How can hand therapy reshape our bodies? This question is stuck in our minds while performing simple hand exercises. Well! The answer is that it can strengthen the muscles and provide skill in the hand and fingers.
Hand therapy exercises with the help of gifts for stress relief and stress ball hands help to gain normal hand functions. So hand therapy is best after a neurological disorder like stroke or brain injury, where the movement of the hand is limited, or muscles get tensed.
In the case of arthritis, the small joints get weak and become painful. Hand therapy, in this case, lessens the chances of worsening the state by reducing swelling and pain. It is also helpful in case of nerve injury.
For example, hand movements get limited when the median nerve is damaged from an accident. Hand exercises nurse to restore the standard shape of the hand. Have you an idea about what is at hand therapy?
What is hand therapy?
Do you want to restore your hand functions without surgical intervention? Hand Therapy is one of the best techniques to gain a full range of motion of your hand with the help of simple exercises.
The main goal of hand therapy is to provide emotional and psychological support while focusing on restoring hand function. The treatment is a combination of occupational therapy and physiotherapy.
Each technique plays its unique role. The ultimate goal of each treatment is to work typically with your hand. You can do daily activities more easily, like holding a pen or turning off a fan. Let's discuss each therapy individually.
Occupational therapy
Occupational therapy helps to manage scars and wounds, retraining and splinting. It enables the patient to do activities of daily living by using gifts for stress relief in various shapes and sizes.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy plays a crucial role in hand therapy as it involves different exercises. Like stretching, mobilisation, and ultrasound therapy to achieve a pain-free range of motion of the hand.
How to do hand exercises?
Hand therapy involves a bunch of exercises ranging from simple to complex ones. These includes:
Stretching Exercises
Stretching exercises are used when the hand is highly stuffy or paralyzed after a neurological injury. In such cases, stretching exercises help regain the affected hand's normal function with the help of an unaffected hand.
Some of the simple stretches that you can do by yourself are:
Thumb Flexion and Extension
Thumb is most commonly affected in case of stroke as it moves inside the palm. So try to do a flexion-extension of the thumb to prevent its tightness. Move your thumb between numbers four and five.
Wrist Stretches
Wrist stretches are difficult when performed initially. Although your fingers are interlaced, try to bend your fingers gently backward. Now give a stretch and maintain it for 20 seconds. After that, release the fingers and repeat.
Wrist Flexion and Extension
Wrist exercises are essential for achieving mastery. You can place your hand on a table with your palm facing up and try to do flexion and extension. When you are done with it, put your palm facing down and repeat it.
Inner Arm Stretches
Inner arm stretches help you to gain relaxation of the inner side muscles of the arm. Place your hand in your lap and tangle your fingers with your palm facing up. Give a gentle stretch and hold it for a few seconds.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy helps you to achieve pain-free movement of the hand and fingers. There are multiple types, like mobilization of joints, strengthening exercises, and many more. These includes:
Wrist Movements
If you want to improve the flexibility of the wrist, try to do wrist movements in all directions. This involves:
Wrist Side Bending
Wrist Curl
Grip and release
Grip a pencil and move it across the table. Does it fall? If yes, then do practice and more practice to strengthen your grip. This helps to perform daily activities.
Spin Movements
Spinning the pencil or pen with the help of the thumb and index finger helps you to achieve an acceptable motor activity in your hand.
Rolling Movements
Roll a bottle full of water on a table back and forth. This helps to gain full-range movements of the wrist. You can also place the bottle in your palm and curl your fingers up and down.
Hand-Strengthening Exercises with the Help of Therapy Ball
When a part is affected by a stroke, it becomes weak and requires a lot of struggle to restore normal function—hand- strengthening exercises with the help of a therapy ball assist.
Some of the joint exercises are:
Pinch the ball
Grip the ball
Roll the ball
Squeeze the ball
Curl around the ball
Exercises to Perform at Home
What is best to visit your therapist daily that charges hefty fees or start performing some exercises at home? Of course, it's better to do exercises at home with no charges at all. So, what are you waiting for if you can move your hand?
Try these simple exercises:
Gifts for Stress Relief:
Gifts for stress relief are small items available in various shapes and sizes. They help to achieve fine motor activities and also reduce stress.
Stress Ball Relief
Stress ball relief strengthens the flexor muscles and relaxes the extensor muscles. It also helps to fight against stress and anxiety.
Coin Stacking
Coin stacking is one of the best exercises to improve fine motor skills and coordination. Try to stack coins of different sizes.
Board Games
Board games like chess and checkers help in brain activation, like scanning, decision-making, and sequencing tasks at greater ease.
Play with Clay
When you play with clay, it not only improves proprioception but also helps to release stress. Always try to make dough out of clay with your hand.
Solve the Puzzles
Do you want to improve your hand coordination skills? Solving the puzzle assists you in gaining the best coordination play you want.
What are the benefits of hand therapy to the overall body?
As already mentioned, hand therapy is essential in providing mobility, function, and movement of the affected part or limb. Hand therapy reduces pain in the case of a nerve problem like carpal tunnel syndrome.
Similarly, fine motor activities are involved when chronic conditions affect the joints. Hand therapy helps to renew all the restricted movements. When the affected parts are restored, the overall body conditions improve.
How can I improve my hand function with hand therapy?
Hand therapy is a combination of occupational and manual therapy. It means you can gain normal function of your hand with simple exercises. It is the most conservative method, which is as effective as surgery.
Hand therapy helps to improve your hand functions with the help of stretches and physiotherapy tools. It reduces pain and provides speedy recovery. If you have any problem regarding the difficulty in performing functions, try hand therapy.
Final Verdict
Hand therapy targets achieving a healthy hand that performs movements in a pain-free range. It combines different techniques and items like stress ball hands or gifts for stress relief, and the ultimate goal is to provide proper functioning hands.
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