Top Hand Therapy Exercises
We spoke with Summit Orthopedics hand therapist Sara Balster, MS, OTR/L, CHT, to learn about the top hand therapy exercises you can do to stay limber and pain-free.

What kind of hand therapy exercises are best to help with grip strength, range of motion, and flexibility? We asked Summit Orthopedics hand therapist Sara Balster, MS, OTR/L, CHT, to share her best hand therapy exercises to help with common hand symptoms.
“The hand therapy exercises we use vary a lot. They’re tailored to the individual’s needs based on a detailed evaluation,” Balster said. “But in general, if you have stiffness and tightness to work on, there are a few exercises that can help.”
Top three general hand therapy exercises
Note: If you want to see photos or videos of these exercises, just type the name of the exercise into your favorite search engine.
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Tendon gliding exercises
— “This is a set of movements that should be performed in order,” Balster said.
- Rest your elbow on a tabletop, fingers pointing straight to the ceiling.
- Then bend the middle and tip joints of your fingers into a hook fist.
- Next, bend the knuckles down into a full fist.
- Then, keeping your big knuckles bent, straighten the middle and end joints of the fingers to make a “tabletop.”
- Finally, bend the middle joint of your fingers, with the goal of getting your fingertips to touch your palm. “We call this last position a straight fist,” Balster said.
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Wrist range of motion exercises
- Begin by bending your wrist forward, then moving your wrist backward.
- Bring your arm by your side with your elbow at 90 degrees.
- Rotate your hand, so your palm is facing the ceiling.
- Then, rotate your palm, so it faces the ground.
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Forearm stretching exercises
- Hold the affected arm in front of you, palm down.
- Use your other hand to gently press the wrist down to feel a stretch at the top of your forearm.
- Then, in the same position, stretch your wrist and fingers back to feel a stretch along the bottom of your forearm.
For every exercise, Balster advised, “Go slowly. You want to feel a gentle, comfortable stretch, but stop before you feel any pain.”
More resources for you:
- Find out how hand therapy can help arthritis
- Learn more about the common reasons athletes may need hand surgery
- Learn how cold weather can impact arthritis
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