In this episode, Jeremy Rivera sits down with Justin Stehr, OT, a Certified Hand Therapist at Vanderbilt Health and Clinical Consultant for MetaFlex®. Justin shares his journey from business operations to working at Vanderbilt, and discusses innovative approaches to hand therapy, the mental health connection to chronic pain, and unexpected clinical applications of compression gloves.

Episode Highlights:

Justin Stehr, OT, CHT is a Certified Hand Therapist at Vanderbilt Health in Nashville, Tennessee, where he was recently named 2024 Acute Occupational Therapist of the Year. He holds a master's degree in occupational therapy with specialized focus on upper extremity rehabilitation, stroke recovery, and hand therapy.

Justin also holds certifications in:

He currently serves as Clinical Consultant for MetaFlex®, where he educates healthcare professionals on innovative approaches to hand rehabilitation. Justin has presented research at national conferences including the American Congress of Rehabilitative Medicine (ACRM) and has upcoming presentations with the Canadian Percussion Network on the biomechanics of drumming.

Personal Background: Justin's path to hand therapy includes a unique personal connection—15 years ago, he experienced a severe hand injury requiring reconstruction of tendons, nerves, and arteries, giving him firsthand understanding of the rehabilitation journey.

Quote: "We spend all day long, we grip everything. So we're constantly grabbing and pinching and then when we're ready to let go of that item or task, we just let go, we relax. We never forcefully open."

This creates an imbalance where our flexor muscles become overly strong while extensors remain weak and stretched out—contributing to conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome.

Action Item: Take frequent breaks to stretch what's tight and strengthen what's weak.

Quote: "The power of movement and the same motion is lotion, right? We need to be able to take those frequent breaks."

Regular movement and position changes are essential for joint and soft tissue health.

Quote: "In terms of devices, there's a lot out there. People can get sucked into the next best, greatest thing... They're all very supplemental but nothing really is a substitute for natural functional motion and stretching."

While devices and tools have their place, natural movement patterns and functional activities remain the gold standard.

Quote: "Mental health is at the forefront of everything we do in OT. Humans and living organisms, we can't be in a constant state of pain or stress."

There's a bidirectional relationship between chronic pain and depression—addressing one helps address the other.

Poor sleep due to hand pain creates a vicious cycle affecting healing, mental health, and overall function.

Quote: "It doesn't really just hold your hand in one position like maybe braces of the past or splints do, but it allows you to maintain this constant motion while you have it on. So it's really kind of a departure from those traditional hand therapy modalities and really a focus on that natural motion."

Learn more about the science behind this approach at Why MetaFlex® Works.

The MetaFlex® glove is a fingerless compression glove with adjustable elastic bands running along the back of each finger. When you close your hand, the bands stretch; when you relax, they gently pull your fingers back into extension—maintaining motion rather than immobilizing.

For detailed information on getting the right fit, see the Fit & Sizing Guide.

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: Quote: "Patients with Ehlers-Danlos, with that condition, you've got hypermobility... while stretching is contraindicated for that diagnosis, that proprioceptive input that those bands give to the joints by pulling back, they've found helpful and comforting."

Stroke & TBI Recovery: Quote: "For those that have low tone, or they're easily able to be passively ranged, those bands have been actually helpful in keeping those fingers open."

Active Assist Training: Quote: "They had a patient that was able to grip, squeeze something, but they lacked the ability to really fully open their hand... the bands actually pulled their hand fingers back when they relaxed and activated the extensors part of it. That was an adaptive tool, but also a training tool."

Read more clinical insights and research at the MetaFlex® Health Blog.

Justin is presenting a poster at the American Congress of Rehabilitative Medicine (ACRM) featuring a remarkable limb salvage case where MetaFlex® gloves were used as an alternative to traditional custom orthotics.

Quote: "She was able to actively open her hand because she didn't have the ability to open her fingers. She had flexors, but just couldn't open."

For more about MetaFlex®'s innovative approach and founder's story, visit the About MetaFlex® page or watch videos and read customer reviews on the Learn More page.

For comprehensive information about MetaFlex®, see 10 Things You Should Know About the MetaFlex® Glove.

Quote: "Really going back to those principles of stretch, strengthen, really education. That's one of my focuses with Metaflex is trying to provide just general knowledge and exposure to simple ideas that can have a big impact."

Quote: "If someone has a hand injury and let's say they're really into quilting or doing puzzles, we could do those things either using adaptive equipment or compensatory strategies, or just doing those tasks with varying levels of difficulty to increase endurance or to increase fine motor dexterity."

Quote: "How do we best set that patient up or the individual up to have the highest likelihood of success is by meeting them holistically, meaning looking at all aspects of their care."

Topic: Limb salvage case study featuring multidisciplinary team approach and innovative use of MetaFlex® gloves

Topic: Biomechanics of drumming Exploring repetitive motion and hand health in musicians

Professional Affiliations:

To Find a Certified Hand Therapist: Visit HTCC.org to locate qualified hand therapy professionals in your area.

Professional Organizations:

Host: Jeremy Rivera Company: SEO Arcade

[Full interview transcript available - see cleaned interview artifact]

[Links to related episodes about healthcare innovation, occupational therapy, or medical devices]

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Produced by: SEO Arcade Host: Jeremy Rivera Guest: Justin Stehr, OT, CHT Episode Length: [Duration] Release Date: [Date]

#HandTherapy #OccupationalTherapy #MetaFlexGloves #CarpalTunnel #StrokeRecovery #EhlersDanlosSyndrome #ChronicPain #MentalHealth #Rehabilitation #VanderbiltHealth #HandHealth #CompressionGloves #MedicalDevices #PhysicalTherapy #PainManagement #SleepHealth #HealthcareInnovation

Interested in learning more about hand health and innovative therapy solutions?

Have questions about hand therapy or MetaFlex® gloves?

Want to stay updated on MetaFlex® news and innovations? Follow the MetaFlex® News blog for the latest updates.

Special thanks to Justin Stehr for sharing his expertise and clinical insights on this episode.