Texas Health Neighborhood Care & Wellness Willow Park
Bringing Specialized Care to Hand Therapy Close to Home
BY MELISSA MOORMAN
whether it’s pain or just weakness,” she continued.
One of the tools she uses to help her patients is the
Baltimore Therapeutic Equipment that can simulate any
kind of job or activity the patient wants to return to. For
example, she can help a truck driver gain back the mobility he or she needs to drive a truck. “If they are going to
go back and drive a truck, I can simulate that action and
try to strengthen them. It’s very specific for functional
strengthening,” Michelle explained.
Michelle began her career in Texarkana and then
moved to Plano. She came to Texas Health Willow Park
over a year ago and recently moved to Weatherford.
“I really love Weatherford, it’s really beautiful and I’ve
fallen in love with the area,” she said.
Patients usually come to her through a physician’s
order or a referral. She is available Monday through
Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Texas Health Willow Park
is located at 101 Crown Pointe Blvd. on the north side of
I-20 between the Ranch House and Mikus Road exits in
Willow Park.
Hand therapy at Texas Health Willow Park is
provided by Certified Hand Therapists (CHTs). CHTs
are specialists in the treatment of hand and upper
extremity disorders, such as:
• Cumulative trauma disorders
• Upper extremity fractures
• Tendon injuries
• Nerve injuries
• Arthritis and joint replacement
• Burns
• Dupuytren’s Disease and Release
• Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
• Crush injuries
• Amputations
• Treatment services
PA R K E R C O U N T Y T O D AY
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The hand center provides comprehensive hand/
upper extremity evaluations and treatment,
including:
Custom splint fabrication
Therapeutic exercise
Modalities
Functional training and exercise
Manual therapy
Scar management
Computer-assisted treatment/BTE
Work conditioning
Job/work simulation
Patient education
Home program development
Desensitization and sensory re-education
FEBRUARY 2016
“Working with a knowledgeable hand therapist can make
the difference between success and failure in complex
hand surgical cases. The therapist extends the continuum
of our care, as well as functioning as coach and trainer
for our patients.” - Marybeth Ezaki, MD, Past President,
American Society for Surgery of the Hand
An injury, surgery with complications, arthritis,
genetic abnormalities and work related injuries can all
lead a patient into the healing hands of a Certified Hand
Therapist. Luckily, one exists right in our area at Texas
Health Neighborhood Care & Wellness Willow Park.
Michelle Lourens, OTR, CHT is the certified hand therapist on staff and has worked in occupational therapy for
over two decades specializing in hand therapy for the
last ten of those. She is one of only 200 certified hand
therapists in Texas and sees patients from all over Parker
County, as well as clients who drive up to an hour and a
half for her care.
Hand therapists assist when there has been an upper
extremity injury to the elbow or the hand. There are two
physical therapists that she works closely with when the
injury extends to the shoulder. Working in the sports
medicine area of the facility’s comprehensive physical
therapy center, all of her therapies are customized to
the needs of each patient whether it is a one-of-a-kind
splint, or simply a list of exercises that the patient can do
at home. “We try and fix whatever the problem is, give
them more range of motion, address their specific needs
and get them back to functioning normally. Whether
it’s working, playing sports, or whatever, we want them
to get their hand or elbow back,” Lourens said. Until
Michelle joined the group at Texas Health Willow Park,
patients had to travel to Fort Worth or beyond for specialized treatment.
According to Michelle, “To be a certified hand
therapist, you have to take an exam, and have worked in
a specialized hand therapy clinic before applying. The
level of knowledge has to be similar to that of a hand
surgeon. Add to that, a lot of continuing education specific to hand therapies. It’s a fascinating field,” she said.
Treatment can be several times a week or can last
for months based on the seriousness of the injury. Since
coming to the area more than a year ago, Lourens has
noticed a large number of horse owners or trainers who
have sustained roping injuries followed by sports injuries,
car accidents, carpal tunnel, and genetic disorders.
The care at Texas Health Willow Park is all-encompassing but specific to each patient. Some of the facility offerings include; wound care, paraffin treatments to
warm the injured area, stretching to increase range of
motion, at home therapies, splints, everything needed
to help the patients. “We address whatever is going on
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