John Kirkpatrick – 20th May 2025
Sponsored by the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce
Now nearing the six-year mark, the locally owned outpatient therapy center continues to thrive, serving a wide range of patients while preparing to host a Client Appreciation Day on June 6.
Carrico, an occupational therapist and certified hand therapist, opened the clinic at 122 E. 18th Street after purchasing the business from Rob and Kate Abney, whom she worked with since 2016. She had also been a student of Rob’s and a tech at the clinic before pursuing graduate studies.
I have always wanted to own my own business and follow in my father’s footsteps, who owned his own dental practice for over 20 years. Once I became the owner, I was able to make my own decisions on the services we offered, treatment approaches, and how the business could impact the community.
Hand Therapy Plus offers outpatient occupational and physical therapy services for patients ranging from children to seniors. The clinic specialises in orthopaedics, neurological conditions, certified hand therapy, pelvic floor therapy, chronic pain, vertigo, lymphedema, and more. The facility is also equipped with advanced tools such as the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill, and offers various manual therapy techniques including myofascial release, dry needling, cupping, and kinesiotaping.
We treat our patients like family and try to get to the root cause of their conditions, versus treating just a body part,” Carrico said. “Many of our patients tell their doctors they want to come to therapy with us and refuse to go other places, which makes me feel like we’ve been doing things right. That community support has helped the clinic grow largely through word of mouth.
The AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill uses NASA Differential Air Pressure technology to gently unweight their patients for low-impact, pain-free movement. AlterG can be used to help shorten orthopaedic recovery times, manage neurological conditions and chronic disease, build strength and endurance while aging, increase athletic performance, and improve balance and gait in a safe, controlled environment.
Instead of worrying about falling over, patients concentrate on walking and coordination. Not only does the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill strengthen muscles, it builds the patient’s confidence.
Carrico has been an occupational therapist for nearly nine years and a certified hand therapist for more than four. She earned her master’s degree from Spalding University after completing a bachelor’s in exercise science at Western Kentucky University. A graduate of Daviess County High School, Carrico now specialises in shoulder-to-hand conditions and pelvic floor therapy, a field she entered after being introduced by fellow therapist Ashlee Hicks.
In addition to running her business, Carrico is a mother of three and remains active in the community, recently coaching her daughter’s elementary volleyball team and preparing to coach middle school volleyball at Mary Carrico Catholic School this fall.
Carrico said the most rewarding part of her job is building relationships with patients and helping them avoid unnecessary surgeries while improving their quality of life.
We don’t treat just ‘hands,’ we treat the whole body holistically, we provide one-to-one, hands-on treatments, accept most insurances including Medicaid, and offer self-pay options.