If your wrist aches or your fingers are stiff and gripping a cup or doing up buttons is awkward, NHS inform says exercises that bring back movement and strength help recovery. The health information site run by NHS 24 in Scotland has a page, “Exercises for wrist, hand and finger problems”, with 12 exercises on video — finger bends and spreads, thumb stretches and touches, the wrist bend and hand wave — 9 minutes 57 seconds in all. The page has no written steps, only videos, so we give the names and lengths and the pain and repetition guidance. Keep pain within 0 to 5 out of 10, build to at most 2 sets of 15, and get advice if not better within 6 weeks.
1. 12 videos — 6 finger, 3 thumb, 3 wrist and forearm (our grouping), 9 minutes 57 seconds in all.
2. No written steps on the page, only videos — follow the videos.
3. Pain within 0 to 5; start with 2 to 3, at most 2 sets of 15; stretches 20 to 30 seconds; advice if not better within 6 weeks.
First — NHS inform
| Type | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Who for | Useful for people with a new wrist, hand or finger problem. If you’ve been diagnosed with a wrist, hand or finger condition or had recent surgery, follow your healthcare professional’s advice | After surgery, your clinician comes before this article |
| Why | Getting movement and strength back matters — it supports tissue healing and gets you moving again. You may not return to usual levels at once and progress may start slowly, but a gradual return to normal activities gives the best short and long term results | — |
| At first | Listen to your pain, especially early on. Symptoms may increase slightly at first but should ease with time; regular practice can improve movement in the wrist, hand or finger. If there is discomfort, medication prescribed by a GP or pharmacist may help you keep exercising | In Korea, ask a doctor or pharmacist (our gloss) |
| Safety | The exercises in the videos are suitable for most people. In a safe place, only if you feel well enough. If you start to feel unwell, stop at once | First time? The page says to read the pain and repetition guidance first |
The 12 wrist, hand and finger exercises — NHS inform
| Exercise (video title) | What NHS inform shows | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Full finger bend | Video 0:50 | Fingers group (our grouping) |
| 2. Spreading and closing finger | Video 0:37 | Fingers group (our grouping) |
| 3. Tip of finger bend | Video 0:37 | Fingers group (our grouping) |
| 4. Finger duck and hook | Video 0:54 | Fingers group (our grouping) |
| 5. Flat fist | Video 0:51 | Fingers group (our grouping) |
| 6. Palm up/palm down | Video 0:52 | Wrist and forearm group (our grouping) |
| 7. Mid finger bend | Video 1:02 | Fingers group (our grouping) |
| 8. Thumb stretch | Video 0:37 | Thumb group (our grouping) — labelled a stretch |
| 9. Tip of thumb bend | Video 0:37 | Thumb group (our grouping) |
| 10. Thumb and finger touch | Video 1:00 | Thumb group (our grouping) |
| 11. Wrist bend | Video 1:00 | Wrist and forearm group (our grouping) |
| 12. Hand wave | Video 1:00 | Wrist and forearm group (our grouping) |
The names are the page’s video titles and the times are video lengths. The text area under the videos is empty on this page, so we haven’t written out the movements — follow the videos. The finger, thumb and wrist groups are our grouping by name.
All twelve come to 597 seconds, or 9 minutes 57 seconds (our sum). By name there are 6 finger exercises (full finger bend, spreading and closing, tip of finger bend, duck and hook, flat fist, mid finger bend), 3 thumb (stretch, tip bend, thumb and finger touch) and 3 wrist and forearm (palm up/palm down, wrist bend, hand wave). 4 videos run a minute or just over (mid finger bend 1:02; touch, wrist bend and hand wave 1:00 each); the rest are under a minute. Only the thumb stretch has “stretch” in its name. Palm up/palm down also appears, with written steps, on the elbow exercises page.
How much pain is OK — NHS inform
| Type | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Pain score | Rate pain out of 10 (0 = none, 10 = the worst you’ve had). 0 to 3 minimal, 4 to 5 acceptable, 6 to 10 excessive | — |
| During | Keep pain within 0 to 5. If it goes above — fewer repetitions, slower movement, more rest between movements | Changing one of the three may be enough (our reading) |
| After | Exercise shouldn’t make your existing wrist, hand or finger pain worse overall. New exercises can cause short-term muscle pain while the body adapts, but it should ease quickly and be no worse the morning after | The next morning is the test |
How many — NHS inform
Movement and strengthening
| Type | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Start | New exercises: 2 to 3 repetitions at a time | — |
| Often | Small amounts through the day — for example every hour | — |
| Build | As it gets easier and if you feel able, add 1 or 2 repetitions every few days | “A few days” has no number in the source |
| Sets | When you can do more, break into sets — more at a time, less often. This builds strength. For example: 8 repetitions → rest a minute → another set of 8, 2 to 3 times a day | 2 sets of 8 = 16 at a time; 2 to 3 times a day = 32 to 48 (our sum) |
| Aim | Increase over time to a maximum of 2 sets of 15 — repeating strengthens muscles and tendons | 30 at a time is the ceiling (our sum) |
Stretching
| Type | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| When | Some videos on this page are labelled stretching exercises. Once a short hold is comfortable, hold longer as a stretch — over time this can improve your range of movement | — |
| Feel | A gentle stretch. It shouldn’t be sore or uncomfortable | — |
| Time | Hold 20 to 30 seconds if possible | 2 to 3 sets of 20 to 30 seconds = 40 to 90 seconds at a time (our sum) |
| Sets | Do sets — for example 2 to 3 sets of stretches, 2 to 3 times a day | — |
| Change | As you stretch more, range improves and you can stretch further | — |
In numbers, the page’s example is 2 sets of 8 = 16 at a time, or 32 to 48 a day at 2 to 3 sessions. The target of 2 sets of 15 is 30 at a time. 2 to 3 sets of 20 to 30 seconds of stretching is 40 to 90 seconds at a time (all our sums). You can do all 12 together, or start with one or two and add more.
To count how many days it takes to reach your target from a starting number and step, use the planner in how to build up exercise when it hurts.
Three sums — our example
| Example (ours) | Result | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Start at 3, add 2 every 2 days | 6 steps → 15 in a set in 12 days | 3 → 5 → … → 13 → 15 |
| Each of the 12 videos once | 597 seconds = 9 minutes 57 seconds | Time to watch them all once |
| The 6-week mark | 6 weeks = 42 days | Get advice if not better within 6 weeks |
When to stop and when to get advice — NHS inform
| Type | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Stop | Stop if exercises make symptoms worse or cause new pain | — |
| Advice | If your wrist, hand or finger pain worsens while following this advice, talk to a healthcare professional | In Korea, orthopaedics or rehabilitation medicine (our gloss) |
| 6 weeks | If it hasn’t improved within 6 weeks, talk to a healthcare professional | 6 weeks = 42 days (our sum) |
Stretches for wrists stiff from a keyboard and mouse are in wrist and hand stretches; pain on the outside of the elbow is in tennis elbow.
Checklist
- ☐ A new wrist, hand or finger problem? After a diagnosis or surgery, your clinician first
- ☐ Follow the videos (no written steps on the page)
- ☐ No need to do all 12 — start with one or two
- ☐ Start at 2 to 3; sets of 8 → a minute’s rest → 8, 2 to 3 times a day; at most 2 sets of 15
- ☐ Stretches such as the thumb stretch 20 to 30 seconds, never sore
- ☐ Pain 0 to 5; stop if worse; advice if not better within 6 weeks
Questions that remain
Are these for carpal tunnel or hand arthritis?
The page says it is for a new wrist, hand or finger problem, and that people with a diagnosis should follow their clinician. NHS inform has a separate page for osteoarthritis of the hand, which we didn’t read this time.
Why are there no written steps?
The site’s hip, knee and back pages have text under each video, but on this page that area was empty when we checked on 29 October 2026. We haven’t made up movements that the page doesn’t describe.
Sources
- NHS inform (NHS 24, Scotland) — Exercises for wrist, hand and finger problems — source (no update date shown on the page; checked 29 October 2026). Who it is for, why, at first, safety; the titles and lengths of 12 videos; the 0 to 10 scale and 0 to 5; pain after; 2 to 3, every hour, 1 or 2 every few days; the set example (8, a minute, 8, 2 to 3 times a day); at most 2 sets of 15; stretches 20 to 30 seconds, 2 to 3 sets, 2 to 3 times a day; when to stop; 6 weeks. The text under the videos is empty.
- Not read. The content of the 12 videos (titles and lengths only); the self-management page for wrist, finger, hand or thumb problems (linked only); the site’s osteoarthritis of the hand exercise page.
- What we added. The “worth noting” column, “our sum” and “our example”, and the Korean care gloss.
Where to check further
- Orthopaedics or rehabilitation medicine — no better after 6 weeks, or worse.
- A physiotherapist — form and how many.
Written on 29 October 2026. The content is from NHS inform; the glosses are ours.
