Patient information · Hand and musculoskeletal
Finger injury exercises
keeping the joints moving while it heals
A stiff finger causes far more lasting trouble than the original injury. These exercises keep the joints and tendons gliding. Start them as soon as you are able unless you have been told to keep the finger still.
Stop and contact us if
- you cannot straighten or bend the finger at all, or the tip droops and will not lift;
- the finger is cold, pale, blue or numb;
- the finger looks bent or twisted, or crosses over its neighbour when you make a fist;
- pain is severe and increasing, or the finger becomes red, hot and swollen;
- there is a wound over a joint, or the injury involved a bite, a blade or a puncture.
Some finger injuries must be splinted rather than exercised — a drooping fingertip in particular. If you were told to wear a splint, follow that advice and do not do these exercises on the splinted joint. In an emergency call 999, or go to the Royal London Hospital Emergency Department, Whitechapel Road, London E1 1FR.
How often
Mild aching during and just after the exercises is expected. Sharp pain is not — ease off, do fewer repetitions, and build up. Doing a small amount often beats one long session.
Bending the end joint
Use the thumb and index finger of your good hand to hold the injured finger firmly just below the last joint. Keeping that support in place, bend the fingertip down as far as it will go, then straighten it fully.
Straight, hook, fist
Start with the fingers straight. Bend only the two end joints to make a hook, keeping the knuckles straight. Then curl all the way into a full fist. Move slowly through all three positions and back again.
Straightening out
From a full fist, straighten the injured finger out into a pointing position, one joint at a time if you can. The other fingers can stay bent. Hold the finger straight for a moment before curling back.
Thumb movement
Rest the back of your hand flat on a table with the elbow bent. Move the thumb out and away from the fingers, then bring it across the palm towards the base of the little finger, as though you were thumbing a lift and back.
Do not forget the rest of the arm. A finger injury makes people hold the whole limb still, and the wrist, elbow and shoulder stiffen within days. Move each of them through their full range several times a day, even if only the finger is hurt.
Pain relief
Finger injuries are painful for the first few days, particularly at night. Paracetamol, ibuprofen, or both together taken at the doses on the packets will usually manage it. Always check the manufacturer's instructions, and ask a pharmacist if you take other regular medicines.
Keeping the hand raised — on a cushion, or in a sling for short periods — reduces the throbbing and the swelling that causes stiffness.
When to be reviewed
- If the finger is not moving better after two weeks of exercises.
- If it remains swollen and stiff after four weeks.
- If you need the hand for detailed or heavy work and progress feels slow.
Our physiotherapy and orthopaedic teams can assess the finger, arrange imaging through our partners if needed, and give you a graded hand therapy programme.
Seen today, not next week
Same-day appointments most days, seven days a week, 9am–7pm, on Whitechapel Road.
Tower Bridge Hospital London
97–99 Whitechapel Road, London E1 1DT
WhatsApp 07903 284 189
info@mhwclinic.co.uk
Open Mon–Sat, 9am–7pm (closed Sundays until September)
In an emergency
Call 999, or go to the Royal London Hospital Emergency Department, Whitechapel Road, London E1 1FR.
When we are closed and it is not an emergency
Call NHS 111 or visit 111.nhs.uk.
Also able to advise
Your own GP · Your local pharmacist