Rocky Mountain College OTD Students Explore Upper Extremity Prosthetics in Hands-On Lab
BILLINGS, Mont. — March 2026 — Students in Rocky Mountain College’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program recently took part in a highly interactive prosthetics lab in OTD 600, gaining hands-on experience with upper extremity prosthetic technology and assessment.
The class welcomed guest lecturer Kristy Powell, OTR/L, from Össur Prosthetics, who joined course instructor Dr. Randi Hanson to help students connect advanced prosthetic technology with everyday occupational therapy practice in Montana and beyond.
Exploring Upper Extremity Prosthetics in Occupational Therapy
Kristy began by introducing students to the spectrum of upper extremity prosthetics, including:
- Differences between body-powered and myoelectric prostheses
- How amputation level (partial hand, below elbow, above elbow) influences prosthetic design and function
- The role of occupational therapists in evaluation, training, and long-term support for clients using upper extremity prostheses
This foundation helped students see how anatomy, biomechanics, technology, and occupation-based goals all intersect in prosthetic rehabilitation.
Hands-On Myoelectric Lab with iPads, Electrodes, and EMG
A major focus of the OTD prosthetics lab was understanding and practicing how to evaluate a limb for myoelectric control, a key skill for occupational therapists working in prosthetics.
Kristy guided students through the process of identifying the best muscle sites for operating a myoelectric hand:
- Students placed electrodes on each other’s forearms
- Using iPads and EMG software, they monitored muscle contractions during flexion and extension
- They practiced determining which muscles produced consistent, strong signals suitable for controlling a myoelectric hand prosthesis
By evaluating one another, students experienced how subtle differences in muscle activation and electrode placement affect prosthetic performance—something they will eventually apply when working with clients in clinical occupational therapy settings.
“Being able to actually see our own muscle signals on the screen and connect that to how a myoelectric hand would function made everything click,” OTD student Natalie shared. “It turned abstract concepts into something very real and practical.”
Working Directly with Manual and Myoelectric Prostheses
Beyond the EMG assessment, students also had hands-on time with upper extremity prosthetic devices, including:
- Manual (body-powered) upper extremity prostheses
- Myoelectric hand prostheses
They explored:
- How the devices are donned and doffed
- How different terminal devices (hooks, hands, specialized tools) support various activities of daily living and work tasks
- What challenges clients might face when first learning to use prosthetic technology
This lab-based, practical exposure is a key part of Rocky Mountain College’s approach to occupational therapy education in Montana, ensuring that students don’t just read about complex devices—they handle them, test them, and consider how they fit into real people’s lives.
Linking Functional Loss, Goals, and Justifying Prosthetic Need
Kristy also emphasized a critical part of occupational therapy’s role in prosthetics: connecting functional loss to meaningful goals and medical justification.
Students discussed how to:
- Identify functional limitations after upper extremity limb loss (self-care, work, play, driving, parenting, etc.)
- Collaborate with clients to set specific, occupation-based goals (for example, “independently prepare a simple meal” or “return to farming tasks”)
- Document how an upper extremity prosthesis can help meet those goals and justify the need for funding and coverage
This aspect of the lab demonstrated that occupational therapists are not only trainers and problem-solvers, but also advocates, helping clients access the prosthetic technology that supports participation in daily life.
Preparing Montana’s Future OTs for Advanced Clinical Practice
For OTD 600 instructor Dr. Randi Hanson, this hands-on prosthetics lab exemplifies the depth and practicality of Rocky Mountain College’s occupational therapy curriculum.
“Experiences like this help students integrate biomechanics, technology, and occupation in a very concrete way,” Dr. Hanson said. “They’re learning how to evaluate muscle activity, understand device options, and tie everything back to what matters most in occupational therapy—helping people engage in the activities that give their lives meaning.”
By the end of the lab, Rocky Mountain College OTD students had gained:
- A clearer understanding of upper extremity prosthetic options
- Practical skills in myoelectric evaluation using iPads, EMG, and electrodes
- Direct, hands-on experience with both manual and myoelectric prostheses
- Stronger insight into how to justify prosthetic need through functional assessment and client-centered goal setting
As Montana’s first Montana-based Occupational Therapy Doctorate program, Rocky Mountain College continues to partner with industry leaders like Össur Prosthetics to provide high-quality, clinically relevant lab experiences that prepare graduates to serve clients with complex needs across Billings, rural Montana, and beyond.
Bad Ragaz: Strength and Motor Control with Support
The final method of the day was Bad Ragaz, a technique developed in thermal pools in Bad Ragaz, Switzerland. In this approach:
- The “patient” is supported in a floating position using rings or pool noodles
- The “therapist” guides the body through proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) patterns
- The water provides resistance and support while the client practices specific movement sequences
Students practiced moving one another through patterns that target:
- Strength, coordination, and range of motion
- Trunk and limb control
- Sequencing of movement that can later transfer to functional tasks on land
The key message: Bad Ragaz can be especially helpful for clients recovering from stroke, orthopedic injuries, or other conditions where motor control, alignment, and endurance are major goals.
“Bad Ragaz gives therapists a way to support the body while still challenging it,” Dr. Hanson said. “Water lets us safely try movement patterns that might feel too difficult or scary on land.”
Connecting Aquatic Therapy to Everyday Function
Throughout the Fortin Pool lab, OTD students were continually asked to link what they were learning back to function and occupation:
- How could Halliwick support someone learning to trust their body again after a fall or injury?
- Where might Ai Chi fit into a plan for a client with chronic pain or high stress?
- How could Watsu contribute to a sensory regulation strategy for someone with a trauma history?
- In what ways could Bad Ragaz patterns translate to walking, transfers, or upper extremity use in daily activities?
By experiencing these methods as both therapist and patient, students deepened their understanding of how aquatic therapy can be a powerful component of occupational therapy doctorate-level practice—especially in a state like Montana, where creative, resourceful interventions are essential in serving diverse communities.
Preparing OTD Students for Innovative Practice in Montana
This aquatic therapy lab is one of many hands-on, lab-based learning experiences built into Rocky Mountain College’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate program in Billings, Montana. Alongside labs in play therapy, prosthetics, canine-assisted therapy, equine-assisted therapy, and more, it reflects the program’s commitment to:
Integrating health and well-being into occupational science
Teaching future OTs to use varied environments—including water—to support function
Preparing graduates to serve clients in hospitals, rehab centers, community clinics, and rural Montana settings
By the end of the session, students left the Fortin Pool not just knowing the names of Halliwick, Ai Chi, Watsu, and Bad Ragaz—but having felt their impact, understood their clinical applications, and seen how aquatic therapy can help people move toward their goals with greater ease, safety, and confidence.
