The rule of thumb…many have experienced the uncomfortable sensation of pain at the base of their thumb at some point in life, especially therapists! Let’s learn from Mirka Normand, out of Connecticut, to unpack the multitude of factors that lead to CMC arthritis. Learn how to address it from our evaluation strategies to treatment and splinting options.

Mirka Normand graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from Laval University in Québec, Canada. She completed a Hand Therapy Fellowship with Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Woman's University in 1999, in Houston TX and was certified as a hand therapist that same year by the Hand Therapy Certification Commission. She received her Advanced Master's degree with hand therapy emphasis in 2003 from Texas Woman's University. She was certified as an orthopedic manual therapist through The International Academy of Orthopedic Medicine-US (IAOM-US) in 2006, and soon after joined their faculty for the creation of a specialty Hand and Upper Extremity Track. Mirka works full time as a clinician for Yale New Haven Health System-L&M Hospital on the eastern coast of Connecticut, and lectures nationally for IAOM-US. She is known through Medbridge with instruction on the wrist. She recently submitted her synthesis for her PhD. And will be defending this in the near future, after many months in the lab and reading research. Congratulations to Mirka on these accomplishments.

DeMott, L. (2017). Novel isometric exercises for the dynamic stability programs for thumb carpal metacarpal joint instability. Journal of Hand Therapy,  30, 372-375. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jht.2016.09.005

Book:

Albrecht, Jan OTR/L, CHT (2004). Caring for the Painful Thumb, More Than a Splint. 1st ed.  North Mankato, Minn. ISBN: 0-976117-0-X