Hand mobility exercise: Health benefits, How to Do? Variations

What is hand mobility exercise?

This exercise helps to improve hand mobility. Hand mobility is important because it contributes to reducing the risk of injury.This exercise also helps to the strength the hand muscles.

There have many conditions which need hand exercise like stiffness, swelling, pain in your hands ,By reducing these difficulties you will get better performance in activities of daily livings.

Physiotherapists usually suggest specific exercises depending on the disease. Some exercise helps to increase a joint range of motion or lengthen the muscle and tendons via stretching. All exercise should be done slowly and deliberately to avoid injury and pain.You need your hands more than any other part of your body to complete your daily activities.

Health benefits of hand mobility exercise.

• Helps to strengthen the muscles around the wrist joint for better support
• Helps to improve the circulation of synovial fluid (lubricates and helps cushion the joints to keep them moving smoothly)
• Helps to Increase blood flow to your hands, gives warmth to the muscles and ligaments around the wrist.
• Helps to Improve the oxygen supply and nutrients that circulate through the joint membranes, triggering the process of removing necrosis and bed cell debris from the wrist and hand.
• Helps to Improve flexibility
• Helps to Increase the range of motion
• Helps to Reduce joint damage
• Helps to decrease the risk of injury by elongating the muscles
• Helps to Relieve pain

Here some of the exercises are explained to improve hand mobility.

Wrist extension and flexion

How to do it?

• You have to sit on the chair with your forearm place it on the table with a rolled-up towel for padding with your hand hanging off the edge of the table, palm face downward side.
• Move your hand up towards the ceiling until you feel a gentle stretch in your wrist flexors, then Return to the initial position.

• Repeat this same movement with the elbow at your side, palm facing upward.
• Now move your wrist towards the ceiling, until you feel a gentle stretch.
• Slowly return to the initial position.
• Do this for 30 to 40 repetitions.

Wrist supination/pronation

How to do it?

• You have to sit on a chair or stand with your arm at the side with the elbow flexed up to 90 degrees, palm facing downward side.
• Then rotate your forearm, so that your palm faces upward side and it will go downward.
• Do this for 30 to 40 repetitions.

Wrist ulnar/radial deviation

How to do it?

• You have to sit on the chair with your forearm placed on a table with a rolled-up towel for padding or put on your knee, thumb upward.
• Move your wrist up towards the ceiling and down towards the ground through with a full range of motion.
• Do this for 30 to 40 repetitions.

Thumb flexion/extension

How to do it?

• You have to sit on a chair or stand with shoulder feet width apart.
• Start with your thumb position outward.

• Move your thumb across the palm and back to the initial position.
• Do this for 30 to 40 repetitions.

Hand/finger tendon glide

How to do it?

• You have to sit on a chair or stand with shoulder feet width apart,to get the initial position your fingers should be extended straight out.
• Make a hook fist, and return to an extended hand.
• Then make a full fist; return to an extended hand.
• Then Make a straight fist; return to an extended hand.
• Do this for 30 to 40 repetitions.

When you not to do this exercise?

• If you feel more pain during this exercise.
• If you have hand and arm fracture.
• If your doctor advised to take a rest.

Do hand exercises work?

Yes, surely if you are performing regular Hand exercise helps to improve mobility of hands, it also strengthen muscles around the joint, improve blood circulation and this may also leads to increase synovial fluid the joint that helps for smooth movement and overall increase your performance of hands during day to day activity and also helps to reduce risk of injury.