Activities to Increase or Decrease Clawing PatternsFUNCTIONAL HAND ACTIVITIES These directions are intended for home treatment and not as a prescription for use by a professional therapist. Activities to Increase or Decrease Clawing Patterns 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 the function 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 hand 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 hand within 1 hour after your daily exercises. ACTIVITIES To Increase Clawing Pattern 1. Curl fingertips around a broomstick with the base joint of your fingers straight. Hold briefly. Progress to a pencil, then a wire coat hanger. Keep the base joints of your fingers straight. 2. Using only the last two joints of your fingers, pick up standing dominoes and place them in a container. 3. Flatten a ball of clay or Theraplast on a table. Dig all your fingertips into the clay, and then pull your fingers toward the palm. Keep the base joint of the fingers straight. As an alternative, try wadding up a towel in the same fashion. 4. With your arm at the side, hold a pail by the handle on the end section of fingers, keeping the base joints of your fingers straight. Then move the pail handle toward the palm by curling your fingers up but leaving the base joints straight. For more specific strengthening, use one finger at a time. To Decrease Clawing Pattern 1. Lift and carry a piece of paper between the thumb and the pads of the fingers, keeping the base joint of the fingers bent but the other finger joints straight. Progress from a piece of paper to a larger heavy book. 2. Roll clay or Theraplast into a oblong ball. Pinch together with the pads of the fingers. 3. Make a tall clay bowl by the ‘inch pot' method. 4. Make a small rug using the Turkish knotting technique. 5. Play a harmonica, holding it with the extended fingers of the involved hand. 6. Take a bowl of marbles and a piece of cardboard with a hole 3 inches in diameter in the middle. Place the cardboard over the bowl and pick marbles out of it, through the hole using extended fingers. 7. With your arm at the side, hold a pail by the handle on the end section of your fingers, palm up, base joints bent, and other finger joints straight. Hold the pail as long as you can. If it is too easy, gradually fill the pail with water and repeat the activity. |
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