Researchers across England split 500 RA patients into groups, one that received an exercise program for the hands and arms done with a therapist and at home, and another that received the usual care. Overall hand function improved more in the exercise group, as the scientists reported in March 2015 in Health Technology Assessment. One tool occupational therapists often use with RA patients is therapy putty. This special putty provides resistance and also can make exercising fun. RELATED: 8 Hacks That Can Help Rheumatoid Arthritis Hand Pain In conjunction with RA medication, therapy putty exercises can help reduce symptoms and improve hand function. “We regularly use therapy putty in our clinic," says Roxanne Perry, an occupational therapist and certified hand therapist in Armonk, New York. “It’s a great tool for people with rheumatoid arthritis to also use at home.”
How Occupational Therapy Putty Can Help Hand and Finger Muscles
The advantage of therapy putty over other hand-enhancing tools, such as a stress ball, is that it’s so malleable. You can roll it, squeeze it, and pinch it. Because it’s pliable, you can work to your full range of motion when you squeeze. “The nice thing about therapy putty is you don’t have to squeeze it really hard for it to give. You can work with it as gently or aggressively as you want,” Perry observes. RELATED: I Tried HoMedics ParaSpa Plus Paraffin Bath for My Arthritis and It Really Helped Before beginning, it’s important to check with a hand therapist to be sure therapy putty is right for you, Perry says. “If not used correctly it can lead to more problems with the hand,” she says. Also, if pain increases from its use, you should stop using it, she says.
Customize Hand Work With Different Putty Resistance Levels
Therapy putty comes in a range of strengths, from extra soft to extra firm (each package comes in three to five strengths, depending on the brand), so you can put as much or as little resistance on your joints as you want. Each strength is color coded. The softest may be the color yellow, for example, while a slightly firmer might be green. You can also break each putty into smaller pieces to use for isometric exercises, says Genie Lieberman, the director of the Gloria Drummond Physical Rehabilitation Institute at the Boca Raton Regional Hospital in Florida.
Putty Can Help Improve Muscle Strength, Range of Motion in Joint
The softest therapy putties are useful for improving the range of motion in your joints. “Range of motion is important for function, from being able to open your hand enough not to get it caught on your shirt sleeve to closed enough so you can button your coat,” Perry says. RELATED: 8 Hand Exercises for Rheumatoid Arthritis Once you’ve improved the range, you can use slightly firmer putties to increase hand strength — important for everything from lifting objects to holding a full mug of morning coffee.
Get Started Using OT Putty for Hand Work
You can buy therapy putty in medical supply stores or purchase it online, often in packs of four to six strengths. One set of putty can last for years, since it doesn’t dry out like play putties do, but if you don’t use it carefully it can pick up specks of dirt or sand that make it unpleasant to use. Be careful to return the putty to its container as soon as you finish, since carpet or clothing fibers may not wash out. And don’t store the putty in a hot car, as it will turn to liquid. You can make your own putty if you don’t want to buy it. Ingredients include white glue, cornstarch, borax, hot water, and food coloring. The American Stroke Foundation provides a video instruction for how to do this.
Choose the Correct Therapy Putty Firmness
You’ll want to start with the softest putty to work your joint range of motion. After a few times, you can move up to the next strength level. “Watch how you feel. If you develop pain or stiffness, go back to the softer one,” Perry says. After a few times, if you still feel good, you can go to the next grade up. Perry recommends that people with rheumatoid arthritis go no higher than medium resistance, to avoid triggering joint flares. If you feel like you need something stronger, chill the putty in the refrigerator. When you take it out, it will be a little firmer until it warms up.
Therapy Putty Exercises for People With Rheumatoid Arthritis
Experts say there is a wide range of hand exercises people with RA can do with putty to feel better and perhaps improve function. We’ve provided a few to get you started. Talk to your physical therapist or another RA healthcare provider before you begin or for other exercises geared especially for you.
Therapy Putty Exercise 1: Roll With Flat Hand
Works on: finger extensions, range of motion in your elbows and forearms
Therapy Putty Exercise 2: Squeeze the Hot Dog
Works on: finger range of motion
Therapy Putty Exercise 3: Pinch a Soda Can Tab
Works on: daily activities like popping a soda pop tab, twisting open a jar
Therapy Putty Exercise 4: Roll Little Pieces With Fingers
Works on: dexterity and fine motor coordination
Therapy Putty Exercise 5: Spread the Claw
Works on: dexterity, strength RELATED: How to Stretch When You’re in Pain
