Exercise putty is a great tool that you can use to help buildstrengthand dexterity in your hands, fingers, and thumbs. The putty comes in various colors which represent a different amount of resistance.
Use of Therapy Putty for Carpal Tunnel and More
Therapy putty is useful for a variety of different diagnoses, including:
Therapy putty can also be used to help maintain hand strength during periods of immobilization in ashoulder slingafter a shoulder or elbow injury or surgery.
There are many different ways to improve hand and finger strength. You can use a towel to improve hand grip, or specializedexercise tools like a Digi-Flexmay be used to help strengthen your hand, fingers, or thumb.
If you are experiencing hand or finger weakness, visit yourphysical therapistto learn exercises you can do for your specific condition. Your PT may use therapy putty to help improve your strength, and he or she may have you use therapy putty as part of your home exercise program.
1Putty Hand GripVerywell / Brett Sears, PTThe putty hand grip is a simple exercise to do to help improve overall grip strength in your hand.To perform the exercise, ball up your putty and hold it in your hand. Squeeze the putty and hold the tension for 3 to 5 seconds. Release the tension and relax for a few seconds. Then, repeat the gripping for 10 to 15 repetitions.
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Putty Hand GripVerywell / Brett Sears, PTThe putty hand grip is a simple exercise to do to help improve overall grip strength in your hand.To perform the exercise, ball up your putty and hold it in your hand. Squeeze the putty and hold the tension for 3 to 5 seconds. Release the tension and relax for a few seconds. Then, repeat the gripping for 10 to 15 repetitions.
Putty Hand Grip
Verywell / Brett Sears, PT
The putty hand grip is a simple exercise to do to help improve overall grip strength in your hand.
To perform the exercise, ball up your putty and hold it in your hand. Squeeze the putty and hold the tension for 3 to 5 seconds. Release the tension and relax for a few seconds. Then, repeat the gripping for 10 to 15 repetitions.
2Putty Roll OutVerywell / Brett Sears, PTTo gently massage the palm of your hand and practice opening up your fingers and hand fully, perform the putty roll out. This exercise is great formassaging scar tissueafter carpal tunnel surgery.To perform the exercise, place your therapy putty on a flat surface and then slowly press into it with an open hand. Roll the palm of your hand over the putty to make a long putty tube. Ball the putty up again, and then repeat the rolling process five to 10 times.On the final repetition, leave the putty rolled out in a hot dog shape, and proceed to the next exercise: the donut with finger extension.
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Putty Roll OutVerywell / Brett Sears, PTTo gently massage the palm of your hand and practice opening up your fingers and hand fully, perform the putty roll out. This exercise is great formassaging scar tissueafter carpal tunnel surgery.To perform the exercise, place your therapy putty on a flat surface and then slowly press into it with an open hand. Roll the palm of your hand over the putty to make a long putty tube. Ball the putty up again, and then repeat the rolling process five to 10 times.On the final repetition, leave the putty rolled out in a hot dog shape, and proceed to the next exercise: the donut with finger extension.
Putty Roll Out
To gently massage the palm of your hand and practice opening up your fingers and hand fully, perform the putty roll out. This exercise is great formassaging scar tissueafter carpal tunnel surgery.
To perform the exercise, place your therapy putty on a flat surface and then slowly press into it with an open hand. Roll the palm of your hand over the putty to make a long putty tube. Ball the putty up again, and then repeat the rolling process five to 10 times.
On the final repetition, leave the putty rolled out in a hot dog shape, and proceed to the next exercise: the donut with finger extension.
3Putty Donut Shaping and Finger ExtensionVerywell / Brett Sears, PTTo improve the strength of the muscles that help open up your hand and extend your fingers, perform the donut shaping and finger extension exercise.To do this, shape your rolled out therapy putty into a circle, like a donut. Then place your fingers and thumb in the hole and slowly open up your hand.Repeat the donut shaping and finger extension for 10 to 15 repetitions, and then move on to the next exercise.
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Putty Donut Shaping and Finger ExtensionVerywell / Brett Sears, PTTo improve the strength of the muscles that help open up your hand and extend your fingers, perform the donut shaping and finger extension exercise.To do this, shape your rolled out therapy putty into a circle, like a donut. Then place your fingers and thumb in the hole and slowly open up your hand.Repeat the donut shaping and finger extension for 10 to 15 repetitions, and then move on to the next exercise.
Putty Donut Shaping and Finger Extension
To improve the strength of the muscles that help open up your hand and extend your fingers, perform the donut shaping and finger extension exercise.
To do this, shape your rolled out therapy putty into a circle, like a donut. Then place your fingers and thumb in the hole and slowly open up your hand.
Repeat the donut shaping and finger extension for 10 to 15 repetitions, and then move on to the next exercise.
4Putty Finger AbductionVerywell / Brett Sears, PTYou can use your therapy putty to improve your fingers’ ability to open up and separate.To do so, simply make a small donut shape with the therapy putty, and then place two fingers in the hole. Slowly separate your fingers against the resistance of the putty.When your fingers are separated, ball up the putty, roll it out and make a new donut shape. Repeat the exercise 10 to 15 repetitions.
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Putty Finger AbductionVerywell / Brett Sears, PTYou can use your therapy putty to improve your fingers’ ability to open up and separate.To do so, simply make a small donut shape with the therapy putty, and then place two fingers in the hole. Slowly separate your fingers against the resistance of the putty.When your fingers are separated, ball up the putty, roll it out and make a new donut shape. Repeat the exercise 10 to 15 repetitions.
Putty Finger Abduction
You can use your therapy putty to improve your fingers’ ability to open up and separate.
To do so, simply make a small donut shape with the therapy putty, and then place two fingers in the hole. Slowly separate your fingers against the resistance of the putty.
When your fingers are separated, ball up the putty, roll it out and make a new donut shape. Repeat the exercise 10 to 15 repetitions.
5Putty Finger AdductionVerywell / Brett Sears, PTTo improve the strength of the small muscles that help pull your fingers together, perform the putty finger adduction exercise.To do this, make a small ball with your therapy putty, and then squeeze the ball between your fingers. Hold the tension for a few seconds, and then release.Repeat the exercise 10 to 15 repetitions, and then move on to the next exercise.
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Putty Finger AdductionVerywell / Brett Sears, PTTo improve the strength of the small muscles that help pull your fingers together, perform the putty finger adduction exercise.To do this, make a small ball with your therapy putty, and then squeeze the ball between your fingers. Hold the tension for a few seconds, and then release.Repeat the exercise 10 to 15 repetitions, and then move on to the next exercise.
Putty Finger Adduction
To improve the strength of the small muscles that help pull your fingers together, perform the putty finger adduction exercise.
To do this, make a small ball with your therapy putty, and then squeeze the ball between your fingers. Hold the tension for a few seconds, and then release.
Repeat the exercise 10 to 15 repetitions, and then move on to the next exercise.
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Putty Thumb Grip
To do this, make a small ball with your therapy putty, and then squeeze it between your thumb and the side of your fingers. Pretend you are gripping a key in between your thumb and fingers.
Hold the tension for a few seconds, and then release. Repeat the squeezing for 10 to 15 repetitions, and then move on to the final exercise.
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Finger Tip Pinch With Putty
To improve your fingers’ ability to grip things, you can perform the fingertip pinch grip with your therapy putty.
To do so, make a small ball with the putty, and then grip it between your fingers and thumb. Be sure to press into the putty with your fingertips.
Use your fingers to squeeze the putty for 10 to 15 repetitions.
You should perform the putty exercises 3 or 4 times per week to improve hand and finger strength and to improve overall hand function. Be sure to stop an exercise and check with your healthcare provider or PT if it causes pain.
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