In the case of a whole hand amputation, treatment usually focuses on preparing the patient for a prosthesis. There are two main kinds of devices, explains Miller. One type has various hooks that act as a pincher grip. Help patients work on scapular, shoulder and elbow strength, and control needed to manipulate the hooks. The other is a myoelectric prosthesis that feeds off impulses of the patient's muscles.
Biofeedback training teaches the patient to stimulate the correct muscles for each movement.
While patients with partial hand amputations usually won't require prosthesis, they may need adaptive equipment to accommodate the change in grip. Miller also notes that therapists can offer patients more than physical gains. And you should really encourage patients to have a positive attitude and focus on what they can do, rather than on what they can't.