BEST 5 Ways to Treat FINGER STIFFNESS after an Injury

Michelle, Hand EXPERT and Founder of Virtual Hand Care shows you the Top 5 Ways to Treat Finger Stiffness after an Injury, surgery, fracture, or arthritis. Need help getting your full hand function back?
Learn these proven treatment tips you can do at home!

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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 BEST 5 Ways to Treat FINGER STIFFNESS after an Injury
00:25 How to use moist heat to help with finger stiffness
00:57 How to actively move the small joints in your finger first
02:23 How to perform stretches to your finger to treat stiffness
03:58 How to Buddy strap your finger to improve finger stiffness
05:12 How to use the Buddy straps to stretch your finger

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Disclaimer
This video is for educational and demonstration purposes only and is not to be used as a replacement for seeking medical advice or treatment of your condition. Virtual Hand Care, or its members, do not offer medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with your doctor or healthcare provider before starting any exercise program. Please know that performing any exercise or program is solely at your own risk.

[VirtualHandCare]

This video is packed with 5 of the Best Treatments for Finger Stiffness after an Injury. 💪 As always make sure you have clearance from your doctor to exercises because some of these exercises may be too advanced for you! 🙌 Please let me know in the comments below how you felt after you did these exercises. Did your fingers feel less stiff?! 🙏 Don't forget to LIKE and SUBSCRIBE so I can see all your COMMENTS. 🔥

[zyadnouh]

You have no idea how much you're helping people or how much this means to some, thank you.

[conflict]

I love how I have to learn everything from YouTube because my doctors do not explain anything I really think that I'm hurting myself more than I am helping

[djthefreeway]

Thank you so much. I was a little worried my finger would be stiff for forever, but your video gave me some reassurance :)

[tamimucino]

Thank you I went to an orthopedic and you gave me more ideas to help healing a dislocated finger than she did. I will now have more exercises for my finger.

[seamusx]

Dear Michelle. This is an awesome video. I had proper hand trauma (coupled with two broken wrists) and wires in my little finger. I am 10 weeks since the accident and 4 weeks from the casts coming off. The little finger was 30 mm off the palm and I have been following the advice here. I got it to touch the palm today for the first time (for only a second). But that's 30mm over 3 weeks. It's still 5mm off the palm if I'm not aggressive but that's the difference between the little finger sticking out so that it gets caught again (and broken again) or not. At this pace it will take 2 to 3 more weeks before I can make a fist again. I would add that after aggressive stretching my finger and hand swells up and there is some water retention in the hand. I find that a combination of massage and taking every second day off helps. A very good (perfume free) moisturiser before any exercise and before you go to bed is very useful (especially since I have alot of scar tissue).With any type of exercise I find that exercising every second day (hard) is better than doing average every day. Also sleeping with the hand under me (to stretch out) or hand tucked into my armpit (to compress in) while asleep helps. I am also moving to using a small compression ball to power up the muscles of the small finger only. I would also like to point out that this is a very slow process so dont be disappointed. If you get 1mm extra over 2 days that's ok. Just see this as 10mm over 20 days. 10mm extra movement in a hand is a huge difference. I would like to say that this is the best video I found, so thank you very much for all the help. It works.

[afsheenfaisal]

In December my index finger is like not to move not to fold and band. I found you today both of my index and now thumb issue will solve inshaallah

[pearlseptember-brown]

Hi Michelle
I dislocated my little finger 10 days ago. My Dr said I need to buddy strap it for 6 week inclusive of the 10 days past. I am sure at that stage my finger will be even more stiff although currently there is still swelling and lot of pain and sensitivity. I will definitely do these exercises in 4 weeks time.

[enriquegomez]

I did those techniques while you instructed. My fingers are pleased with the results in just
one session. Thank you!

[musicantd]

Thank you Michelle, this video is a big help, also your video on Boutonniere deformity in which I especially like the illustrations and your explaining how displacement of the tendons account for the distal joint aspect of the deformity. All the other online videos and treatments and the in-person explanations by professionals of the mechanics of my finger issues were relatively confusing to me. In one week marks exactly 6 months since the quad skating accident/fall/sprain (check your skates, you skaters, those king pins, axle nuts and bearings can let you down, very rudely!!!) that resulted in a Boutonniere deformity of pinky on my dominant hand, initially mis-diagnosed as pseudo-boutonniere by more than one orthopedist M.D. Almost 3 months later, because I was not responding to conservative therapy, I asked my hand surgeon if an MRI might be beneficial. He approved my getting that MRI, a 2nd X-ray as well, and the doctor decided actual Boutonniere it was and envisioned surgery, explaining his ideas of how he would conduct it. I was all for it, but I got a 2nd opinion (from one of his colleague hand surgeons) which to my surprise was to avoid surgery and straight splint 24/7 for 6 weeks (possibly 8, said a 3rd hand surgeon, and I did continue an extra 2 weeks). The straight splinting I had been prescribed by my therapist had been only at night. Indeed, constant straight splinting did alleviate the pain and swelling I had been suffering for months. When I had only been straight splinting at night, increased pain, additional swelling and decreased ability to straighten the PIP joint would develop every day not long after removing the night splint. To counter the pain I was doing contrast baths several times a day. Now the finger is practically pain free and the swelling pretty much gone (and the hyperextension of the distal joint is gone, which had been very pronounced) and I'm now working on range of motion of joints of the finger. I sent my hand therapist the link to this video, saw her 3 days ago, and she likes this video. She gave me additional exercises, really very much like some shown by in this video. Instead of a Velcro buddy tape I'm using rubber bands, a some of which I made myself using a sharp scissors and an old bicycle inner tube. My therapist now expects me to make "a full recovery." Michelle, I wish I had seen your Boutonniere deformity video soon after my injury because your explaining that 24/7 straight splinting the PIP joint was the protocol would have saved me so much grief! Subscribed!

[lizclark]

I am stiff from a broken finger and stiff pinky, six weeks in. Great advice! Super video. Very helpful. Thanks! Saving this

[Eric-bjdc]

This is a great video, thanks!! I just recently completed 6 weeks in a splint for a mallet finger, and when I went to my ortho for the splint removal he just said "move and use it during the day, and splint at night". I asked if there were certain exercises or methods, and he said just use it. Ignorantly I went straight to making a fist and it seemed more painful than it should. Then I found your video, and it helped a lot. I think I would have re injured it if I kept going the way I was.
Thanks so much for the video!!

[Rayzanathevillain]

I almost lost it you helped me God bless you abundantly and protect you

[GrossPoker]

So good thank you!!!
Had a finger stuck for 10 years and helping so much!

[claudiadobbins]

Thank you so much. I just had wrist surgery and need to get my fingers in a closed fist in two weeks. This helped me get my fingers moving. 🙏🙏

[mimimahou]

omggg thank you sooo much i can move my finger now it still hurts a little when i bend it but better than before

[danielkaribwije]

This has been very helpful. Presently healing from a mallet finger due to a tendon injury. The use of heat, hot water and a small towel has worked out for me.

[jessepinkmeng]

super helpful info! also as Michelle mentioned: the length of time of using the buddy strap to keep the finger flexed is very important, quite uncomfortable but there doesnt seem to be much improvement unless its held down for a long time.

[mwanakenyahalisi]

you're a gem! just got my cast of after ORIF surgery and this is really helpful. all my fingers are stiff. thanks so much! I hope they get better.

[scareyme]

I had a broken metacarpal. These were so much help getting a full range of motion back into my fingers. Thank you for taking the time to post this.