Many types of arthritis affect the joints in the hands, which can lead to swelling, pain, and prevent full range of motion of the fingers and the wrist. When it is painful or difficult to use our hands, it becomes more challenging to complete daily tasks.
Sure, there are anti-inflammatory medications that may ease pain, but these are far more successful when combined with exercises to help relieve pain.
Advertisement
Here are some hand exercises that you can perform daily to ease joint pain in your hands.
Hand exercises to relieve joint pain
Fist clenching: Start with your fingers spread apart and slowly bring them in to make a fist. Keep your thumb on the outside as to not squeeze it. Avoid squeezing your fist too hard as it can limit blood circulation. Slowly unclench your hand and repeat this motion at least 10 times with each hand.
Knuckle bending: Use one of your hands to hold the base of your other thumb. Without moving the base of the thumb, bend the top of your thumb to the point where you feel a stretch. Restore the thumbs original position and repeat.
Finger lifting: Place the palm of your hand flat on a table surface with fingers spread apart. One at a time, slowly lift each finger from the table while keeping your palm touching the surface at all times. Don’t switch fingers until you have placed the utilized finger back down.
Make an “O”: Have your fingers and hand straight out. Now, slowly curl your fingers in to create the letter O. Hold this position for a few seconds and straighten your fingers back out. Complete this a few times and then switch hands.
Advertisement
Play with clay: Utilizing clay or a squishy ball you can improve mobility and range of motion by simply squeezing and remodeling clay.
Performing these exercises daily can help strengthen your hands along with reducing pain caused by arthritis.
Related: 8 causes of your joint pain
