[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2026\/07\/johns-hand-therapy-story\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2026\/07\/johns-hand-therapy-story\/","headline":"John’s Story: How Hand Therapy Put Chronic Pain in the Past","name":"John’s Story: How Hand Therapy Put Chronic Pain in the Past","description":"John B. knows what it\u2019s like to help people in pain. A former registered nurse, John, 73, spent his career working in intensive care and trauma surgery at hospitals in Pennsylvania. Now retired, he lives in Muncy with his wife, Nancy. Everyday Life Brings Irregular Pain Staying busy during retirement hasn’t been a problem for […]","datePublished":"2026-07-07","dateModified":"2026-07-07","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/rehab","name":"UPMC Rehabilitation Institute","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/rehab","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/upmc-rehabilitation-institute\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/John_Booterbaugh_with_PRS_SE_24-08-Custom__06-30-2026-e1783449545349.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/John_Booterbaugh_with_PRS_SE_24-08-Custom__06-30-2026-e1783449545349.jpg","height":866,"width":2000},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2026\/07\/johns-hand-therapy-story\/","about":["Health Topics A-Z","Rehabilitation"],"wordCount":760,"articleBody":"John B. knows what it\u2019s like to help people in pain.A former registered nurse, John, 73, spent his career working in intensive care and trauma surgery at hospitals in Pennsylvania. Now retired, he lives in Muncy with his wife, Nancy.Everyday Life Brings Irregular PainStaying busy during retirement hasn’t been a problem for John. Household chores and yard work take up a good chunk of his time, along with his passion for music. John started playing the guitar as a teenager and has now been an avid musician for nearly 60 years.Hand and wrist mobility are essential for playing the guitar. But even when he started having pain in his left wrist, John didn\u2019t let it get in his way.\u201cI was doing it and working through the pain,” John says. “But I\u2019m not sure what harm I was causing.”Around the same time as his wrist pain began, John noticed a lump on his hand between his thumb and finger. An MRI revealed a ganglion cyst that would require surgery to remove.The scan also showed that John had torn ligaments in his wrist. But since his pain was mild, he didn\u2019t give the issue much thought.John expected to find relief once he finished treatment for the cyst. Instead, the opposite happened \u2014 his wrist pain worsened.About a year ago, John noticed the pain was limiting his everyday life. What once was a slight discomfort had become chronic pain. Simple tasks that required his hand and wrist became impossible.\u201cI really can\u2019t describe how it affected me and my ability to do virtually anything,\u201d John says. \u201cEven putting dishes in the dishwasher or taking them out was just unbearable.\u201dHe knew he couldn\u2019t continue without treatment.Reaching a Breaking PointAfter seeing a doctor, John was diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA). John had scapholunate advanced collapse (SLAC), one of the most common forms of OA affecting the wrist.OA causes cartilage in the joint to wear away, causing intense pain. Like with many OA cases, John\u2019s pain was getting progressively worse.Given the impact OA was having on his everyday life, his doctor recommended surgery over other treatments. But undergoing four-corner fusion surgery \u2014 a common treatment for severe OA \u2014 was only the beginning of John’s recovery.A Care Team That Goes Above and BeyondGetting back to normal after a four-corner fusion can take months. In addition to wearing a brace and resting his wrist, John\u2019s doctor recommended starting occupational therapy (OT) a few weeks after surgery.A referral led him to UPMC Rehabilitation Institute in Muncy and to Dwight Heller, OTR\/L, CHT, an occupational therapist and certified hand therapist. Dwight would become one of the many UPMC specialists who would change John\u2019s life.Although John was nervous to go into OT after his surgery, Dwight quickly put him at ease.\u201cHe made me feel reassured and comfortable, and you could tell that he\u2019s very competent and confident,\u201d John says.Over the course of several months, Dwight helped John work through his pain. Through mobility exercises, John slowly regained movement in his wrist. He also grew to enjoy seeing Dwight and the team at UPMC Rehabilitation Institute for treatment.\u201cDwight was just very easy to get along with and talk with,\u201d John says. \u201cIt was a great experience.\u201dAfter less than a month of occupational therapy, John went from about 30% wrist function to more than 70%. Soon, he was doing tasks that had been unimaginable a few months prior, and without pain for the first time in years.He credits the rehabilitation team for going above and beyond.\u201cTo me, UPMC is the best that I\u2019ve ever seen,\u201d John says. \u201cAt the Rehabilitation Institute, it\u2019s just a very fun place to be. The people are professional, dedicated, and caring.\u201dA Reignited Passion for LifeSince undergoing wrist and hand surgery and rehabilitation, John has resumed his daily routine. He’s back to working outside, doing household chores with his wife, and most importantly, playing the guitar.\u201cIt\u2019s made a world of a difference,\u201d John says. \u201cI’m back to normal.\u201dJohn still visits UPMC Rehabilitation Institute in Muncy regularly for physical therapy for a labral tear in his hip. He knew it was where he wanted to undergo treatment after his positive experience with Dwight.\u201cAs far as I\u2019m concerned, UPMC Rehabilitation Institute in Muncy is the best I\u2019ve ever seen for rehabilitation,\u201d John says. \u201cThey go the extra mile.\u201dSources"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2026","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2026\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"07","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2026\/\/07\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"John’s Story: How Hand Therapy Put Chronic Pain in the Past","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2026\/07\/johns-hand-therapy-story\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]