The Thera-Band company makes numerous hand exercise tools. Examples include bands, hand-exercise balls, which have a putty-like substance, and the rubber Thera-Band FlexBar. These inexpensive products strengthen the hand, wrist and forearm and improve manual dexterity. The Thera-Band Academy, which is the company's research and education department, created a series of hand-strengthening exercises that use these products.
Pronation/Supination
Pronation and supination are essential hand movements. Supination involves turning your palm upward, as if you were holding a can of soup. Pronation turns the palm downward, as if you were pouring the soup into a bowl. Arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome may limit these movements. Supination/pronation exercises strengthen the muscles that support these actions, and help restore functional hand use.
Place a Thera-Band under your foot, and hold it with one hand. Rest your wrist, elbow and forearm on your thigh, with your palm facing up. Slowly turn your palm down, against the resistance of the band. Perform 10 repetitions on each hand.
Finger Abduction
Repetitive hand movement patterns may cause repetitive strain injuries. People who spend their days working at a computer rarely abduct, or stretch their fingers apart. The finger abduction exercise balances the hand muscles by moving then out of the position in which they are held throughout the day.
Wrap a small Thera-Band around all five fingers. Stretch you fingers apart against the band's resistance. Hold the contraction for five seconds. Repeat 10 times.
Finger Adduction
Finger dislocations impede the ability to adduct, or move the fingers toward each other. The Thera-Band hand exercise ball provides finger adduction exercise. Place the putty ball between each pair of fingers. Squeeze them together and hold the contraction for five seconds. Repeat with the next pair of fingers.
Finger Pinch
An August, 2001 study published in the "Journals of Gerontology" details the correlation between finger pinch strength and manual dexterity. Lead author VK Ranganathan reported that finger exercise improved pinch strength, hand steadiness and manual movement speed. Pinch the Thera-Band hand exercise ball between the thumb and each finger. Hold the contraction for five seconds.
FlexBar
If you have trouble opening ketchup bottles, you might need the Thera-Band FlexBar. Physical therapists at the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York developed the product to treat tennis elbow, but it is also effective for carpal tunnel and other hand and wrist problems. Bend your left elbow and hold the bottom of the FlexBar in a vertical position, keeping your elbow close to your body. Keep your forearm stable and extend your left wrist, so that your thumb moves in the direction of your head. Maintain wrist extension and hold the top end with your right hand, with your palm facing away from your body. Flex your right wrist to twist the top of the bar. Keep your left wrist extended and your right wrist flexed. Straighten your arms and bring them in front of your body at chest height. "Untwist" the bar by flexing your right wrist. Repeat the process five times, and then switch sides.
References
- Thera-Band Academy: The Tyler Twist using the Thera-Band FlexBar
- Ohio State University Medical Center: Thera-Putty Exercise
- "The New York Times": Phys Ed: An Easy Fix for Tennis Elbow?
- Wichita State University: Effect of an 8-week Hand Exercise Program on Older Women with Osteoarthritis
- PhysioAdvisor: Hand Strengthening Exercise
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