What should you know about occupational therapy hand exercises?

The right programme depends on the joints, tendons, nerves and tissues involved. Exercises may include tendon gliding, finger bending and straightening, thumb opposition, wrist movement, grip practice or coordination tasks. Repetition is guided by symptoms and healing stage; a programme after a distal radius fracture is different from one for hand osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.

A therapist may measure movement, grip, sensation and the way you perform a task. Hand therapy can also include splinting, scar care, swelling control and advice about returning to work or hobbies. Exercises support function but do not replace assessment of a new or unexplained problem.

Use the exact technique and frequency taught to you. Move slowly, keep the wrist and fingers aligned as instructed, and stop if you develop sharp pain, increasing swelling, new tingling or loss of colour. Do not add resistance, force a stiff joint or copy a programme designed for another condition.

A short practice session followed by a check of symptoms can help you notice whether the hand settles or becomes more irritable. Keep a record of useful gains, such as fastening buttons or holding a cup, and share setbacks at review.

Contact your therapist or clinician if pain and swelling keep rising after practice, movement suddenly worsens, or a splint causes pressure marks. Seek urgent assessment for a hand that becomes cold, blue or numb, severe injury-related deformity, rapidly spreading redness, or sudden inability to move the fingers.

What is the goal of each exercise? How much discomfort is acceptable? Should I exercise during swelling? When can I add resistance? Do I need a splint or hand therapy referral? Which change means I should stop and call?