Upper limb (UL) rehabilitation
What is Upper limb rehabilitation?
Upper limb rehabilitation focuses on the participant's ability to utilise fine motor and gross motor skills.
These skills are an important part of everyday activities including dressing with buttons, zippers or laces, tying up hair, grasping items such as a water bottle or shopping bag, and handwriting or typing, to name a few.
The rehabilitation behind upper limb management involves specific exercises to build and strengthen the muscles in the hand, forearm and shoulder.
What to Expect
An Occupational Therapist (OT) will complete an initial assessment with the participant to determine what their goals are and the activities of daily living (ADLs) they find challenging.
From here, the OT will develop an individualised therapy plan focused on building strength and function in the upper limb, whether this is just the hand or the whole arm.
Why Rebound?
The OTs at Rebound Health utilise various equipment pieces to assist with building the strength and function of the upper limb. With the assistance of therapy putty, fine motor games, handwriting booklets and other aids, the OT can determine a baseline of function and build on this to increase the skills and provide independence in otherwise previous tasks such as opening bottles, turning a key etc.
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You don’t need a referral for upper limb rehabilitation. It is recommended that the participant has ongoing upper limb rehabilitation sessions with the OT to gain the full benefit of the therapy. Regularity and consistent practice of exercises learnt in therapy will provide an increased chance of success and goal attainment with strengthening the upper limb function.
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Any relevant information to help your therapist get a good understanding of your situation. This might include your current or previous NDIS plan and any reports/letters from other health professionals including allied health, general practitioners or specialists.
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Your therapist will chat with you about your condition and the impact it has on your everyday life. They might ask you to complete some exercises during the session so they can determine a baseline of function in your upper limb. You will then collaborate to identify what areas of concern you have when using fine and gross motor skills which will assist the OT to outline the therapy plan and goals.