Almost anyone who has played a sport involving a ball has probably suffered a finger injury. Even the mildest injury to a finger can have long-term consequences, such as limited range of motion and decreased grip strength. According to the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, regardless of the severity of the injury, prompt attention from an orthopedist can make an important difference in the patient's long-term recovery and ability to continue participating in sports.
Sock Squeeze
Squeezing a balled up sock not only increases strength of the fingers, it also improves joint range of motion and can be performed anywhere. To be effective the athlete should perform this exercise for one to five minutes, at least three times per day. The balled up sock should be one that fits comfortably in the athlete's hand and they can grip it easily.
The exercise is performed by squeezing and gripping the sock and then releasing repeatedly for one minute. According to the Summit Medical Group, if the injured finger cannot make a fist, the athlete can assist the movement with the other hand.
Rice
To perform this exercise, the athlete puts enough uncooked rice into a bowl that he can completely bury his hand in it. Mixed in with the rice, place some small objects, like a penny, a paperclip, and a marble. Using all of the small muscles of the fingers and hand, the athlete attempts to dig through the bowl of rice and locate each item. Have the athlete perform this exercise for one to three minutes.
If the athlete has a very stiff, achy finger joint, it can be helpful to warm the uncooked rice in a microwave, prior to adding the extra items. The warm rice helps increase finger joint mobility.
Elastic Band Exercises
Have the athlete put all of his fingers together into a point, as if making a bird beak, and place an elastic band around them. The athlete then tries to spread all of the fingers away from each other and against the elastic band and slowly back to the starting position, repeating 25 times. This exercise will strengthen the muscles of the back and sides of the fingers and hand.
The athlete can make this exercise harder by using a thicker elastic band or doubling the elastic band.
Long-Term Consequences
It is important for the athlete to take proper care immediately following any injury to a finger to minimize any long-term consequences. According to the Hospital for Special Surgery, if the athlete's finger is fractured, failure to get timely treatment will eventually result in arthritis and considerable pain, which could be avoided with the proper treatment.
Member Comments