Let Your Fingers Do the Walking
"Let your fingers do the walking while you do the talking" is an old advertising slogan, most commonly associated with the Yellow Pages phone directory, meaning that instead of physically going around to find what you need, you can easily find information by browsing through the directory with your fingers, all while still discussing your needs verbally with someone. (Source: AI)
A vendor at the farmers market told me her fingers were becoming arthritic. She is under 40 years old. I told her I did not know much about medical care for arthritic fingers, but that I would research finger exercises for her. I don’t use Yellow Pages any more, but do use the Internet.
Mayo Clinic suggests consulting with a physician if you're experiencing swelling, redness, and warmth around the joint. If the joint pain is severe, if the pain has surfaced in multiple joints, and/or if you're dealing with other “unrelated” arthritis symptoms, such as fever, skin rash, or weight loss, a trip to the doctor is necessary, states UMass Memorial Medical Center. Source: Prevention Magazine: “Arthritis of the Hand: What to Know About Hand Osteoarthritis” by Amy Capetta, Sept. 6, 2022.
The Mayo Clinic article states that 1 in 4 adults are diagnosed with arthritis, mostly females. (50% of females by 85). Here are some home remedies mentioned in the article: stretching, topicals, over-the-counter pain relievers, heat and ice, supplements, arthritis friendly devices, special office supplies, occupational therapy, hand exercises.
Best Hand Strengtheners
Hand strengtheners abound on the Internet. The Chicago Tribune lists five best and explains why:
GD Iron Grip Hand Grip Strengthener
The Friendlyt Swede Hand Grip/Stress Relief Balls
Mandrill Hand Grip Strengthener 4-Pack
Gripmaster Hand Exerciser
IronMind Captains of Crush Hand Gripper.
Following are two other hand exercisers that I came across:
MELT Hand Therapy Balls (I’ve used these for years)
If you like to garden, you might already have an ergonomic hand pruner, which I use to exercise my hand. Top5USA.com lists the 2024 Best Pruners for Arthritic Hands .
Hand and Finger Exercises
There’s no shortage of ways you can exercise your hands and fingers. Here are a few: Knuckle bend, Fist stretch, Thumb stabilization, Fingertip touch, Finger walk. Source: Mayo Clinic.
As part of my exercise regime, I do finger and hand exercises in my strength and stretch classes, yoga classes, and gyrokinesis classes. Over the years, I also learned finger and hand exercises through the Melt Method and yoga chants. Resources:
Melt Method: Finger compression, Knuckle decompression, Finger rinse, Friction, Glide and shear, Interlaced hands, Thumb pads Source: Generative AI.
SaTaNaMa Mantra: Finger exercise performed to a chant.
More of my exercise posts :
Moving Forward
There can be many causes of arthritic fingers. Individuals of all ages can practice strengthing and stretching exercises. A physiotherapist can help figure out how much exercise is appropriate for a child with Juvenile Ideopathic Arthritis.
.Whatever the cause, you are welcome to try a few gentle finger exercises mentioned in this post. If you have any of the symptoms mentioned by the Mayo Institute at the beginning of this post, get a doctor’s opinion first.