When you have arthritis, even the idea of moving just a little can cause anxiety. Those with psoriatic arthritis may experience hand pain, stiffness, tingling, and, of course, swelling. Even mild cases can drastically change your daily routine. Some people take it as far as feeling as they can’t do the things they once loved. However, simple exercises and movements can help you bring life back to your joints and finally return to the life you once enjoyed. There are some exercises to help psoriatic arthritis in your hands, fingers, and wrists.
Your hands play a crucial role in everything you do. From shaking hands with a partner or grabbing things off the shelf for yourself. If you feel you may lose that part of your body, you don’t have to believe that’s a permanent change. If you can include these movements in your daily routine, you will soon see improvements in your routine. Once a day or even once a week, you can help reduce hand stiffness and tingling and even remove your pain entirely.
Finger Presses
This is a simple exercise that you can do almost anywhere. Press your thumb and your index finger together. Feel the muscles in your hand and forearm contract. Hold this pressure for a full, deep breath. Repeat this process for your middle finger, ring finger, and then your pinky, changing fingers on every breath. When you get to your pinky, go back through each finger in reverse until you’re back at your index finger. Repeat this process three times, focusing on the breath and feeling the strength in your hands and forearms.
Fist and Extended
This exercise focuses on contracting and extending your hands to feel how much your hands can really do. Start this exercise by making a fist. With your other hand, tightly squeeze your fist, using your fingers to massage your fist. Tightly squeeze your fist for three deep breaths. Then, when you release your fist, open your hand and extend your fingers as wide as they go. Feel your finger muscles stretch for another three deep breaths.
Complete this process of tightly squeezing your fist and stretching your fingers out wide for five repetitions. Then, change hands, make a fist with your other hand, and tightly squeeze with your freshly stretched hand. This will be ten repetitions for both hands.
The Finger V
This one is for the Star Trek enthusiasts out there. Extend your hand out in front of you with a straight arm and your fingers pressed together. It should look like you’re a traffic cop telling people to stop. Now take a deep breath and stretch your pinky as far as it will go. With your next breath, move your ring finger to your pinky. This is where the name “finger V” comes from, as your fingers should look like a V. With your next breath, move your middle finger, and so forth. Then move your fingers the other way, one by one, in each breath, until you’re back at the stop sign. Move to your other hand and repeat this process.
The Wrist Shake
You may require a stretch from your stretching after the Finger V. This is where the wrist shake comes from. Your hands and wrists should be completely loose. Now shake your arms out and shake your hands back and forth, up and down, and any other way they’ll go. This will help them release tension from your fingertips to your arms. It should look like you’re drying your hands when there aren’t any paper towels. This can be done with one hand at a time or with both hands. Try to keep your hands moving for at least 15 seconds.
The Putty Pull
This is a great thing to do with your grandchildren. First, you’ll need some putty. Take a small piece of putty between your fingers. Pull the putty upwards and then back together. Then move the putty to your next finger. Press and pull between each finger gap, and then do the same with the other hand. You’ll soon see the benefits if you can repeat this process three times with each hand.
The Wrist Release
This is like the fist and extend exercise, but it emphasizes the wrist rather than the fingers. Start with one hand in a fist. Wrap your fist with your free hand. First, take two deep breaths while holding your fist. Then push up your fist as far as it goes for another two breaths. Once your fist goes up and down, that is one repetition. Repeat for five repetitions and move over to your other hand. Repeat the process three times in total for the best results.
These exercises are simple and easy to do from anywhere and can greatly improve any pain from Psoriatic Arthritis. Even before you get out of bed in the morning, you can start your day and stretch out your hands and fingers to prepare them for the day, and you could even repeat the process before you go to bed. Even if you start feeling pain in the middle of the day, you can take a break and stretch your hands and wrists. Keep them going, and you’ll see results very soon.
