Wrist and Hand, Phase 1 · Exercise 3 of 5 WH-1 #3

Tendon Glides

Clinical content from the Auto Injury Chiropractic home rehab program. Final clinical reviewer: Dr. Seth Hill, DC. How we review content

Reduce swelling and finger stiffness

These exercises are for education. After a car accident or injury, get checked by a provider before you start. They do not replace an exam.

Dose3 times a day, 5 reps through all 5 positions

You needNone

Demonstration video: Finger Tendon Glide (Baptist Health (South Florida)). Follow the steps on this page if the video differs.

Why it helps

After a wrist injury, the tendons that move your fingers get sticky from swelling. Tendon glides walk your fingers through 5 different positions to keep all the tendons moving smoothly. This works on swelling and finger stiffness.

How to do it

Hold your hand up in front of you, fingers and thumb pointing toward the ceiling. Position 1: Straight hand. All fingers fully open.
Position 2: Hook fist. Bend the top two finger joints while keeping the knuckles straight. Your fingers form a "hook" shape.
Position 3: Full fist. Now bend all the finger joints to make a regular closed fist, with the thumb on the outside.
Position 4: Tabletop. Open the fist, but only bend at the big knuckles (where your fingers meet your hand). The middle and end joints stay straight. The fingers form a "table top" shape.
Position 5: Straight fist. From tabletop, bend just the middle finger joints, keeping the end joints straight. Then return to the straight hand position to start over. Move slow and hold each position 2 seconds. Repeat the full sequence 5 times.

Too hard? Try this

Skip any position that causes sharp pain. Or do only the positions you can reach without pain.

Too easy? Try this

Add a 5-second hold at each position. Or do them with light resistance (a soft sponge in the palm).

Common mistakes

You rush through the positions.
You skip a position that feels stiff.
You force a finger into a position that causes sharp pain.

You should feel

Each finger gliding smoothly through the positions.
Slight stretching feeling at the end of each position.

You should not feel

Sharp pain in any finger.
A finger getting stuck and snapping (trigger finger).

Stop right away if

A finger that gets stuck and snaps open.
Sudden inability to bend or straighten a finger.
Hand getting more swollen, not less.

If you are one of our current patients, call the clinic and inform your provider right away, or seek emergency care right away. For a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

Research behind this program