008: Extensor World with Josh MacDonald MS, OTR-L, CHT

The Extensor Tendons. Located on the back of the hand, sometimes referred to as the extensor hood, the extensor mechanism, etc. It can get complicated with the different structures. Listen as Josh MacDonald MS, OTR-L, CHT from Hand Therapy Partners guides you through all you need to know.

Josh is a certified hand therapist (CHT) with extensive experience working directly with hand surgeons to help rehabilitate hand trauma surgery patients. Some of the more common conditions Josh has treated include:

• Flexor and extensor tendon injuries
• Amputation revisions
• Compartment syndrome
• Soft tissue trauma and grafting
• Digit and forearm fractures

Josh began his career specializing in pediatrics focusing on outpatient therapy, neurorehabilitation and pediatric hand therapy. In addition to caring for patients, Josh has started and managed therapy clinics and developed pediatric therapy programs for handwriting training, aquatic therapy, inpatient neurorehabilitation evaluation and inpatient therapeutic outings.

According to Josh, some of the most challenging patients have chronically stiff hands. Josh recently helped one of these patient through her recovery process. After a car accident broke most of the bones in her hand, this patient developed a severely stiff hand and fingers. She worked hard at therapy after surgery, but her progress was slow and tedious. She became understandably frustrated when she did not soon regain full motion in her injured hand. But after months of hard work, this patient was able to return to work and independent driving and self-care tasks. Not every patient can regain 100% of his or her hand functions after a severe injury, but Josh works with each patient to help them reach their highest potential.

Josh is fluent in conversational Spanish and is constantly pursuing professional education opportunities. He regularly participates in national conferences sponsored by the American Association for Hand Surgery, American Society for Hand Therapy, American Society for Surgery of the Hand, Indiana Hand Care and the Philadelphia Hand Foundation. Josh is very active in the local Crossfit community and has multiple Crossfit certifications. He also coaches children, adults and competitors.

Josh received his Masters in Occupational Therapy from Grand Valley State University in 2001 and his Hand Therapy certification in 2015.