Hand Therapy
Exercises
FOR STROKE PATIENTS
Stroke survivors know that recovery is
a process, and hand movement can be
one of the most difficult functions
to recover. Hand therapy exercises can
help you regain fine motor skills, and
with so many exercises to choose from,
it's important to experiment until
you find the one that works best for you.
Here, we provide 35 exercises you
can add to your home therapy routine.
And as always—Flint Rehab is here
to support and guide you along the way.
Let's get moving.
pg 4 STRETCHING EXERCISES
pg 5 EASY HAND EXERCISES
pg 6 ROTATION & SHIFT EXERCISES
pg 7 HAND EXERCISES
Levels 1 / 2 / 3
pg 16 THERAPY BALL EXERCISES
pg 19 THERAPY PUTTY EXERCISES
Stretching Exercises
Functional stretching can improve outcomes in your
regular stroke therapy exercise regimen.
Here are two simple hand stretches you can add today.
1 WRIST EXTENSION
AND FLEXION
With your forearm on a table,
hang your hand off the side of
the table, palm down. Move your
hand up and down, bending at
your wrist. When you’re done,
repeat with your palm facing up.
2 THUMB EXTENSION
AND FLEXION
Starting with an open palm,
practice moving your thumb over
to your pinky side, as if you were
signaling the number 5 and then 4.
Continue moving your thumb back
and forth between these positions.
4
Easy Hand Exercises
For those with some hand movement, there's many simple
household items you can use to build mobility in your hands
after stroke. Try these six exercises with everyday items.
SIX SIMPLE EXERCISES
1. Stacking coins
2. Pinching clothespins
3. Playing board games
(like chess or checkers!)
4. Putting together a puzzle
5. Playing the piano
6. Playing a virtual piano app
These exercises can get boring
fast, so if you’re looking
for some effective, musical fun,
we recommend our
MusicGlove hand therapy device.
5
Rotation & Shift Exercises
Once you’ve mastered the complex hand
manipulation exercises, you’ll be ready to work on
performing rotation and shift exercises.
1 ROTATION
EXERCISE
With your forearm on a table,
hang your hand off the side of
the table, palm down. Move your
hand up and down, bending at
your wrist. When you’re done,
repeat with your palm facing up.
2 SHIFT
EXERCISE
Hold the pen in a writing position
between your thumb, index, and
middle finger. Shift it forward until
you’re holding the end of the pen.
Shift the pen back until you’re
holding the tip again. Think about
inching your fingers along the pen.
6
Hand Exercises LEVEL 1
For these level one hand therapy exercises, featuring Barbara
Brewer, COTA, you'll need a tabletop. If you're starting
out with little hand movement, then these exercises from our
FlintFit stroke therapy program are a great place to start.
1 PALM UP
AND DOWN
Place your hand on a tabletop
with your palm facing up.
Use your non-affected hand to
help flip your palm down.
Repeat back and forth.
By using only a finger from your
non-affected hand to assist
the back and forth movement,
you're working on moving your
affected hand by itself as much
as possible. This helps your brain
rewire itself.
7
2 WRIST BEND
MOVEMENT
While keeping your elbow on
the table, use your non-affected
hand to stretch your affected
hand at the wrist.
Stretch backward.
Then stretch forward.
Slowly repeat the movement.
8
3 WRIST SIDE
MOVEMENT
Place your affected hand on the
table with your palm down.
Use your non-affected hand to
slide your hand to left, then right.
Focus on initiating the movement
solely from your wrist.
Slowly repeat the movement.
9
Hand Exercises LEVEL 2
Once you've regained some movement in your hand, you're
ready for level two exercises with Barbara Brewer, COTA.
You can warm up with level one exercises—then grab a tabletop,
a pen, and a full water bottle when you're ready to dive in.
1 ROLLING
MOVEMENT
Put your affected arm on the
table and place a water bottle
in your affected hand. Keep your
hand and fingers relaxed.
Curl your fingers in and grasp
the water bottle in your hand.
Then release back down.
10
2 WRIST
CURL
This exercise is much like a bicep
curl, except for your wrist!
Grasp the water bottle still in
your affected hand.
Use your non-affected hand to
prop and support your arm.
11
3 GRIP AND
RELEASE
Place a pen to the side of
the table and then grip it with
your affected fingers.
Slide the pen across the table
and release. Make sure you grip
the pen gently, using as little
force as necessary to move it.
Repeat back and forth
across the table.
12
Hand Exercises LEVEL 3
For stroke patients who have regained some hand movement
and are ready for a greater challenge, you're ready to move
on to more complex level three exercises. You'll need a tabletop,
a pen, and eight quarters.
1 PEN
SPIN
Place the pen on the table and use
your thumb and fingers to spin it.
Try not to use your shoulder during
this movement.
You want to isolate your
thumb and fingers. Aim for
speed during this exercise.
Spin the pen quick!
13
2 COIN
DROP
Place 8 quarters in a row in the
palm of your affected hand.
Use your thumb to slide one
quarter down into your index
finger and thumb, so that you're
pinching the quarter.
Place it on the table. As you place
it down, keep the remaining
quarters in hand with your
remaining fingers. Repeat and
place each quarter down on the
table one by one.
14
3 FINGER
CURL
Bend your affected arm and place
your elbow on the table.
Make little “O’s” with your fingers
by bringing the tip of your index
finger to the tip of your thumb.
Pinch, and release.
Repeat with your middle,
ring, and pinkie finger.
Pinch, and release.
15
Therapy Ball Exercises
To increase strength and dexterity in your hands after stroke,
hand therapy ball exercises are a great, affordable option.
Try out any of these eight exercises using your therapy ball.
1 POWER
GRIP
Squeeze the ball with your
fingers and thumb.
2 PINCH
EXERCISE
Pinch the ball with your fingers
and thumb extended.
16
3 THUMB
EXTENSION
Roll the ball up and down your
palm by flexing and extending
your thumb.
4 TABLE
ROLL
Roll ball from tip of
fingers to palm.
5 FINGER
FLEXION
Press your fingers into the ball.
17
6 THUMB
ROLL
Roll the ball in a circular motion
with your thumb.
7 THUMB
OPPOSITION
Use your thumb to roll the
ball from the left to the right side
of your palm.
8 FINGER
SQUEEZE
Squeeze the ball with two fingers.
18
Therapy Putty Exercises
Therapy putty exercises are a popular hand therapy option.
They’re affordable and fun to use, so grab your putty and try
out these eight exercises today.
1 FINGER
SCISSORS
Roll your putty into a ball and
squeeze it between your fingers.
2 FINGERTIP
PINCH
Take your rolled up putty and pinch
it using your thumb and fingertips.
19
3 POWER
GRIP
Grab your putty and squeeze
all your fingers into it.
4 FLAT
PINCH
Use your straightened fingers
to pinch the putty
down into your thumb.
5 FINGER
SPREAD
Take your putty, stretch it out,
and wrap it around two fingers
to form a donut shape.
Then spread your fingers apart.
20
6 FINGER
EXTENSION
Bend one of your fingers to
make a hook and wrap the putty
around the back of your finger.
Once you’re set up, straighten your
finger using the putty as resistance.
7 FINGER
SPREAD
Take the putty, stretch it out, and
wrap it around your hand in a
donut shape while keeping your
fingers together. Spread your
fingers out to stretch the putty out.
8 FULL
GRIP
Take the putty and form it into
a ball and squeeze down,
pressing your fingers into your palm.
21
The best way to see results?
Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity is how your brain rewires itself and heals after stroke.
When there's damage in the brain, neuroplasticity allows your brain
to rewire new connections around the damage.
If stroke damaged the motor cortex of your brain, for example,
then you may have impaired leg movement. In order to regain leg
movement, you can engage neuroplasticity to rewire your brain!
Which begs the question, how can you engage neuroplasticity?
Repetitive practice.
By doing the same motions again and again, you're strengthening
the new neural connections and ingraining them in your brain.
The stronger those connections become, the stronger you become.
Repetitive practice is the fastest way to recovery after stroke.
Improve hand function
even faster with MusicGlove.
MusicGlove improves mobility by motiviating users to perform hundreds
of therapeutic hand and finger exercises while playing an engaging
musical game. The more you practice, the more your brain has the
stimulation it needs to create new neural pathways.
Start your home therapy with MusicGlove.
Learn more today at [Link]/product/musicglove-hand-therapy
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—
Christine, September 10, 2020
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