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My name is Matt Voelker, I am the head brewer at Argus Brewery in Chicago.
I first saw Matt in November of 2012. He accidentally got stabbed with a box cutter at work. He
had a pretty significant injury where it severed the tendons in his hand.
The injury happened on a Wednesday, and the following Monday I had surgery. I had another
surgery where they actually took a tendon from my toe, and put it in my finger.
After his stitches were removed, and his wound care was under control, we worked a lot on
the scar. To break up the scar tissue adhesions using the technique called Graston, that helps
to break up the scar tissue that is required for the tendons to glide. We then worked on
regaining his active and passive range of motion, needed to make a full fist. Once we
got his range of motion back, we went right into strengthening, which we focused a lot
on grip and pinch.
"You're going to go this way, and that way, and this way, and that way."
More job simulated activities to prepare him to go into work conditioning.
With Argus being such a small craft brewery, we're very hands on. Once I moved onto work
conditioning, they said, 'We're going to try and do as many things to simulate what you'd
be doing.' I thought, how would they simulate stirring 800 pounds of mash to make beer?
Josh came up with pretty good thing to simulate that. Carrying grain bags, as simple as carrying
a weight bar on my shoulder.
"How does that feel in the hand and shoulder?"
I was surprised with the things they were thinking, and their ingenuity and imaginations
in what they can come up with. It's been very helpful.
Matt was a pleasure to have in the work conditioning program, he came in day one- working hard
right away, bought into the program. It was great to see him when he came back to the
point where he can get back to work, and getting back to what he loves, brewing beer again.
He's been one of my most rewarding clients, I've ever had. I've actually been on a couple
of his brewery tours to get to know what exactly he does for a living.
Coming out the other end better, and able to do the things that I love to do, I'm very
grateful. It went from not being able to really do much, to now I'm ready to take on the world.