What they do all day? Got carpal tunnel syndrome, a hand injury, or arthritis in your shoulder? Hand therapists can help you regain mobility and adapt to daily life during recovery with specialized physical or occupational therapy.

How to get the job? Certified hand therapists start as occupational or physical therapists, which means having a master's degree or clinical doctorate in the field. Getting certified requires 4,000 hours of documented experience treating hands and upper extremities, plus passing an exam by the Hand Therapy Certification Commission.

What's great? What's not? You use your hands to express yourself, care for your family, create art -- and for a hand therapist, allowing you to return to an artistic vocation or use your hands again for everyday activities is highly rewarding. But it takes years to get into the field, and keeping up with the latest medical and surgical advances requires some work. --K.A.

What they do all day? Got carpal tunnel syndrome, a hand injury, or arthritis in your shoulder? Hand therapists can help you regain mobility and adapt to daily life during recovery with specialized physical or occupational therapy. --K.A.