Published by

Grace on 4th September 2020

Painful finger joints make everyday life that bit harder. Whether it’s caused by an injury or arthritis, hand pain can make it difficult to do even the simplest of tasks. But if you, or someone you love, is suffering from achy fingers – don’t despair! You can improve your range of motion, increase joint flexibility and reduce discomfort by doing regular hand exercises. 

The Effects of Arthritis

One of most common types of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which occurs when cartilage between the joints wears down. Rheumatoid arthritis, on the other hand, is an autoimmune condition that causes the immune system to attack healthy tissue. 

Although arthritis in hands can be caused by a number of factors, the outcome is often the same. Pain and stiffness, joint deformities and loss of muscle strength are common effects of this painful condition. You might also find that the pain gets worse when you do repetitive tasks, like working on a computer, writing or cooking. 

Hand Exercises for Arthritis

Wondering how to help arthritis in hands? Movement is your friend. The following hand exercises are simple, but they’re also highly effective. To get the best results, make them part of your daily routine. 

1. Make a fist

Try this easy, pain-relieving exercise when your hands feel stiff. To start, hold your left hand out and keep your fingers straight. Then, slowly and gently curl your fingers into a fist, keeping your thumb on the outside. Finally, open your hand again until your fingers are all straight. Do this 10 times with your left hand, before repeating with the left. 

2. Finger bends

Begin with your hand in the same position as the last exercise. Then, bend your thumb towards your palm and hold it for a few seconds. Straighten your thumb before bending your index finger. Repeat with each finger on both of your hands.

3. Make an “O” shape with your hand

This is a great exercise to do when your hands are achy. Put one hand out, keeping your fingers straight. Then, curve all of your fingers inward until they touch, making the shape of an “O”. Hold this position for a few seconds before re-straightening your fingers. 

4. Finger lifts

Want to strengthen the muscles that straighten your fingers? This is the exercise for you. Put your hand flat on a table with your palm down. Slowly lift your thumb off the table and hold it for a couple of seconds, before lowering it again. Continue with each of your fingers, before repeating with your other hand. 

5. Wrist stretches

Regularly stretching your wrists is a great way to maintain flexibility in your joints. Start by resting your forearm on a table with your hand over the edge – palm facing down. Bend your wrist so that fingers point to the ceiling and hold for five seconds. Then, bend your wrist down and hold for another five seconds. Repeat with our other hand.

Treating and Preventing Arthritis in Hands

As there’s currently no cure for arthritis, early recognition and prevention are even more important. Women are more likely to develop the condition than men, and genetics and family history also have an impact. So although you may not be able to completely prevent arthritis, the following steps can help minimise your risk and ease pain:

• Don’t smoke
• Maintain a healthy weight for your height and build
• Try to avoid injuring your joints
• Develop a good posture
• Invest in a ergonomic keyboard if you spend lots of time at a computer
• Do hand exercises to reduce pain and swelling

If you are experiencing pain in your finger joints, you might want to try our small active patches. Ideal for soothing arthritis pain in fingers and wrists, the patches are infused with a patented combination of Vitamin D and dextrose to improve joint, nerve and tissue health. The small joint patch is ideal for wrapping around achy finger joints and over wrists.

A Helping Hand for Arthritis

Chronic hand pain is difficult to deal with, but there are things you can do to minimise its impact on your everyday life. To find the root cause of your pain, it’s important to seek medical advice at an early stage. After that, adding these exercises to your daily routine is a fantastic next step – you might just be surprised by the results!

To Better Days has a range of active patches that help those experiencing sustained discomfort. Our easy to use adhesive patches contain a patented combination of vitamin D and dextrose to offer a topical and targeted option that supports the health of joints, muscles and nerves.