.
Certified Hand Therapy
Hand Therapy services at our Pensacola office, located on 9th Avenue, and our Gulf Breeze location at the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine (Ste. 209) provide an opportunity to treat both acute and chronic conditions or injuries of the hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder. At North Florida Bone & Joint Specialists, our fellowship-trained surgeons work closely with our exceptional Certified Hand Therapists to develop a comprehensive course of treatment to improve outcomes related to conditions and injuries of the upper extremities, including the following: