Hall of Fame Coach Lauds Hand Therapy

I had problems gripping my golf clubs and closing my hand. They diagnosed it as carpal tunnel, and I had surgery on it a few weeks later. I was really concerned as to whether or not I could come back and do the things I had done before the surgery. So, I went to a hand therapist and she did a wonderful job with my rehab until I was able to have full use of my hand again and get my strength back.

I could see the improvement week in and week out until I was finally able to grip a golf club like I had before the carpal tunnel. I was able to swing the golf clubs and get back to my normal routine.

Hand therapy is for everybody. When you can’t fully use one of your hands, it takes away a lot of the things you take for granted. I continue to do a lot of the hand therapy exercises with both hands now to maintain strength and avoid getting the carpal tunnel back.

The most important thing after surgery was to have the proper rehab. If you want to strengthen the hands and the arms, you want to bring in a specialist in this field who knows the proper exercises and treatment.

Link to the informational video, "Hands on Your Future", featuring Coach Don Shula ASHT's promotional video answers the question, "What is Hand Therapy?" The video debuted on September 21, 2002, at ASHT's 25th Annual Meeting in Ottawa, Ontario and features Don Shula, NFL Hall of Famer and former coach of the Miami Dolphins, who shares his experiences with hand rehabilitation. This video will give you insight into the science of hand therapy and tell you a bit more about ASHT. Enjoy!

Please note that connection speeds vary from computer to computer, so it may take 90 seconds or so to download this video. It is well worth the wait, however! Note: You will need RealPlayer, or a like viewer, in order to view the video. If you do not have a copy of RealPlayer software, you can download it for FREE by clicking here.

Don Shula
Former Coach of the Miami Dolphins

To learn more on other injuries and conditions, link to Patient Education.