ZocdocAnswersWhat hand exercises can help minimize the effects of arthritis?


What hand exercises can help minimize the effects of arthritis?

I am a 28 year old guitarist with arthritis. Are there hand exercises I can do to ease the pain?


I am sorry to hear that you are suffering from this. I wonder, in part, if you have seen a doctor for the arthritis? Because you are quite young to be suffering from arthritis of the hands. This raises the possibility that you have a non-age related form of arthritis, like rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis, which are autoimmune diseases rather than the simple wear and tear arthritis of old age. If you have not, you definitely should see your doctor. This is because autoimmune arthritis conditions like rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis have good medical treatments to reduce the inflammation and prevent or slow long term joint damage. This should be the mainstay of your focus, as hand exercises will not help much if you have a raging inflammatory process. That being said, hand exercises can be useful to help stay limber and improve your hand mobility. You can find descriptions of various types of exercises on reputable health web sites, but common exercises include "walking" your fingers over a flat surface, repetitively touching your fingers and thumb together in succession, and full extending your fingers before making a fist. Talk to your primary care doctor or rheumatologist if you have more questions.

