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Date issued: February 2024

Review date: February 2026

Ref: C-568/JT/Occupational Therapy/Thumb Exercises and Advice

PDF:  Thumb Exercises and Advice 2024.pdf[pdf] 429KB

​​​​​​Swelling

Swelling is normal and can take months to resolve. Try to keep your hand elevated. When sitting down, put some pillows on the arm of the chair to rest your hand above the level of your heart and use a sling when you are walking around.

Once any wounds are healed and the splint/support/strapping can be removed contrast bathing is an excellent way to ease the swelling, stiffness, and pain in your hand.

Fill one bowl with water hot enough to comfortably tolerate and another with cold water and ice cubes/unopened bag of frozen peas. Immerse your hand in each bowl for 30 seconds at a time starting in the hot water repeat 7 times ending in the hot water. You can repeat this regularly throughout the day to help with pain and swelling.

Exercise

It is normal for your joints to feel stiff and uncomfortable after an injury, but this will ease by doing regular exercises.

The below exercises are specific exercises which promote the motion of tendons in the surrounding soft tissues. These exercises also help to reduce swelling in your hand.

Your therapist will advise you which specific exercises to do that are safe for your condition/injury and when to start them.

The following exercises are to be performed:…..….times a day.

Each movement is to be performed for:……repetitions.

Holding each position for:………..…seconds.

Exercise 1

Top joint of your thumb

• Use your other hand to hold your thumb just below the top joint.

• Bend down the top joint of your thumb.

• Straighten your thumb.

Exercise 2

Knuckle joint of your thumb

Exercise 2

Bottom joint of thumb

• Use your other hand to hold just below the knuckle joint of your thumb.

• Bend down the knuckle joint of your thumb.

• Straighten your thumb.

Exercise 3

Basal joint of your thumb

• Rest the back of your hand on a table.

• Raise your thumb above your index finger.

• Move your thumb across the palm.

• Move your thumb back to the starting position.

Exercise 4

Thumb extension

• Rest the back of your hand on the table or place your palm on the table.

• Move your thumb next to your index finger.

• Straighten your thumb.

Exercise 5

Thumb opposition exercises

• Move your thumb to touch the tip of your   index finger, aiming to make a good “O” shape with the tip of your thumb and finger.

• Repeat the same movement with your thumb and other fingers.

• Proceed to touching the little finger if pain free.​​​​​​​

Exercise 6

​​​​​​​Flexion exercise

• Move the thumb across the palm to touch the tip of ring or little finger if possible.

• Gradually slide and bend your thumb down the finger to the palm.

Exercise 7

Thumb circumduction

• Gently move your thumb in circular motion, both clockwise and anti-clockwise.