Using stressball for hand arthritis

RichardClegg
RichardClegg Member Posts: 2
edited 19. Dec 2024, 14:37 in Living with arthritis

I have recently been diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my right hand and I am using a stressball for exercising the fingers. I am wondering if I might be over-doing it. Is there any guidance as to how frequently I should be using the stressball ?

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  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,026

    I've never seen any guidelines @RichardClegg , but I was once told to build up exercises slowly not to overdo it. If whatever I was exercising was ok the following day then not too much if it was worse I'd overdone it. Mind that was for back surgery.

    Best of luck

    Toni x

  • Ellen
    Ellen Moderator Posts: 1,841

    Hi @RichardClegg welcome to the online community.

    I myself know of no guidelines specifically for the use of stress-balls for hand Arthritis. If you were advised by a physiotherapist to use one perhaps you could ask them? In fact these days you can self refer to a physiotherapist at your own surgery.

    Would these exercises be of interest to you?

    https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/exercising-with-arthritis/exercises-for-healthy-joints/exercises-for-the-fingers-hands-and-wrists/

    My best wishes

    Ellen.

  • Trish9556
    Trish9556 Member Posts: 740
    https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/63721/using-stressball-for-hand-arthritis

    I had a trapeziectomy in 2020 and was doing physio on my hand at least 5 times a day using the exercises I was given, exercises balls that are egg shaped and physio putty. Both of these scome in different strengths and normally you should start with the softest and work up. The softest is good when you're having a particularly bad day.

    If you search on my name you will find lots of posts offering hand advice plus sheets of exercises from my hand therapist if needed.

    Please feel free to message or tag me if you need any help/advice

    Trish

  • RichardClegg
    RichardClegg Member Posts: 2

    Thanks for all the replies. I was diagnosed with osteo-arthritis a couple of months ago and have been using a stress ball since then. Since using the stress ball the movement in the fingers of my hand has got worse not better, which is why I am thinking I may be over-doing the stress ball exercises - so I think I will lay off it for a while and see what happens. I have seen advice on other websites that its best not to do stress ball exercises every day.

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