C.J. Allen Upper Extremity & Hand Therapy provides certified hand therapy to patients across Bohemia. Our practice is single-specialty — hands, wrists, elbows and shoulders only — and a substantial portion of our caseload involves tendon problems that developed gradually rather than from one identifiable injury.
Tendonitis and Overuse Injuries
Tendon problems rarely announce themselves. They begin as an ache at the end of a shift, become an ache during it, and eventually become an ache that does not stop. By the time most people seek treatment the tendon has been irritated for months. The good news is that tendons respond well to correct loading; the difficulty is that correct loading is neither complete rest nor pushing through, and getting that dose right is most of the treatment.
Conditions We Treat
- Tendonitis and tendinopathy of the wrist, hand and elbow.
- De Quervain's tenosynovitis at the thumb side of the wrist.
- Trigger finger and trigger thumb.
- Tennis elbow and golfer's elbow.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome and nerve compression.
- Fractures of the wrist, hand and fingers.
- Tendon repairs and post-surgical rehabilitation.
- Arthritis of the thumb, fingers and wrist.
Why Rest Alone Usually Fails
Resting an irritated tendon reduces pain, and the pain returns as soon as normal use resumes — because rest does nothing to improve the tendon's capacity to tolerate load. Recovery requires progressively challenging the tendon at an intensity it can handle, then increasing it. That is a structured programme, not a brace and a few weeks off.
Trigger Finger
A finger that catches, clicks or locks when you bend it is usually stenosing tenosynovitis — the tendon sheath has thickened and the tendon no longer glides freely through it. Caught early, a well-made splint holding the affected joint still for several weeks resolves a good proportion of cases without injection or surgery. Left long enough, the finger can become fixed in flexion.
Custom Splinting, Made Here
Orthoses are fabricated on site and molded to your hand. For trigger finger and De Quervain's especially, a splint has to immobilize precisely the right joint while leaving the others free — something an off-the-shelf brace almost never does correctly.
Changing What Caused It
Where work, hobbies or technique contributed, we address that directly: grip mechanics, tool selection and size, workstation setup, how often you break, and whether vibration is involved. Treating the tendon without changing the load on it is a reliable route back to the same problem next year.
Your Home Program
Most of the progress happens between appointments. We keep the program short and specific, check your technique in the clinic, and advance it as you improve — particularly important with tendon loading, where doing too much too soon sets you back.
How Long Does Treatment Take?
Tendon conditions typically improve over six to twelve weeks, sometimes longer if they have been present for a year or more. Trigger finger caught early often resolves faster. You will get an honest estimate at your evaluation rather than an encouraging one.
What Your First Visit Involves
A full evaluation: range of motion, strength, sensation and swelling, along with a careful history of how the problem began and what it now prevents. For tendon conditions especially, understanding the loading pattern that produced it is half the diagnosis. You leave with a plan, a realistic timeline and a home program built around your actual week.
Do I Need a Referral?
Bring your prescription, surgeon’s protocol, or referral to your first visit and we’ll build your treatment plan from there. If you’re not sure whether you need a referral, give us a call and we’ll sort it out with you.
Getting Here From Bohemia
Our Hauppauge office is north via Lakeland Avenue or Veterans Memorial Highway (Route 454), generally around fifteen minutes — convenient from the Bohemia and MacArthur Airport area. Parking is directly at the building.
Appointments
Call (631) 761-6996 or request an appointment online. Most insurance accepted — our team will assist with insurance verification and help coordinate your care.