Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis can all affect the hand and fingers. There are many ways these types of arthritis can be treated. To help combat keep your joints more nimble, consider incorporating some easy hand and finger exercises. This will help reduce arthritis pain and strengthen joint-supporting muscles. Here are three easy exercises you can try for your arthritis in the hand and fingers:
1. “O” exercise
One great exercise for hand and finger arthritis is the “O” exercise. To begin this exercise, start with your hand and fingers flat. Then, slowly curve your fingers and thumb until they touch and form an “O” shape. Hold this position for a few seconds before returning to the starting position. You can repeat this exercise as many times a day as you need to, and it’s especially helpful when your hands are feeling achy or stiff.
2. Thumb bend
The joint at the base of your thumb is particularly susceptible to arthritis, and that means the thumb bend exercise should definitely be in your hand and finger arthritis exercise list. Begin with your hand flat with the palm facing up, and then, slowly bend your thumb toward your palm. The goal is to touch your thumb to the base of the pinky finger, but just stretch it as close to there as you can if you can’t quite make it. Hold the stretch for two seconds on every repetition and try to do about 10 repetitions at a time with each thumb.
3. Finger lift
The finger lift is an exercise that’s intended to increase the strength of finger and hand muscles, and this can help support the joints better and reduce arthritis-related hand and finger pain. Before starting this exercise, you’ll need to place your right hand flat on a table or other level surface. Then, slowly raise your thumb off the table and hold it as high as you can for one or two seconds. Lower the thumb back to the table and repeat the steps for each finger on the right hand. After you finish with the right hand’s fingers, use these steps to exercise the fingers and thumb of your left hand, too.
Find other treatment options for arthritis in the hand and fingers at Excel Sports & Physical Therapy
At Excel Sports & Physical Therapy, we have many therapy techniques at our disposal, and this means we can create treatment plans for arthritis that are personalized to your needs. Some of the techniques that may be included in your plan include:
- Manual therapy
- Joint mobilization
- Ergonomic education
- Therapeutic exercises
Start tackling your arthritis symptoms. Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.
