By Dr. Shayne Kelly, DO — Fellowship-Trained Sports Medicine Surgeon · Tri-City Orthopedics, Kennewick, WA
Gentle hand and wrist exercises Dr. Kelly gives his patients while an elbow repair heals — distal biceps or triceps repair, and elbow ligament repairs.
These gentle exercises keep your hand and wrist moving while your elbow repair heals. Keep your elbow in its brace or splint as instructed — these exercises are for the hand and wrist only. Do not actively bend the elbow or lift anything with the surgical arm until Dr. Kelly clears you.
Open your hand and spread the fingers wide, then curl them into a full fist. Move slowly through the full comfortable range.
Start with fingers straight. Bend to a hook fist (big knuckles straight, fingertips curled), then a full fist, then a tabletop position (big knuckles bent, fingers straight), then back to straight. Hold each position 2–3 seconds.
Touch the tip of your thumb to the tip of each finger in turn, making a round “O” each time. Open the hand fully between touches.
With your forearm supported and elbow still, slowly bend the wrist up and down, then side to side, within a comfortable range. No weights and no resistance.
Stop and call the office if an exercise causes sharp pain at the elbow, or numbness or tingling in the hand: (509) 460-5588. For chest pain or trouble breathing, call 911.
Dr. Kelly sees patients at Tri-City Orthopedics in Kennewick.
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