By Dr. Shayne Kelly, DO — Fellowship-Trained Sports Medicine Surgeon · Tri-City Orthopedics, Kennewick, WA
The early exercises Dr. Kelly gives his patients for the first weeks after surgery, until physical therapy takes over.
Keep the dressing clean and dry until your follow-up. Avoid forceful pinching and repetitive thumb motion (texting, scissors, gripping tools) for the first two weeks. Gentle motion, early and often, prevents the thumb tendons from getting stuck in scar. It is common to have a patch of numbness or tingling on the back of the thumb side of the hand near the incision — this usually settles over weeks to months. Call the office if it is spreading or worsening.
Bend your thumb across the palm to touch the base of the small finger, then bring it back out and open wide.
Touch the tip of your thumb to the tip of each finger in turn, making a round 'O' each time.
With the forearm supported and knuckles upright, gently tilt the wrist toward the thumb side, then toward the small-finger side.
With the forearm supported, gently bend the wrist up and down as far as feels comfortable.
Make a full fist, then open the hand and spread the fingers wide.
Once cleared: tuck the thumb into your palm, wrap the fingers over it, and gently tilt the wrist toward the small-finger side until a light stretch is felt on the thumb side of the wrist.
Call Dr. Kelly’s office at (509) 460-5588 for fever over 101°F, increasing redness or drainage at incisions, pain that is worsening instead of improving, or new numbness or tingling. For chest pain or trouble breathing, call 911.
Dr. Kelly sees patients at Tri-City Orthopedics in Kennewick.
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