Closeup of a woman with rheumatoid arthritis in her fingers.

 

treatment for rheumatoid arthritis in fingers

Body Part:
Fingers

Equipment:
Mini Massage Ball

Level:
Beginner

Roland Liebscher-Bracht in a white shirt is kindly smiling.

Roland Liebscher-Bracht

Germany’s trusted pain specialist

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Roland & Petra

THE PAIN SPECIALISTS

Over 30 years of research and hands-on experience make the Liebscher & Bracht pain therapy what it is today: an outstanding approach to naturally treating pain conditions. Making use of the mechanics of the body, it offers people the chance to free themselves of their discomfort by using unique and incredibly useful techniques. All this happens without having to rely on medication or operations.

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Roland Liebscher-Bracht is performing a pain-free exercise.

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Over 2.5 million people worldwide are using Liebscher & Bracht’s exercises to manage their pain themselves. Soon you’ll be one of them.
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4-Step Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis in Fingers

We put our fingers to work the moment we wake up, and we keep our digits busy until we crawl into bed and set the alarm for the next morning. The daily to-do list for our fingers seems endless: eating, brushing our teeth, getting dressed, tying our shoes, turning countless doorknobs, typing on keyboards, scrolling on our phones… And these jointy appendages don’t get weekends off or vacation time. If you have rheumatoid arthritis in your fingers, you know the limitations the condition puts on day-to-day activity. Even the simplest task is an uphill battle or can’t be carried out. Although there is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, our 4-step exercise routine for the hand may be able to help relieve the pain and stiffness you’re experiencing. A review of medical literature suggests that hand exercises may have positive effects on the strength and function of hands affected by rheumatoid arthritis without aggravating the disease.1) If you’d like to start exercising now, scroll down and follow along with our video or the step-by-step instructions. Or, if you’d like to learn more about rheumatoid arthritis, keep reading.

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Roland Liebscher-Bracht is performing a pain-free exercise.

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A woman has her hand flat on a table, her fingers are facing her thigh.

Exercise 1: Wrist Stretch

  • Place your affected hand flat on a table.
  • Straighten your arm, lock your elbow, and rotate your hand outward until your fingers point toward your thigh. 
  • Important: keep your thumb closed.
  • Move your upper body back until you feel a stretch in your wrist.
  • On each exhale, move further back to intensify the stretch.
  • Hold for 2 to 2.5 minutes.
  • Slowly take your hand off the table and finish.
A woman is flexing her wrist, she's pulling her ring finger back with her opposite hand.

Exercise 2: Finger Stretch

  • Extend your arm with the affected finger in front of you until your elbow is locked.
  • Flex your wrist so your hand is flat and rotate your hand outward until your fingers are pointing toward the floor.
  • Reach under your arm and grab your affected finger with two or three fingers of your other hand.
  • Pull your affected finger toward your wrist. You’ll feel a stretch in your finger, wrist and palm.
  • Hold for about 30 seconds.
  • Create resistance by pushing your affected finger against the pull of your fingers. Hold for 30 seconds.
  • Rotate between pulling your affected finger and pushing it against the other fingers for 30-second periods.
  • Continue for 2 to 2.5 minutes.
  • Slowly release your finger and finish.
Ina and Roland are flexing their wrists towards the floor and stretching their thumbs.

Exercise 3: Thumb Stretch

  • Extend your arm in front of you until your elbow is locked.
  • Rotate your arm outward until the top of your hand is facing the floor. 
  • With your free hand, reach under your hand, grab your thumb, and pull it toward your forearm.
  • You’ll feel a stretch along the base of your palm through your thumb.
  • Create resistance by pushing your thumb against the pull of your fingers. Hold for about 10 seconds and release. 
  • Repeat anywhere from 2 to 5 times.
  • Stretch for 2 to 2.5 minutes.
  • Release your thumb and finish.
A woman is pressing the back of her fist against a table.
A woman is pressing the back of her hand against a table, she's lifting her middle finger with her opposite hand.

Exercise 4: Finger & Thumb Curl

  • Make a fist with your affected hand tucking your thumb under your fingers. 
  • Rotate your arm all the way inward, lay the back of your hand on the table and lock your elbow.
  • Cover your affected hand with your free hand and press it against the table.
  • Hold for about 1 minute.
  • Uncover your hand and release your fist.
  • Curl your affected finger so the tip is touching your palm.
  • With your free hand pinch your affected finger and turn it into your palm. Make sure your elbow stays locked.
  • Hold for about 1 minute and release.
  • Bend your thumb. With your free hand, push the tip into your palm. You’ll feel a stretch through your thumb and wrist.
  • Intensify the stretch by moving your upper body backwards.
  • Hold for about 2 minutes.
  • Slowly release your thumb, shake your fingers, and finish.

Start a routine.

You can reduce pain in your swollen joints by exercising consistently. We recommend stretching 6 days a week and leaving one day for rest.

Sources & Studies

  • ↑1 Bergstra, S. A., Murgia, A., Te Velde, A. F., & Caljouw, S. R. (2014). A systematic review into the effectiveness of hand exercise therapy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Clinical rheumatology, 33(11), 1539–1548. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-014-2691-2.

Fight Pain with Information.

Roland Liebscher-Bracht is performing a pain-free exercise.

Subscribe to The Pain Relief Advisor

Sign up for our free newsletter and discover how to manage your pain yourself. Every two weeks, we’ll deliver follow-along videos and articles to your inbox.

I agree to the terms and conditions of the privacy policy.

Liebscher & Bracht's Five Pillars of Practice

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