Activities to Increase Straightening of the FingersFUNCTIONAL HAND ACTIVITIES These directions are intended for home treatment and not as a prescription for use by a professional therapist Activities to Increase Straightening of the Fingers GOAL. To improve hand function through activities of gradually increasing difficulty, you should work toward achieving smooth coordinated movement and full active range of motion in the involved joints. Be persistent in doing these activities. Your determination helps assure the greatest possible improvement in your ability to straighten your fingers. The muscles that straighten the fingers are weaker than the muscles that bend the fingers; therefore, you must train yourself to think consciously and conscientiously about straightening the fingers during daily use of your hand. PRECAUTIONS. Avoid sudden or quick movements. Do not continue these activities to the point of muscle trembling or pain. Rest when your finger function slows or becomes less accurate. No resistive activities should be done before resistive ones. You will have better results if you do one of the functional activities for the thumb within 1 hour after your daily exercises. Initial finger straightening activities should be done within the active range only. Resistive activities are generally started several weeks later. During the following activities, be sure to avoid bending your wrist down if possible; it is best to try to bend the wrist up. ACTIVITIES Light Finger Straightening Activities 1. Nudge cotton or paper balls across a table using straightening movements of your fingers. 2. Place palm flat on table. Then raise and lower fingers, one by one. 3. Keep time to music with each finger. 4. Balance a quarter on the back of the middle part of your index finger and attempt to move the coin from index finger to little finger and back again. Repeat. 5. Pick up progressively larger jar lids or small boxes. 6. Unroll and roll a large elastic bandage. 7. Grasp a large sponge or soft plastic ball gently and release fully. 8. Flick cards off a deck, one at a time, using the involved finger. 9. Build card houses. 10. Type on manual typewriter. Be sure to lift the fingers. 11. Play the piano. Keep wrist in neutral position and lift the fingers. 12. Finger straightening activities for children: finger painting, jigsaw puzzles with large pieces, shadow games, cloths hand puppets with big mouths, yo yo. Make sure the child uses his fingers, not his wrist for these activities. Resistive Finger Straightening Activities 1. Flatten a ball of clay or Theraplast on a table. 2. Push fingertips into clay or Theraplast and attempt to work your way out of the material by extending your fingers. 3. Flick lead fishing sinkers across a table. 4. Extend your fingers against the resistance of rubber bands, using thicker and thicker bands to give increasing resistance. 5. San something like an old table top, using a large flat sanding block and placing your fingers straight on the block. 6. Dust, wash, and scrub using an open hand on the rag. 7. Use paste wax on a car or table top with open hand buff to a high shine. |
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