How To Exercise My Left Hand When It Is Fractured

You have 27 bones in your left hand, and it does not take much to fracture one of them. For bad breaks that result in the bone being shattered, crushed or displaced, many times surgery is necessary to help the bones heal. If the fracture is not too severe, many times doctors can straighten the bones manually and wrap with a cast. While your left hand may be largely immobile, you can still exercise your hand if you proceed with caution.

Step 1

Wiggle your fingers. This should be done as soon as you can after your hand is placed in a cast, so that you can help counteract the stiffness that will inevitably set in. Moving them too quickly or vigorously can cause pain, so be sure to move the fingers on your left hand gently as to not cause pain in your hand.

Step 2

Squeeze a tennis ball. You may not be able to exert much force on the ball without causing pain, but squeezing the ball help fight atrophy, which is when your muscles start to wither. Squeezing a tennis ball allows you to contract your muscles with an opposing forces, without moving the joint or the bones in your left hand too much.

Step 3

Stretch your wrist muscles. Place your left hand palm up and gently place your right hand palm down on your left hand. Push the tips of your left fingers into your right fingertips, which forces your wrist muscles to flex. There is minimal stress placed on your hand, but you can help keep your muscles strong.