Wrist, finger and thumb exercises Information for you Follow us on Twitter @NHSaaa Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nhsaaa Visit our website: www.nhsaaa.net All our publications are available in other formats Finger exercises You have an injury to your hand which will get better over the next few weeks. Nearly all finger and hand injuries benefit from exercises. Take a painkiller, such as paracetamol and/or ibuprofen. You should do these exercises every hour or so for three to five minutes at a time. • Stretch your fingers out so they are as straight as possible. • Make a tight fist so that your fingernails press into the palm of your hand, or as close as you can get. • Do not put anything like a soft ball in your hand. This just gets in the way of movement. The biggest thing you should use to practice gripping is a pen or pencil. 2 3 Thumb exercises You have an injury to your thumb which will get better over the next few weeks. Nearly all hand injuries benefit from exercises. Stage one • Put the tip of your thumb against the tip of your index finger. • Straighten the thumb back as far as it will go (see figure one). • Bend the tip of the thumb over to the tip of the middle finger (see figure two). • Straighten your thumb. • Do the same for the ring and little fingers. • When you can get to the little finger move on to stage two. Stage two • Bend your thumb to the tip of your little finger. • Straighten your thumb. • Bend the thumb over to touch the joint near the tip of your little finger (see figure three). • Straighten your thumb. • Do the same to the other joints until you can press your thumb nail against the palm of your hand at the bottom of your little finger (see figure four). 4 figure two figure one figure three figure four 5 Wrist exercises You have an injury to your wrist which will get better over the next few weeks. Take a painkiller, such as paracetamol and/or ibuprofen. Nearly all wrist injuries benefit from exercises. You should do these exercises every hour or so for three to five minutes at a time. • Move your wrist up, down, side to side and also rotate. • Rest your forearm against the edge of something or on your knee with your palm facing the floor. • Bend your hand towards the floor. • Rotate your arm the other way so that your palm now faces up. • Bend your wrist backwards towards the floor. 6 For more information, please contact: University Hospital Crosshouse 01563 521 133 and ask to be put through to the Emergency Department University Hospital Ayr Emergency Department 01292 614 522 Arran War Memorial Hospital 01770 600777 and ask to be put through to the Emergency Department. or your family doctor (GP) 7 All of our publications are available in different languages, larger print, braille (English only), audio tape or another format of your choice. Tha gach sgrìobhainn againn rim faotainn ann an diofar chànanan, clò nas motha, Braille (Beurla a-mhàin), teip claistinn no riochd eile a tha sibh airson a thaghadh. 0800 169 1441 Tell us what you think... If you would like to comment on any issues raised by this document, please complete this form and return it to: Communications Department, 28 Lister Street, University Hospital Crosshouse, Crosshouse KA2 0BB. You can also email us at: [email protected]. If you provide your contact details, we will acknowledge your comments and pass them to the appropriate departments for a response. Name ______________________________________________________ Address ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Comment ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Compiled by Emergency Department Last reviewed: August 2017 Leaflet reference XAE05-023-CC/PIL17-0346.