Relief!

At Hand & Physical Therapy Specialists in Strongsville, patients from all over the area are finding relief from the chronic pain that once held them captive. Here’s how owner Nancy Nebenzahl, OTR/L CHT and her team can help restore your ability to function—so you can again do those things you love.

By: Mimi Vanderhaven
Date: 07/16/2008
Taking charge of your personal health and well-being is easy. Ohio law makes it possible for anyone to choose to see a direct access provider—like an occupational or physical therapist, both licensed in Ohio—without getting a referral.

And while most people associate these types of therapies with injury or surgical follow-up, what you might not know is that individuals with health problems like arthritis, plantar fasciitis (pain in heel after rest), sciatica (pain down leg) and more can benefit from treatment, too.

For Nancy Nebenzahl, OTR/L CHT (Occupational Therapist, Registered/Licensed Certified Hand Therapist) and owner of Hand & Physical Therapy Specialists in Strongsville, success is measured by the number of “success stories” she and her team help to make happen every day.

“Most people don’t know that as an occupational therapist, I can help them reclaim their lives,” she shares brightly. “Because we treat adults and children, therapy extends beyond what someone with a repetitive motion injury on a job might require. We see everything from fractures, tendon injuries, tendonitis and tennis elbow, to chronic conditions like arthritis and pinched nerves.”

Nancy has specialized in hand therapy since 1980. She also has two other OTs on staff with similar tenure, as well as a physical therapist with over 20 years of experience. “Our goal is to return each patient to the highest level of function,” she assures. And unlike other medical interventions that seem to require a near lifetime commitment to “adjustments” as a means of addressing medical issues—like back and neck pain—Hand & PT Specialists puts the patient in the driver’s seat.

By learning the warning signs for some of life’s more common ailments, you can decide to make an appointment with Hand & Physical Therapy Specialists on your own, without having to see your doctor first—saving time and money.

But should your treatment require the attention of a physician, Nancy and her team have formed close relationships with a number of doctors in the area, many of whom make regular referrals to her seven-year-old facility.

Many of the clients seen at Hand & Physical Therapy Specialists come because they’re experiencing one or more of the following: numbness in fingers and thumbs; hands and wrists “falling asleep”; burning pain in the hands. Often the diagnosis is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), which results from inappropriate pressure being placed on the median nerve at the wrist.

The good news: Nancy and her team of occupational therapists have ways to help you manage your condition. In just a few brief visits you’ll be empowered with techniques for joint protection including the use of tools that, by changing the leverage of your wrist, reduce stress and strain on the joint. Using low-temperature plastic, a custom splint will be made that will put your wrist and hand in its proper position. It fits you perfectly—much better than the “one size fits almost nobody” versions you find at the drug store. Your custom-made splint will be ready for you to take home the very same day it’s made. With Velcro straps, it’s easy on-easy off. Even more good news: once you’ve been educated on how to control your CTS, your visits to
Hand & Physical Therapy Specialists complete, you’ll go on with your life, your CTS under your control.

The same custom-splinting technique managing CTS symptoms, successfully controls the pain in various joints caused by arthritis and tendonitis.

Rotator cuff tendonitis is also a common problem, especially during the summer months when outdoor sports are more popular. But even people who repeatedly have to reach overhead—like electricians, painters and maintenance workers—can suffer. Symptoms include pain in the shoulder, pain when reaching overhead, pain that radiates to the upper arm, and difficulty reaching around to your middle back.

When addressed at early onset, many common medical conditions can be treated at Hand & PT Specialists, thus possibly reducing the need for surgery. “This isn’t a one-size-fits-all kind of solution,” Julie Carpenter, OTR/L,CHT insists. “We design treatment plans for each patient. Joints that are painful need to be treated by reducing the inflammation, often through the aid of a custom splint. We’re big on patient education and teaching you how to manage your condition at home. We teach joint protection and pain management techniques and we’re very skilled at treating complex issues like fractures and dislocations.”

And that’s one of the areas that physical therapy comes in.

Evelyn Kiner, Physical Therapist, (PT) treats the entire body when chronic pain requires attention. “If you’ve done something to strain your neck or back, we can help you get back to normal much more quickly than if you just wait it out,” she assures. “Individualized exercises are given to each patient. As you get better we see you here less and less, then eventually not at all. That’s the goal. You should get well again—not require years of treatment.”

“If you already know you have back pain, we can get you started on a treatment plan right away,” she adds. (Remember this when you pull a muscle trying to re-create that high school jump shot you were known for back in the day.)

Is it all in your head? Then Evelyn can treat that, too. “Most people don’t realize we can help with TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder),” she smiles. It’s distinguished by difficulty chewing, the inability to open your mouth as wide and pain in the jaw that radiates into the side of the face. “Surprisingly, we work on posture as a method of treatment,” she adds.

Hand & Physical Therapy Specialists can address incontinence, too. “Women suffer from this condition for a
number of reasons, including having given birth. We can teach you five or six different exercises to help control the problem,” Evelyn says encouragingly.

Headaches are another common ailment that one can find relief from under Evelyn’s careful guidance. “I have a background in myofascial release,” she shares. “I can address the connective tissue where stress is held, give release to the area and the patient relief from pain.”

Hand & Physical Therapy Specialists is located at 11925 Pearl Road in Strongsville, in Suite 202, next to Crystal Waters Retirement Community. The phone number is 440-238-0300.

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