Passive Finger Stretches

Aim

The exercises on this sheet are designed to try and help improve the range of movement in your fingers by helping keep your joints, muscles and tendons active.

General advice

It can be ‘normal’ to feel some aching or discomfort when you first start exercising, but these symptoms should settle quite quickly. If you feel the exercises are causing you intense and lasting pain (eg for more than 30 minutes), change the exercise by doing it less forcefully or less often and let your therapist know next time.

Instructions

You should work through the exercises in a slow and controlled manner as advised by your therapist. Remember: long slow stretches are more effective than short sharp ones. Try and relax your muscles when you complete these stretches as this makes the stretch easier.

Complete these exercises …… times a day …… reps.

Exercise 1

• Stretch each finger individually into the palm.
• Ensure that all three joints are stretched.
• Use your index finger and thumb.
• On the other hand to hold for 10-30 seconds.

Exercise 2

• Stretch each finger individually.
• You can stretch your fingers into extension in different ways. The images below show two ways of doing this.
• The first image shows how to stretch a finger straight with the hand in the air stretching, finger placement can vary depending on how you feel best stretches the finger straight. Or you can press the fingers down into a table as shown in the second photo.
• Hold the stretch for 10-30 seconds.

Contact numbers

We hope that you have found this information useful. If you have any questions, you can contact the Hand Therapy Department on 01305 255931.

About this leaflet

Author: Felicity Tucker
Written: January 2026
Approved: January 2026
Review date: January 2029
Edition: v1

If you have feedback regarding the accuracy of the information contained in this leaflet, or if you would like a list of references used to develop this leaflet, please email patientinformation.leaflets@dchft.nhs.uk