Hand Therapy Treatment

Rehabilitation Following Nerve Transfer Surgery

Nerve transfer surgery is an important new addition to the treatment paradigm following nerve trauma. The following rehabilitation plan has been developed over the past 15 years, in an interdisciplinary, tertiary peripheral nerve program at the "Roth|McFarlane Hand and Upper Limb Centre." This center evaluates more than 400 patients with complex nerve injuries annually and has been routinely using nerve transfers since 2005. The described rehabilitation program includes input from patients, therapists, physiatrists, and surgeons and has evolved based on experience and updated science. The plan is comprised of phases which are practical, reproducible and will serve as a framework to allow other peripheral nerve programs to adapt and improve the "Roth|McFarlane Hand and Upper Limb Centre" paradigm to enhance patient outcomes.

Effective Oriental Magic for Analgesia: Acupuncture

Pain is a kind of complex physiological and psychological symptom, which makes the person debilitated and uncomfortable. Some persistent pain is unbearable for the patients, reducing the quality of life and bringing considerable pressure to the individuals and society. Pain killers seem to be effective in analgesia for patients, but their safety and addiction are crucial issues. From the theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the blocked meridian is the main cause of pain, and effective acupuncture can play a positive analgesic effect. Acupuncture that can date back thousands of years is one of the ancient medical practices in China. Its safety and effectiveness are respected. Based on its superior safety and inferior side effects, it has been gradually recognized as a therapeutic intervention method for complementary medicine, which is also generally used to treat multiple pain diseases. It is shown by modern medical studies that neurotransmitters are the material basis for the acupuncture effect, and the effect of acupuncture analgesia is related to changes in neurotransmitters. However, the specific mechanism has not been elucidated. This review aims to comprehensively discuss the historical evolution of acupuncture analgesia, clinical research of acupuncture analgesia, comparison of acupuncture and drug therapy, the neurotransmitter mechanism of acupuncture analgesia, the effect of acupuncture manipulation on analgesia, and bibliometric analysis of acupuncture treatment for pain, to explore the superiority and related mechanism of acupuncture analgesia from different aspects, and to provide a more effective treatment for alleviating patients' pain.