Choosing care · 5 min read
What Is a Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) — and Why It Matters
January 14, 2026 · Deborah Austin, OTR, CHT
Not every therapist who treats hands is a Certified Hand Therapist. The credential is voluntary, difficult to earn, and it changes what your therapy visits look like.
The credential, plainly
A Certified Hand Therapist is an occupational therapist or physical therapist who has practiced for at least three years, logged thousands of direct hand-therapy treatment hours, and passed a comprehensive certification exam covering anatomy, healing timelines, surgical protocols and orthotic fabrication. The certification must be renewed with ongoing continuing education.
In practical terms: your therapist has spent years working on nothing but the hand, wrist and elbow.
What it changes in the treatment room
- Protocols are matched to your specific surgery and tissue-healing stage, not to a generic upper-extremity template.
- Custom orthoses are molded to your hand in the office and adjusted as swelling and motion change.
- Progress is measured — goniometry, grip and pinch dynamometry, edema and sensory testing — so change is documented rather than assumed.
- Your therapist communicates directly with your hand surgeon when a protocol needs to advance or hold.
Questions worth asking any hand therapy clinic
- Will I see the same therapist at every visit?
- Are orthoses fabricated in the office, or ordered off the shelf?
- How many patients does the therapist treat at the same time?
- Does the therapist hold the CHT credential?
How our practice is structured
At Hand Rehabilitation Specialist, Inc. in Boca Raton, every plan of care is built and delivered by Deborah Austin, OTR, CHT. You see the same Certified Hand Therapist each visit, and orthoses are fabricated in the office during your appointment.
Frequently asked
- Is a Certified Hand Therapist the same as a physical therapist?
- Not necessarily. A CHT may be an occupational therapist or a physical therapist who has additionally earned advanced certification specific to the hand, wrist and elbow.
- Do I need a referral to start hand therapy?
- Most patients arrive with a referral from a hand surgeon or physician, and many insurance plans require one. Call the office at 561-362-8757 and we will tell you what your plan needs.
Talk with a Certified Hand Therapist
This article is general education, not medical advice. For your own hand, call the office.