7 exercises against osteoarthritis in the hands

Osteoarthritis of the hands can lead to hand pain and decreased grip strength. Here are seven exercises for osteoarthritis in the hands that both strengthen and provide better function.

The training program with exercises against arthrosis in the hands has been put together by authorized health personnel from Vondtklinikkene Multidisciplinary Health - both physiotherapists and chiropractors. Osteoarthritis causes the breakdown of the articular cartilage that sits between the finger joints. This cartilage should actually work as a shock absorber, but if it is broken down, there will naturally also be less damping during movement. This can cause inflammatory reactions and irritation inside the joint.

- Can go beyond everyday tasks (and jam lids)

When osteoarthritis hits hands and fingers, this can cause both pain and stiff joints. You will also notice that the pain worsens when you use your hands a lot for repetitive tasks - and that weakness in your hands can make even simple things like opening a jam lid or knitting almost impossible.

Tips: Further down in the article you can see the seven exercises in a training video we have made. In addition to this, later in the article, we give advice on good self-measures against hand osteoarthritis, such as the use of specially adapted compression gloves, training with grip trainer and relief with wrist support. These are self-measures that are popular among both rheumatism patients and patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. All product recommendations open in a new browser window.

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Our recommendation: Use compression gloves every day

Perhaps the very best and simplest measure you can get started with is the use of compression gloves. Here you see a specially adapted pair that also contains copper (for extra effect). We strongly recommend these if you have osteoarthritis in your hands. Press here or on the picture to read more about them.

Step by step: 7 exercises against osteoarthritis in the hands

This article will go through seven adapted exercises for osteoarthritis of the hands, step by step - and it is worth noting that they can be safely done daily. At the bottom of the article, you can also read comments from other readers, as well as watch a video with exercises adapted to those with osteoarthritis in the hands. Studies have shown that specific training of the hands is beneficial for hand osteoarthritis - and it has been documented that it both strengthens the grip and improves hand function.¹

VIDEO: 7 exercises against hand arthritis

Here shows chiropractor Alexander Andorff here are the seven exercises we go through in this article. You can read detailed descriptions of how to do the exercises in steps 1 to 7 below.

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1. Clench your fist

An easy and gentle way to maintain strength in your hands, as well as relieve joint pain, is to do simple hand exercises. Such movement can also help keep the tendons and ligaments flexible. The exercises can also contribute to increased joint fluid production (synovial fluid).

- A simple exercise to keep joint fluid and circulation going

The first exercise we go through is related fist. You can do this exercise several times a day - and especially when your hands and fingers feel stiff.

1. Hold the hand with fingers fully extended

2. Clasp your hand in a slow motion, making sure your thumb is outside the other fingers

3. Do it calmly

4. Open your hand again and extend your fingers fully

5. Repeat the exercise 10 times on each hand

2. Bend the fingers

Bending and stretching of the fingers help maintain circulation of both blood and joint fluid. This in turn will make the fingers more moving and less rigid.

1. Hold your hand in front of you with fingers fully extended

2. Start with the thumb and gently bend the finger backwards towards the palm

3. Show consideration

4. Then continue with your index finger and gradually work your way through all five fingers

5. Repeat the exercise 10 times on each hand

3. Thumb bending

The thumb plays a central role in our hand function - and especially in more demanding tasks. This is exactly why it is so important to train the flexibility of the thumb's tendons and joints like the other fingers.

- The building blocks are transported with the blood

We must remember that it is movement and activity that contributes to blood circulation to the muscles, tendons and stiff joints. This increased circulation brings with it repair material and building blocks so that maintenance work can be done on joints and tired muscles.

1. Hold your hand in front of you with fingers fully extended

2. Then gently bend the thumb down towards the palm and the base of the little finger

3. Calm and controlled movements

4. If you don't reach all the way down to the base of the little finger, it doesn't matter - just bend it as far as you can

5. Repeat the exercise 10 times on each hand

– Training in warm water

More movement and gentle exercises are among the key factors to slow the development of osteoarthritis in the hands and fingers, but we would also highly recommend comprehensive training of the whole body to increase total circulation in the body and then training in a hot water pool is something we highly recommend.

Also read: - This is how training in a warm water pool helps with fibromyalgia and rheumatism

4. Make the letter «O»

This hand exercise is just as simple as it sounds - you have to use your fingers to shape the letter "O". This is a comprehensive exercise that includes all the fingers and is therefore great for counteracting stiffness in the hand.

1. Hold your hand in front of you with fingers fully extended

2. Then gently bend your fingers until they form the shape of the letter "O"

3. Extend your fingers fully and hold them fully extended for a few seconds

4. Repeat the exercise 10 times on each hand

5. The exercise can be repeated several times a day

Our recommendation: Self-massage with arnica gel

The use of arnica is widespread among rheumatologists for its effect on joint and muscle pain. It is over the counter and the main ingredient is from the plant mountain arnica. You use it simply by massaging the ointment into stiff and painful joints in the hands and fingers. Press here to read more about it.

5. Table stretching

This exercise is performed with the hand on the table - hence the name.

1. Place the back of your hand on the table with your fingers extended

2. Let the thumb point upwards

3. Extend your fingers fully and hold them fully extended for a few seconds

4. Keep the thumb in the same position - but let the fingers gently bend inwards

5. Then stretch your fingers out again – and hold the position for a few seconds

6. Repeat the exercise 10 times on each hand

7. The exercise can be repeated several times a day

6. Finger lift

Many may think that you can't train your hands and fingers, but where on earth should you not be able to do it? The fingers and hands consist of joints, muscles, nerves, tendons and ligaments; like other parts of the body. So naturally, increased circulation and mobility can contribute to maintenance and to normal functioning.

1. Lay your palm flat against the surface.

2. Start with your thumb - and gently lift it from the ground.

3. Hold the position for a few seconds before lowering your finger again.

4. Work your way through the five fingers gradually.

5. Repeat the exercise 10 times on each hand.

6. The exercise can be repeated several times a day.

When the osteoarthritis is in the more significant osteoarthritis stages (stages 3 and 4) you will often notice that even the simplest tasks and activities become difficult to perform properly - and this can be very frustrating. However, it is important not to lose patience and to maintain focus on your exercises so that the function is not reduced more than necessary.

7. Stretch of wrist and forearm

Several of the muscles and tendons that can contribute to the wrists and pain in the hands attach to the elbows. Therefore, it is essential that you do not forget to stretch and stretch this part of the forearm while doing the exercises.

1. Extend your right arm

2. Grasp your hand with your left arm and gently bend your wrist down until you feel a stretch in your wrist

3. Hold the stretch for 10 seconds

4. Repeat the exercise 10 times on each arm

5. The exercise can be repeated several times a day

Summary: 7 exercises against osteoarthritis in the hands

This seventh and last exercise makes up seven exercises against osteoarthritis that we recommend you do daily. We point out that at the start, working out and doing exercises can contribute to increased circulation and break down damaged tissue in affected muscles and tendons - which in turn can lead to temporary pain. One of the most important things is the continuity of the training. The program therefore consists of these seven exercises:

1. Clench your fist

2. Bend your fingers

3. Thumb flexion

4. The letter O

5. Table cloth

6. Finger lift

7. Sprain of wrist

The exercises can be done daily. One of the most common stretching exercises is to do 3 sets with a 30 second hold on each stretch. For strength and mobility exercises, 10 repetitions and 3 sets are common. Good luck and good training!

Recommended self-measures against hand osteoarthritis

Our clinicians at the Vondtklinikkene Tverrfaglig Helse receive daily questions about what the patient can do themselves for better hand and finger health. At the start of this article we mentioned three specific measures, namely the use of compression gloves, training with grip trainer (or hand trainer) and relief with a wrist support. In addition to these, we have also mentioned how to self-massage for the fingers and hands arnica gel aimed at stiff and painful joints can be beneficial.

Our recommendation: Training with hand and finger trainer

This is quite brilliant training tool for hands and fingers which not many people are familiar with. But it's quite brilliant because it actually trains something we do far too rarely, namely finger extension (bending the fingers backwards). These muscles are often clearly underactive and here many have a lot to gain in the form of increased muscle strength, mobility and function. Press the image or here to read more about this recommended hand trainer.

As you can see, there is quite a lot you can do even with osteoarthritis in the hands. The most important thing is that you decide to get started and "take hold" of your problems.

Tips for strain injuries: Orthopedic wrist support

This is a high-quality wrist support which relieves both fingers and hands in an efficient and good way. This is well suited for periods when you want to give your hands and fingers a well-deserved break, so that the areas can heal themselves. Examples where this is extra good include typical injuries that need relief - such as tendinitis in the wrist or carpal tunnel syndrome. Press here to read more about our recommended wrist support.

A combination of activity, exercises and relief is always necessary for optimal healing of injuries and repair. If you are unsure of how to proceed, you are welcome to contact us or one of our clinic departments for help and guidance.

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Article: 7 exercises against osteoarthritis in the hands

Written by: Our publicly authorized chiropractors and physiotherapists at Vondtklinikkene

Fact check: Our articles are always based on serious sources, research studies and research journals - such as PubMed and the Cochrane Library. Please contact us if you spot any errors or have comments.

Sources and research

1. Rogers et al, 2007. The effects of strength training among persons with hand osteoarthritis: a two-year follow-up study. J Hand Ther. 2007 Jul-Sep;20(3):244-9; quiz 250.

Next page: - This is what you should know about osteoarthritis in the hands

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