Surgical-grade precision for the body's most intricate tool.
Our certified hand therapist, Laura Drumm, MS, OTR/L, CHT, CLT, treats the hand, wrist, elbow and forearm at our North Palm Beach clinic: carpal tunnel, arthritis, tendon repairs, fractures and the weeks after hand surgery, with custom splints made right here in the clinic. She is also a certified lymphedema therapist, and the program brings surgical-grade precision to every stage, from post-operative tendon protocols to the grip, pinch and dexterity you need back.
Every Angle of Hand Therapy
Carpal Tunnel & Nerve Conditions
Conservative and post-surgical care for nerve compression, with activity modification that lasts.
Arthritis Management
Joint protection strategies, adaptive techniques, and pain-relieving modalities for arthritic hands.
Tendon & Fracture Rehabilitation
Careful, protocol-driven recovery after tendon repair, fracture, and complex hand surgery.
Custom Splinting & Orthotics
Precision-fabricated splints made in-clinic to protect healing structures and restore function.
Post-Surgical Hand Recovery
Coordinated care with area hand surgeons for seamless recovery from surgery to full function.
Why a Certified Hand Therapist matters
The CHT credential requires thousands of hours of specialized upper-extremity practice and a rigorous national examination — it's one of the most demanding certifications in rehabilitation. It's also why area hand surgeons refer their post-operative patients specifically to certified hand therapists: after tendon repair or fracture, moving too soon risks the repair, and too late costs motion. A CHT walks that line precisely, in coordination with your surgeon.
What we treat, and how
Hand therapy is not general rehabilitation applied to a smaller limb. Dozens of tendons, joints and nerves work in tight quarters, each on its own healing timeline, which is why hand surgeons refer post-operative patients to certified hand therapists specifically. Here is what that looks like condition by condition.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Conservative care helps many people, particularly when symptoms are caught early. Treatment can include a custom night splint that holds the wrist in a neutral position while you sleep, nerve and tendon gliding exercises, and practical changes to the activities and workstation setup that keep provoking symptoms. If your case turns out to warrant a surgical consult, we will say so plainly and coordinate with your physician.
Arthritis of the hand and thumb
Hand therapy is one of the most effective conservative options for arthritic hands and thumbs. Joint-protection technique, targeted strengthening, a custom supportive splint and smart activity modification work together to reduce pain and protect the things arthritis threatens to take first, from opening jars to gardening and golf.
Tendon injuries and repairs
Repaired tendons heal on a strict timeline, and the margin for error is small: move too soon and you risk the repair, too late and you lose motion. We work from your surgeon’s protocol, fabricate any splint to it, and stage motion and strengthening to the tissue rather than the calendar.
Hand and wrist fractures
Recovery continues well after the cast comes off, when stiffness, swelling and lost grip are usually the real obstacles. Care is staged: protect what is still healing, restore motion in a graded way, then rebuild the strength and dexterity the hand needs to go back to work and ordinary life.
Trigger finger and nerve conditions
Both are treated within the program, conservatively where that is appropriate and post-operatively where surgery has already happened. Splinting, graded motion and activity modification are the usual tools.
The elbow and forearm, not just the hand
The arm works as one connected chain, so the program covers the full upper extremity — hand, wrist, forearm and elbow. Tennis elbow, wrist fractures and nerve entrapments all fall inside a certified hand therapist’s scope.
Splints and orthoses, made here
Custom splints and orthoses are fabricated in our clinic rather than ordered in. Each one is molded to your hand for your specific condition, adjusted as healing progresses, and built to your surgeon’s protocol when you are recovering from surgery. Call 561-624-4263 if you want to know whether your plan covers one — our front desk will check before you come in.
Working with your surgeon
Post-operative timelines are set by your surgeon, and they vary widely: some repairs begin protected motion within days, others need a period of immobilization first. We work from that protocol and coordinate with their office directly, so send us your surgery details before or just after the procedure and your plan — and any splint you need — will be ready on schedule.
Who your hand therapist is
Laura Drumm, MS, OTR/L, CHT, CLT leads our hand therapy program. The OTR/L means she is a licensed occupational therapist. The CHT is the Certified Hand Therapist credential, which takes thousands of hours of specialized upper-extremity practice and a rigorous national exam, and it is the credential area hand surgeons look for when they refer a patient after surgery. The CLT means she is also a certified lymphedema therapist.
Finding a hand therapist near North Palm Beach
We have one location, at 733 US Highway 1, Suite 2A in North Palm Beach, and patients come to it for hand therapy from across Palm Beach County, including Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter and West Palm Beach. Ours is one of the area's few certified hand therapy programs. Hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM, and Saturday, 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM.
Do I need a referral to see a hand therapist?
It depends on your plan. After hand surgery you will usually arrive with a referral and a protocol from your surgeon already. If you are coming on your own for something like carpal tunnel or thumb arthritis, call 561-624-4263 and our front desk will check whether your plan needs a referral and help arrange one. Before your first visit they verify your Medicare or commercial benefits, including how your plan handles a custom splint.
| Who | What they do for your hand |
|---|---|
| Hand surgeon | Operates when surgery is needed and sets the post-operative protocol |
| Certified hand therapist | Rehabilitates the hand, wrist, forearm and elbow, makes custom splints in the clinic, and stages motion to the surgeon's protocol |
| Occupational therapist | Turns restored motion into daily use: dressing, cooking, work tasks and the tools you use |
| Physical therapist | Works on movement, strength and pain elsewhere in the body when the injury reaches past the arm |
Great hand therapy from Laura. Recovering well from a wrist injury with her help. I'm well on my way back to kayaking, pickleball, golf and more!
Laura did a lot of treatments to help with my tennis elbow and gave me at home exercise. I'm feeling great!
My hand therapist Laura is THE Best!!!! And all the staff at front desk have been so welcoming.
Your Path Through Hand Therapy
A clear, four-step journey — you'll always know what phase you're in and what comes next.
Assess
A detailed evaluation of motion, strength, and the fine mechanics of your hand.
Protect
Custom orthoses, molded in-clinic, guard healing structures at exactly the right angle.
Restore
Graded motion and strengthening, timed precisely to tissue healing.
Refine
Functional retraining for grip, pinch, and the dexterity your life requires.
What to expect at your first visit
Your first appointment includes a comprehensive movement-based evaluation, an honest conversation about your goals, and a proposed plan of care — with hands-on treatment starting that very first day whenever appropriate. We accept most major insurance plans, including Medicare, and our front desk will gladly verify your coverage before you arrive.
Before your first visit, our front desk verifies your Medicare or commercial insurance benefits and tells you what your plan covers, any copay or deductible, and whether a referral is needed. On Medicare? Our 2026 Medicare guide explains the deductible, the 20% coinsurance and how a Medigap plan fits in.
You're never a chart number here. Since 1991, our family-owned clinic has treated every patient with the individual attention that earns a 4.9★ reputation across the Palm Beaches.
Questions about Hand Therapy?
We keep 12 straight answers — referrals, insurance, what to expect, and more — on our FAQ page.
See all Hand Therapy FAQs →Start Hand Therapy
Tell us what you need and our front desk will call you back within one business day. We will check your insurance before your first visit.
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