Elbow, wrist and hand guide
Wrist and Hand Movements
Education, not a prescription
The movements below are examples from NHS hospital patient leaflets. They are not a treatment plan, and they may not be right for you. Whether to do them at all, and how much and how often, depends on your own evaluation.
Check these first
See the full safety checklist
Skip these movements and contact a medical professional first if:
- you have had a recent fall or injury, or your wrist, hand or fingers look misshapen;
- numbness, tingling or weakness is getting worse; or
- you do not know what is causing your symptoms. A website cannot diagnose you.
Three educational examples
Card 1
Wrist bend
- What it moves
- The wrist, forwards and backwards.
- How it is usually done
- Rest your forearm on a table with your hand over the edge and your fingers relaxed. Slowly bend your wrist down, then up. Move gently, without forcing.
- How long and how often
- Set by your physical therapist.
Card 2
Forearm turn
- What it moves
- The forearm, turning the palm down and up.
- How it is usually done
- Bend your elbow to a right angle and keep it against your side. Keeping your wrist straight, slowly turn your palm down to face the floor, then up to face the ceiling.
- How long and how often
- Set by your physical therapist.
Card 3
Tendon glides
- What it moves
- The fingers, through a sequence of hand positions.
- How it is usually done
- Start with your wrist and fingers straight. Bend the fingers at the knuckles while keeping them straight (a "table top"), then bend the middle joints so the fingertips touch the palm (a flat fist), and straighten again. Then curl just the small joints into a hook, roll down into a full fist, and straighten again. Move gently and slowly.
- How long and how often
- Set by your physical therapist.
Where exercise fits in Physical Therapy
If you see a Shanti physical therapist, your evaluation decides whether any of these movements belong in your plan, how they are adjusted, and what else might be included.
When to stop
See the full safety checklist
Stop the movement, and contact your physical therapist or another medical professional, if:
- you feel sharp or sudden pain;
- pain keeps building while you move;
- symptoms are worse later that day or the next morning; or
- you notice new numbness, tingling or swelling.
A gentle stretching feeling can be expected. Pain is a reason to stop, not to push through.
Request an appointment
Send a request and we will contact you by the next business day. Submitting a request does not confirm an appointment; your appointment is confirmed only after the clinic responds.