Finger strength exercises nhs. These exercises are necessary to: keep your shoulder, elbow, wrist, and finger joints from stifening up maintain some strength in your arm and hand muscles; and minimise painful swelling by improving your circulation. Fingers These exercises are designed to regain movement in your hand following your surgery or injury. Everyday activities such as getting dressed, using cutlery, playing with toys or scribbling with crayons all help to develop and strengthen the muscles of the hands and fingers. Repeat this exercise for each finger. Make sure that the fingers are straightened no further than the back of the hand. Jun 29, 2025 · Each finger has a name that’s used in daily English: thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and pinky. This can be due to lack of appropriate opportunities to develop the muscles of the hands through play or sometimes as a result of having In humans, the fingers are flexibly articulated and opposable, serving as an important organ of tactile sensation and fine movements, which are crucial to the dexterity of the hands and the ability to grasp and manipulate objects. Hand Strengthening Exercises You have been provided with exercise putty by your therapist to help improve your hand strength. Jul 9, 2025 · This exercise programme has been made for you to follow so that you can exercise the joints, muscles and tendons of your hands and wrists. Relax and raise and straighten thumb to ceiling. 2. 4 days ago · Swollen fingers (dactylitis) can be caused by too much salt, heat, or a serious health condition. It is better to carry out these activities on a ‘little and often basis’ rather than for longer Therapy PUTTY Exercise and Information Sheet You have been provided with exercise putty by your therapist to help with your upper limb strength, range and/or coordination. These bones are connected by joints and surrounded by a network of muscles, tendons, and ligaments, which allows smooth and coordinated movement. Last updated: 23-8-16 MT Use your unaffected hand to hold below the middle joint of your finger, then bend the top two joints into a curl We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Rheumatology Occupational Therapy: Therapeutic putty hand exercises Therapeutic putty exercises are designed to help improve the strength in your hands, wrists and thumbs. g. Thumb Exercises Active range of movements Follow these exercises as directed by your therapist. Why should I do therapeutic putty exercises? As your hand gets better after injury or surgery, the strength of the muscles may need exercise to enable you to use the hand normally day-to-day. They should be carried out with minimal discomfort and this should disappear within 15 minutes of stopping the exercises. Read more about self-managing a wrist, hand or finger problem What is carpal tunnel syndrome? Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common condition affecting the median These exercises are designed to improve the movement in your hand. If you have wrist, hand and finger problems, there are exercises that you can do to help you move normally as you recover. 1. These names help when talking, counting, or showing actions. NHS Inform is a service for Scotland offering reliable, quality assured information that has enhanced features and digital tools to allow you to tailor the information, making it more personal to you. . Bend the tips and middle joints of the fingers, then straighten them. Activities should be fun and not meant as “exercises”. TOY IDEAS Lego, stickle bricks, blocks etc – the pulling apart and pushing together of pieces is good for working on strength When a finger is injured sometimes soft tissue (tendons, ligaments and muscle) can also be involved and can make recovery slower. Apr 29, 2025 · Explore the anatomy, muscles, and nerves that enable finger movement, along with factors affecting flexibility, coordination, and common mobility challenges. advice@nhs. If you experience a sharp pain, reduce the EARLY YEARS – HAND SKILLS (Finger isolation, pincer grasp, in-hand manipulation, hand arches, hand dominance, hand strength) Mar 7, 2025 · Problems with the wrist, hand, and fingers can be caused by carrying out repetitive tasks, an injury during sport or a fall, or normal age-related changes. Isometric Abduction Hand and Finger Strengthening Activities Reduced hand strength can influence ability with fine motor skills, including tasks such as using a pencil, cutting with scissors, using cutlery, opening containers, managing dressing E. Dec 31, 2024 · Fingers are classified as digits, with four fingers on each hand alongside an opposable thumb. Straighten out all of the fingers, supporting them as shown. Here’s when to call your doctor about swollen fingers. Also swelling (oedema) of the finger can restrict movement of a joint, making the finger stiff. PIP Joint Blocking Begin with the palm up, supporting your involved hand with your other hand just below the second joint. Find out how to do these strength exercises, which you can do at home to help improve your health and mobility. Swinging your arm from front to back is one repetition. Pinch off small pieces using thumb, index and middle fingers and roll them into small balls Hide items in the play doh (beads etc) try to find them by pulling the doh apart. Place your other hand on the table or chair for support. Hand Therapy Patient Information The exercises on this sheet are designed to keep your joints supple, help the structures glide freely and strengthen your wrist. They help to straighten fingers. Try to encourage your child to carry out everyday tasks by themselves and only assist if… Continue Reading Developing hand and finger strength There may be visible loss of muscle bulk in severe cases, particularly noticeable on the back of the hand between the thumb and first finger, with loss of strength and dexterity. patient. Mar 9, 2024 · Each finger and toe has three phalanges: proximal (closest to the hand or foot), middle, and distal (farthest from the hand or foot). At any age, you can see improvement in your strength, balance, stamina, flexibility and more importantly the mental health benefits of exercise should never be underestimated. Welcome to the Otago Strength and Balance programme. Feb 6, 2025 · Carpal tunnel syndrome This information is useful for those who have been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. Extensor tendons run along the top of the hand. The exercise programme that you will undertake has been designed specifically for you. Find out how to treat these problems at home and when to see your healthcare professional. 6mzHT ÁÊ+ EGt饗! ÿé~ ‘pD‚szie5]¤F ?q ?aø¹ ž'êkW ïÅ ‘Ö¬YÊ ™‚DÌé éü3§2‡PQïÞdb 5ÿõÄ¿(ûôêž?ü ƒ‹i€vpNú ƒ$Ð'ÒÏö Exercises Thumb opposition Action: Touch the tip of your thumb to the tip of each finger, then move down the creases of each finger. Forearm and hand flat on a table, move your hand sideways: Ulnar (“on the little finger side”) and radial (“on the thumb side”) deviation. Fingers are located on the distal part of the hand, extending from the palm. Supination (“palm facing up”) and pronation (“palm facing down”) : Keeping your shoulder and elbow and at the side of your body, turn your forearm so your palm is facing up and then down. The benefits of exercise are plentiful. Spread your fingers apart and then squeeze them together again. You have had an injury to your finger. Exercise 3 Bending the top joint of the fingers Hold the finger so that only the end joint moves. They need to be implemented in a graded way and can be part of everyday activities. 4. Wrist stability and strengthening exercises Completing this exercise programme will help you to restore strength in your wrist and help improve your overall hand function. Flexion Extension Action: Slide thumb across palm towards little finger. Repeat up to 10 times for each finger. Finger Exercises Information for patients NHS Lanarkshire Hand Therapy Department PIL. Resistance bands (or therabands) can vary in strength, so you may need to adjust your hand position to reduce or increase the amount of tension on the band for the different The aim of the leaflet is to provide information on strengthening exercises for the thumb which may be useful to you following your hand injury/ surgery. However, the thumb and big toe are unique—they only have two phalanges, missing the middle one. Tendons are long strings which connect the muscles of the forearm to the bones of the fingers and thumb. Support around the thumb joint as shown and stretch the thumb upwards. Using therapeutic putty allows you to focus each exercise on specific muscles to encourage full recovery. Stretch you thumb back each time. Therapeutic Putty Exercises This leaflet explains more about therapeutic putty exercises for patients with wrist, hand or finger injuries under the care of the St George’s Hospital hand therapy team. socks, buttons, zips. People who are experiencing new or ongoing symptoms should contact a healthcare professional for assessment and diagnosis. The exercises that your therapist wishes you to complete will be ticked. Stretch thumb web. Serving the Town of Culpeper and surrounding counties of Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Frederick, Madison, Orange, Page, Rappahannock, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Warren. Hand and Wrist Exercises These exercises are designed to mobilise your wrist and hand. Increase hand strength, improve finger and thumb mobility and keep arthritis symptoms at bay with this hand workout. Hand strength influences fine motor skills, in particular, pencil grasp and handwriting, cutting with scissors and self-care tasks such as dressing, eating with a knife and fork as well as drinking from a cup. There are 2 types of tendon in your hand. Bend at end joint of thumb. By maintaining your programme, you can improve: Balance Muscle strength General fitness General well-being You need to do the prescribed exercises three times a week. They help the fingers to bend. If you follow this programme, it will help you to maintain your range of movement, grip and strength. Exercises should be carried out ___ times, ___ time/s a day Hand Therapy Department Contact Number 0203 315 8404 Open between 8-6 Monday-Friday. 2 days ago · Explore the essential anatomy and function of finger joints, vital for your hand’s precision and everyday movement. They are best carried out sitting at a table with your arms at a right angle and forearms resting on the table to ensure you are in alignment. Mar 25, 2025 · Patient information leaflet describing the different exercises you should do after getting a mallet injury as advised by the Hand Therapy Team. Tendons take all the strain when bending your fingers to use your hand. Thumb exercises This factsheet contains some thumb exercises to help improve the range of movement in the joints of your thumb. When completing them, you may experience tightness or a pulling sensation, but this is normal. The following exercises using therapy putty – ‘theraputty’ – will help to increase your thumb strength. Your therapist will advise which exercises are going to be most useful for you. M Finger Exercises Always exercise gently and slowly. }ùxI‘ BOÍÆ7¥)Ê• ó¯ŸÙ 1€ÜÒ ‘â Æ ¨ T‹ Ï Ã7ÏìCÉáþí ¥×L-ʲ3wäš c»lØ ”¡‹Ç ’7 Òeq"³Èæ § ¸êè>ä 1ßsJ_ÄÉX·* #iêÞiëâÚ ž#c¹nó›…_“ʈhÆ_þøÇÈ . FINGER. Bend and straighten your finger at the middle joint. Muscle strengthening for hand, thumb & elbow pain Aim: To strengthen the muscles of the forearm that control grip strength of the hand and consequently reduce hand pain and improve function The exercise: You will need something soft and compressible such as a rolled-up sock or ball of wool or ‘stress’ ball 1. The following exercises will help to reduce stiffness and increase finger movement. When completing them, you may feel tightness or a pulling sensation. Wrist strengthening exercises Information for patients, relatives and carers These exercises will help you restore strength and improve movement of your wrist. You should do these exercises every _____ hours as advised by your therapist. Your therapist will provide you with the most suitable strength of putty for your post-injury/surgery protocol. Over the period of Hand Therapy Patient Information The exercises on this sheet are designed to keep your joints supple, help the structures glide freely and strengthen the thumb. Exercises to strengthen the main muscles of the hand Theraputty Exercises The following theraputty exercises are provided as a guide by your therapist to add graded resistive exercise to your programme. The fingers are essential for grasping, manipulating objects, and performing fine motor tasks. Hold each one for ___ seconds and repeat ___ times. Exercise at home This video uses resistance, in the form of therabands, to strengthen your muscles. Slowly swing your free arm backwards and forwards and gradually increase the length of the swing. Some of these exercises can be done with the hand immersed under water of a comfortable temperature to aid relaxation. May 1, 2025 · This information is about how to do basic elbow and wrist exercises. Muscle strength of the hands and fingers increases as children grow. 31444. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. We hope it will help to answer some of the questions you may have. Jun 18, 2024 · Introduction to exercise Age is no barrier to exercise. Build grip, hand dexterity, and reduce painful hand injuries. 3. If the pain continues, stop the exercises and discuss this with your therapist at your next The intrinsic muscles are the muscles that sit within your hand and are important to improve the co-ordination and grip strength in your hand. Putty Exercises The exercises on the following pages are intended to help improve the movement and strength in your hand and wrist. Sep 17, 2019 · Follow along with these top 5 hand strengthening exercises for stronger hands. If you remain concerned, the team can also advise upon how to make a formal complaint. The following exercises are designed to help keep the joints in your thumb and fingers from getting stiff and to improve the strength in your muscles. Isometric flexion Push wrist upwards against resistance without changing the angle of your wrist. Bend and straighten the end of your finger as far as you can. net. Damage to a tendon can occur through any type of trauma causing the tendon to be cut or crushed. The activities will aim to help refine their pincer/tripod grasp as well as improving general dexterity. Mar 18, 2024 · Try these 39 restorative and strengthening hand therapy exercises to improve mobility, strength, and function in your hand. Flexor tendons run across the palm of the hand. ?`ݺa. This leaflet includes information on how to look after the putty and exercises for you to complete. If the exercises increase your arm pain please reduce the range of movement, the number of exercise repetitions or choose a different exercise outlined, then gradually increase or reintroduce these as the pain allows. If you have any further questions or concerns, please speak to your therapist. You will require your own resistance bands to complete this video. In humans, the fingers are flexibly articulated and opposable, serving as an important organ of tactile sensation and fine movements, which are crucial to the dexterity of the hands and the ability to grasp and manipulate objects. Please begin the following exercises as instructed by your hand therapy physiotherapist. These exercises should be done gently and without force, but take your hand through as full a range of movement as possible. If you experience a sharp pain, reduce the intensity of the exercises. They aim to develop overall grip, manipulation and stabilisation which will result in improved control of fine motor tasks. Welcome to the GRASP Home Program! GRASP is a program designed to improve your arm and hand strength, coordination, and your ability to use your stroke-affected arm in daily activities. Number of times to repeat: Number of times to perform each day: For more specific exercises you might try the exercises below. It would be beneficial if these tasks where carried out in an You have been provided with exercise putty by your therapist to help with your upper limb strength, range and/or co-ordination. Isometric pronation Place two fingers on your wrist, rotate your wrist inwards, resisting against your fingers. Finding the right health and care information can make a real difference to how you manage your wellbeing. Please begin the following exercises as instructed by your therapist: Regaining muscle strength needs regular commitment to the resistance exercises as directed by your therapist. Jan 12, 2024 · Wrist strengthening exercises Information for patients, relatives and carers These exercises will help you restore strength and improve movement of your wrist. ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE GRIP STRENGTH/GRASP AND DEXTERITY The following are some activity ideas for you to practice with your child to help develop fine motor skills. You should feel effort during the process and on stopping the exercises you should feel that the area is a little tired from being worked hard. You can divide the exercises up. This factsheet contains some finger exercises to help improve the range of movement in the joints of your fingers. Hold your position at your end of range (as far as you can move it) for a few seconds, unless you are told otherwise. Hold each position for 3-5 seconds. If they cannot resolve your concern, please contact our Patient Experience Team on 01932 723553 or email asp-tr. Learn how to do these with our video tutorials Finger exercises This leaflet shows exercises to help you strengthen your fingers. Wrist strengthening exercises This leaflet shows exercises to help you strengthen your wrist. Number of times to repeat: Number of times to perform each day: You should do this exercise while standing. This is normal. Humans have five fingers on each hand and a significant feature in humans is the opposable thumb. The following is a list of activities that can be used to develop strength of the hand. Keeping your fingers straight, bend at the knuckles. What are the fingers? The human finger is a flexible, long and thin extension of the hand commonly referred to as the digits. Discuss any concerns with your therapist. These exercises are designed to improve the movement in your hand. Please ensure that you only exercise as instructed by your therapist. The fingers on the hands correspond to the toes of the feet. With a table or chair next to you for support, lean forward so that one arm hangs straight down. Please use the putty on a hard surface such as a table/tray. They do not all Jul 14, 2025 · Bend the index finger inwards at each joint so that the fingertip move towards the palm. When completing the following exercises, you may feel tightness or a pulling sensation. The aim of the leaflet is to provide information on strengthening exercises for the fingers following your hand injury/surgery. Feb 6, 2024 · Each finger comprises three small bones called phalanges, which give the finger its shape and strength. Bend and straighten your fingers. iornrggyovaojhbngvfiqrqogtsghmfgkoizpsvlhthtzeozvrgv