Finger Exercises That Can Prevent Chronic Pain
In today’s day and age almost everyone can be seen on their mobile phones. A teenager texting, a middle aged lady playing Candy Crush or a bored passenger playing Angry Birds. While it sure is entertaining to use, it poses a risk to your fingers and wrist on account of the angle these tasks require you to hold the phones, especially in the long run.
Other than pain caused by using your fingers, sometimes you may just have weak fingers. Not susceptible to breaking, but with a terrible grip – which is as bad.
A little exercise can take you a long way, and here are a few of them.
Use of a Hand Therapy Ball
- A Hand therapy ball can also be purchased as a stress ball, brilliant to use during warm up and rehab. These come in various “strengths”, thus making your little workout very versatile.
- As a simple workout, the ball can be squeezed repetitively in a gross grip manner to get the muscles working. When relaxing the grip, make sure you spread the fingers back to a “flat palm” position to ensure the fingers are going through their full range of movement.
- Squeeze the ball between thumb and finger, alternating fingers.
- Next, squeeze the ball using two finger grips such as middle and ring, or index and middle fingers.
Make a Fist
- Make a gentle fist, wrapping your thumb across your fingers.
- Hold for 30 to 60 seconds. Release and spread your fingers wide.
- Repeat with both hands at least four times.
Finger Stretch
- Place your hand palm-down on a table or other flat surface.
- Gently straighten your fingers as flat as you can against the surface without forcing your joints.
- Hold for 30 to 60 seconds and then release.
- Repeat at least four times with each hand.
Finger Lift
- Place your hand flat, palm down, on a table or other surface.
- Gently lift one finger at a time off of the table and then lower it.
- You can also lift all your fingers and thumb at once, and then lower.
- Repeat eight to 12 times on each hand.
Thumb Touch
- Hold your hand out in front of you, with your wrist straight.
- Gently touch your thumb to each of your four fingertips, one at a time, making the shape of an “O.”
- Hold each stretch for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat at least four times on each hand.
Play With Clay
Playing with putty or clay is a great way to increase the range of motion in your fingers and strengthen your hands at the same time, all while going back to your childhood. The best part is that it won’t even feel like exercise. Just follow the kids’ lead — squish the clay into a ball, roll it into long “snakes” with your palms, or use your fingertips to pinch spikes on a dinosaur. All of these are various form of physical therapy, believe it or not!
If you believe that these aren’t helping, then the best thing for you to do is go to a physical therapist, who will undoubtedly help you fig
ure out what your ailment is, and might just beat your high scores.
