Reviews

Michelle Razo has been an absolute breath of fresh air for our 9 year old daughter who has hemiplegia cerebral palsy affecting the left side of her body, particularly her hand. We've been seeing Michelle for several years now, and the difference in our daughter's hand movement and strength is truly remarkable.

Michelle’s approach is not only effective but also incredibly compassionate. The tailored exercises and stretches she recommends have made a real, visible difference — and just as importantly, our daughter loves going to her sessions. That’s something we’ve rarely experienced with other therapists, and it means the world to us, especially when it comes to our daughter's mental and emotional wellbeing.

We can't recommend Michelle enough. Her dedication, knowledge, and warmth have had a lasting impact on our daughter's life, and we’ll continue seeing her for as long as we can.

Three months after an unfortunate accident which traumatised, fractured and shortened the smallest finger of my dominant hand, I had the privilege of being referred for Hand Therapy to Michelle Razo. Over the past 5 months I have received excellent care, advice and encouragement. This has included six individual hand therapy sessions, a therapy programme which was updated regularly, resources designed specifically to meet my needs, assessments of my progress, professional advice and lots of positive reinforcement ; all of which have made me feel empowered and motivated to succeed.

Michelle was always kind, knowledgeable and professional while setting achievable goals and challenging me to persevere and believe in the process of recovery. The sensation I have in my fingertip has improved significantly along with the strength and appearance of my finger. There are still goals to be achieved and, thanks to my experience with Michelle, I feel equipped and very motivated to continue. I am so very grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Michelle and cannot recommend her highly enough. She has changed my life for the better, and I am forever thankful.

I sustained a very nasty wrist, elbow and shoulder injury, so mobility was very poor and painful. Michelle’s exercise programmes via my mobile app, heat treatments. massages and stretches were continually evaluated, updated and explained at length so I understood the difficulties I was having and the benefits from the exercises. Michelle is tirelessly dedicated to achieving the best results and I cannot thank or recommend her enough. I am so very grateful to her. Thank you so much Michelle.

Michelle helped me recover from a mallet finger injury to enable me to effectively extend my finger again. Great healthcare experience!

I sustained a very nasty wrist, elbow and shoulder injury, so mobility was very poor and painful. Michelle’s exercise programmes via my mobile app, heat treatments. massages and stretches were continually evaluated, updated and explained at length so I understood the difficulties I was having and the benefits from the exercises. Michelle is tirelessly dedicated to achieving the best results and I cannot thank or recommend her enough. I am so very grateful to her. Thank you so much Michelle

Michelle was brilliant. I had been having pain in my wrist that was shooting pains up my arm. Michelle gave me a thorough examination and gave me exercises, it contined to improve each time and I feel more comfortable and my strength is back. Michelle was lovely to chat to during our sessions and very helpful.

Michelle was able to provide a diagnosis of trigger finger, issues with my ulnar/median nerves and forearm muscles. I wasn’t able to get this diagnosis elsewhere and Michelle made me very confident that I would be able to return to my sport following her recovery program without the need for steroid injections etc.

Michelle was very supportive and knowledgable, I highly recommend!

I had been suffering from pain in my index finger for months, and despite several visits to my GP it had not improved at all. This was particularly debilitating as the pain flared up when playing guitar, and was severely restricting the amount I could play and practice.

Michelle was able to diagnose the issue at my first appointment and created a hand therapy programme tailored specifically for my injury.

Having followed this programme, which was expanded and built upon during follow-up appointments, I am extremely happy with how much I have progressed. I have been able to return to practicing and playing guitar consistently without experiencing pain and I am so grateful to Michelle for her help and expertise. I would highly, highly recommend!

Michelle was very supportive and knowledgable, I highly recommend!

After fracturing my wrist quite badly last August I was left with a lot of swelling, stiffness, no grip and an awful numb/tingling sensation in my hand day & night. On my first visit Michelle fully assessed by hand and wrist, took measurements and tested my strength.

Not only was Michelle extremely knowledgeable & helpful in getting me set up with a programme of heat treatment, massages, stretches & exercises that I could follow between appointments, she totally understood my concerns and worries about the state of my hand and wrist.

I finished my treatment with Michelle a few months ago and while I still have a bit of initial stiffness in my middle two fingers, continuing with the bending and stretching is still helping to improve things.

As well as an excellent therapist, Michelle I a wonderful person, so warm with genuine interest in the person as well as the problem. Thank you so much Michelle, I really enjoyed our sessions and I could never have got my hand & wrist back to near normal without you! Kindest regards Joy

Michelle was such a kind and welcoming lady who spent alot of time examining my wrist. She made sure I understood exactly what was happening and why.

Unlike other medical professionals I felt she cared and understood. We have a plan in place and hopefully it will work but I'm very optimistic based on my first appointment.

I can't comment long term but if today is anything to go by then I'm in good hands, excuse the pun. Definitely worth giving her a shout if you're in pain or having any issues.

I am a primary school teacher and I recently developed severe pain in my right wrist which was making my job very difficult. I had an x-ray and was told that it was a repetitive strain injury and was offered OT. A colleague recommended Michelle to me and I can honestly sat she has been amazing.

During my first consultation she realised that I also had deQuervain's and RSI. My GP had suggested that I might need an injection in my wrist and that if this didn't work then perhaps I would need surgery. As I have lymphedema in both arms due to breast cancer surgery/treatment I wanted to avoid injections/surgery if at all possible. Thanks to the wonderful work done by Michelle I am now pain free and avoided going down the injection/surgery route.

During each session with Michelle she did a variety of exercises with me and then put the exercises onto an app for me to work on at home. Michelle is such a lovely person to work with. For anyone hoping to avoid injections/surgery I highly recommend her. She is AMAZING! Thank you for everything, Michelle

I am very grateful to the Hand Therapist who through her exercises removed the swelling from my hands and gave me back power in them. She has also strengthened my arms tremendously. I would wholeheartedly recommend her services to anyone with problems in their hands or upper body.

I have been attending Michelle for some years on an ad hoc basis, and have always been impressed by her empathy and professionalism. Her title of Hand Therapist is somewhat misleading because her expertise includes wrist, arm, elbow, shoulder, and neck problems. Her assessments are thorough on each visit, and she provides advice about your condition and treatment, along with a specific and effective web based programme of exercises. Such a service is not readily available elsewhere, and I have had no hesitation in recommending Michelle to friends and relatives

Excellent service! Michelle was able to explain my injury so clearly and helped me understand my treatment plan. I really appreciated understanding how the injury to my finger had impacted its function, and how the various massages, stretches and strengthening exercises would support its recovery. Would definitely be coming back and seeking her support if I sprained my finger again - rather than just assuming it would heal on its own. I would not have had such a great recovery without Michelle’s expertise! Thanks Michelle!

TFCC/ ECU/ OVERALL DECONDITIONING FROM LENGTH OF INJURY.

I injured my wrist at work around november time 2023 and was having trouble/pain doing even routine tasks such as brushing my teeth and eating.

I’ll try and be concise here, I basically seen a number of Physio’s, osteo and had an MRI nobody really gave me a solution but I kept trying to find someone/thing that could help.

I then luckily came across Michelle’s practice and from day 1 I felt like this was different, she specialises in only the hand to shoulder area and was confident she could get me sorted.

Michelle tailored my exercise program every step of the way and has found a route back to get my wrist close to 100% and I am still finding improvement. She is a true specialist a very good listener and goes the extra mile, if you are having any kind of hand, wrist or arm issue do not look any further than this.

Just to add: all of my appointments were video calls.

Following surgery after sustaining a fracture dislocation of my left elbow, I discovered uncomfortable tension in my left hand and lack of mobility in my index finger.

Michelle’s knowledge and expertise, through a personally tailored program of guided exercises has made immeasurable difference and has improved my dexterity and confidence completely. Her warm, reassuring approach made sessions enjoyable and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her as an excellent hand therapist.

I would like to thank Michelle for the help and support she has provided me over the last number of months in helping me reduce the pain and increase the mobility of my hands, which had become quite painful due to osteoarthritis. Michelle analysed the issues i had and came up with a treatment plan to help strengthen the muscles in my hand resulting in me greatly improving the use of my hands and with much reduced pain levels. I would recommend Micheĺle to anyone with similar issues.

I had been suffering from osteoarthritis (OA) in both of my index fingers for several years and have had several steroid injections with limited effect. After exhausting my GP options I came across The Hand Therapist by accident and have been working with Michelle for about 6 months now. In that time, she worked on reducing joint swelling, strengthening the affected tendons & muscles, and increasing my mobility. Having just been discharged I have regained about 80% of mobility in my affected fingers and now able to perform tasks from opening jars to using the rowing machine again. Having been told by more than one GP that I would have to live with the effects of OA, the improvement is nothing short of transformational. I now have the toolkit and knowledge to continue working against the effects of OA and cannot recommend Michelle highly enough if you have any issues with your hands.

I couldn’t have asked for a better Hand Therapist than Michelle in the Holywood clinic. Extremely professional, knowledgeable and caring. Always reassuring and always there if you had any questions. Would highly recommend, you can’t go wrong! Thank you Michelle!

I attended Michelle to get help with correcting a problem with fingers on my hands. The service provided was very professional, knowledgeable and friendly. I was unaware that dedicated hand therapists where available prior to meeting Michelle and really grateful to her for the treatment plan implemented which has been successful. Thank you.

I had a very good experience at The Hand Therapist. After injuring my hand around 12 months ago while playing football and having problems ever since I was suggested to visit a hand specialist (something that I was not aware of). Browsing the internet I found The Hand Therapist.

Michelle, over 3 sessions, used her brilliant expertise to help give a diagnosis to my injury and supplied me with multiple exercises to help regain the strength, movement and flexibility back into my hand.

If anyone has experienced an injury in their hand, I would highly recommend visiting The Hand Therapist.

Last year I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis which impacted the flexibility and strength of both my hands. I have been seeing Michelle at The Hand Therapy clinic in Holywood and my hands are massively improved showing greater flexibility and strength. Michelle’s approach to my therapy has done wonders for my hand strength and more importantly, she has slowly built my confidence to a stage where I am now able use my hands fully for everyday tasks. A brilliant resource in the North Down area. Give Michelle a call if you have any problems with your hands!

Michelle was very thorough. Took her time to access any problems I was having. I found her very knowledgeable..and would not hesitate to go back if needing any further treatment/advice.

I'm a musician and a guitar teacher and struggled with RSI/carpal tunnel symptoms for months before finding out about The Hand Therapist. I tried a few GP's and they all told me the same things. Take ibuprofen....rest (not really an option for me with my job!) They didn't really take it seriously, and it was to me. I had been recommended certain books that were...pseudoscience-y and just hard to put any faith in. I was fed up waiting for a physio appointment through the NHS when I found out about Michelle and decided to book a virtual appointment.

From the start Michelle was professional while being super nice and friendly. It was clear that she is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about what she does. I then had an in person appointment and Michelle had told me to bring my guitar. I thought that was really great. We looked at how I hold the guitar when I'm playing, my posture when playing etc. (all things that could have been causing symptoms).

But I think the main thing was that I was finally talking to someone that knew what they were talking about...and took it seriously. I got a clear 'diagnosis' and some exercises tailored to me that I could start doing daily. She also never told me that I had to stop teaching and playing music (very reassuring!!) Everything was focused on how I should move forward.

Michelle made me an exercise programme with the exercises I could do daily. I really committed to the programme and within about a month...and for the first time in a while I started to feel mostly back to normal.

Now, a few of months on, I no longer have any real symptoms. I'm not anxious that my hand is going to continually get worse and eventually just give up on me, like many will tell you if you are suffering with problems like I had! Recently I had another virtual appointment with Michelle and she talked me through what I should be doing moving forward.

Now I'm in a position where I'm feeling like my hand is back to normal and I know how to take care of it. I've actually learnt a lot of things that I wouldn't have known if I hadn't had this problem and gone to Michelle.

Michelle is so great at what she does and I don't think you'll get this kind of help anywhere else in NI when it comes to hands. It's worth parting with a little bit of money to get some actual help and to be taken seriously. I had 3 appointments, only one of them being in person and for me that was really at it took. My hand is doing great and I'm very, very grateful. Thanks so much Michelle!

Michelle was excellent, the exercises she showed me have really helped.

Very professional.

Would highly recommend

As a healthcare professional myself I would not hesitate to recommend Michelle.

I experienced great difficulty in getting a definitive diagnosis despite seeing other physios and dealing with the NHS. (Wrist triangular fibrocartilage injuries).

Michelle give a definite diagnosis during the initial appointment and provided a comprehensive holistic treatment plan with a focus on the root of the problem and prevention of further injury. I was impressed with her clinical knowledge and examination technique.

She has also provided timely and comprehensive clinical documentation which facilitated me in getting the appropriate support from occupational health at work. You get what you pay for and I think given the complexity of hand , wrist and upper limb issues it is well worth seeking assessment by a specialist as opposed to a generalist physio.

If I had followed the advice given via other physios and the NHS i have no doubt my condition would have deteriorated. I would 100% recommend her to friends and family.

From having serious numbness in my hands, pains at night, tingles throughout the day to now having gained my hand strength back, no more tingles, no more night hand pains! THANK YOU MICHELLE & your guidance and programs on how to improve my hands strength to overcoming carpal tunnel syndrome, nerve irritation and overloading.

I have been working with Michelle, The Hand Therapist, from February 2024 until June 2024. In February I explained that from my work of doing laundry and constantly ironing, I have irritated hands and nerves, have tingles most of the time, really bad pains at night and hands that fatigue very quickly. During our first session we did a few exercises and stretches to see where the problem originates from. Michelle drew up a program for me to start with hand glides, arms/hands stretches and soft tissue mobilization. I was very dedicated with my program and would make sure to do the exercises daily. I also got therapy hand putty to do exercises with and this was one of my favourite exercises to do and I could feel my hands and fingers being strengthened. Due to my work, I was unable to see Michelle face to face for each session, but she easily accommodated me with having online calls over Zoom, even though we had a 6 hour time zone difference.

After having the program thoroughly explained by Michelle in our video calls, the program was uploaded on an app that is updated after each of our sessions. Each exercise, glide and mobilization is also visually shown with pictures, videos and written explanations on the app, making it so easy to do these exercises and remember them all. I was always able to reach out if I needed an explanation, felt the exercises were not working or just to express my joy in seeing my progress.

During each session with Michelle, I would express how the exercises have been working/ not working for me and Michelle would be able to explain why a certain exercise didn't feel right or how to better adapt a exercise/stretch or mobilization to focus on my specific needs. Whenever I explained that I was progressing, Michelle would be able to promptly give me an exercise that would challenge me more and help me progress further and I was always filled with confidence in her knowledge, exercise demonstrations and explanations.

I had about 6 sessions with Michelle in total and I am so happy with the results of the hand therapy. I wasn't aware that carpal tunnel syndrome or irritated nerves could be corrected by consistent exercises and a program - but have been blown away by the progress and now, the results. I received my final program to always upkeep the work that has been put in to get to this point and couldn't recommend hand therapy enough for somebody who experiences similar irritations, fatigue and nerve overloading as I did.

I would truly recommend Michelle, THE Hand Therapist, who is always happy and super eager to see your progress.