Arthritis patients suffer many problems in their day to day life. They feel helpless in doing any task as they become unable to even pick and pull things with their hands. This makes there life sluggish and painful. However with the aid of hand exercises they can improve the working of their hands. Following are some of the hand exercises that can be done by the arthritis patient after the recommendation of doctor, physical therapist or occupational therapist who can help you to design a program for you.
Make a Fist:
Finger and hand exercises can assist you to strengthen your hands and fingers, enhance the range of motion, and provide you relief from pain. You should perform the above exercise in the following steps:
- Make a tender fist by wrapping thumb across your fingers.
- Hold it for 30 to 60 seconds and now release and spread the fingers wide.
- Repeat this exercise on both hands for at least four times.
Finger Stretch:
This exercise will help you to get relief from pain and improve the range of motion in hands. It should be done as follows:
- Place your hand with palm-down on a flat surface.
- Straighten your fingers gently as flat as you can without forcing your joints.
- Hold it for 30 to 60 seconds and after that release.
- Repeat this exercise for at least four times with each hand.
Grip Strengthener:
This exercise will make it easier for you to hold things and open door knobs without dropping them.
Perform this exercise as follows:
- Hold a soft ball in palm and squeeze it hard.
- Hold it for few seconds and then release.
- Repeat this exercise 10 to 15 times on each hand and perform this exercise twice or thrice a week. Do not perform this exercise if your thumb joint is damaged.
Pinch Strengthener:
This exercise helps you to strengthen the muscles of your thumb and fingers. It may assist you to turn keys, and open food packages more easily.
- Pinch a soft ball formed of foam or putty between the tips of fingers and thumb.
- Hold it for 30 to 60 seconds.
- Repeat this for 10 to 15 times on each hand. Perform this exercise twice or thrice a week, but you should rest your hands for 48 hours in between each session. Do not perform this exercise in case you have damaged thumb joint.
Finger Lift:
This exercise helps to increase the flexibility and range of motion in your fingers.
Perform this exercise as follows:
- Place your hand on a table with palm down.
- Now gently lift one finger off the table and then lower it.
- You may also lift thumb and all your fingers at once, and then lower them.
- Repeat this action eight to 12 times on both hands.
Thumb Extension:
This exercise will help you to strengthen the muscles of your thumbs so that you can grab and lift heavy things like bottles and cans. Perform this exercise as follows:
- Place your hand on a flat table. Now wrap a rubber band around the hand at the base of finger joints.
- Now gently move your thumb as far as you can away from your fingers.
- Hold it for 30 to 60 seconds and then release.
- You should repeat this activity for 10 to 15 times with each hand. You can do this activity twice or thrice a week, but you must rest hands for 48 hours in between the sessions.
Thumb Touch:
This exercise helps to enhance the range of motion in your thumbs that will help you to do activities like picking up fork, toothbrush, pen and spoon. Perform this exercise as follows:
- Hold your hand in front of you with palm facing towards you and wrist straight.
- Now gently touch thumb with each of your four fingertips, one at a time, by making the “O” shape.
- You should hold each stretch for almost 30 to 60 seconds. You should repeat this exercise at least four times on both hands.
Exercise tip:
To decrease the pain before you start performing the exercises, soak your hands in warm water or warm paraffin wax. This is a gentle way to exercise muscles and joints. This happens because the buoyancy of the water supports and reduces the stress on the joints, enabling the easy movement of your hands. Water can also act as resistance that can help to build muscle strength.
