Hand stretches and massages for arthritis

These gentle stretches and therapeutic massage techniques will help improve the range of motion in your hands and ease some discomfort.

This is move is designed to extend your fingers' range of motion.

1. Place one hand on a tabletop or your thigh with your palm facing down.
2. Spread your fingers apart as far as you can and hold. Repeat with the other hand.

1. Place your right hand in a relaxed position, palm up, on a tabletop or your thigh.
2. Roll your fingers in toward your palm so that you make a loose fist. Try to bring your fingers as close together as is comfortable without squeezing. Hold.
3. Release and roll your fingers out to the starting position and repeat with the other hand.

1. Place your hand, palm up, on a table with your fingers open and your hand relaxed.
2. Smoothly move the tip of your thumb into contact with the tip of your index finger, lightly touching, but not pressing them together. Hold for one second. Relax and return to the starting position.
3. In a similar manner, bring your middle finger to your thumb, hold and return.
4. Do the same thing for the ring and pinky fingers and repeat with the other hand.

• Hold your right palm facing up in your left hand so that your left thumb sits in your right palm.
• Press the flesh of your palm as you move your thumb in a straight line toward the base of your forefinger. Do the same toward each finger. Do the entire exercise twice and repeat with the other hand.

• Take hold of your right forefinger with all the fingers of your left hand. Starting from the middle knuckle, slide your fingers down the digit toward the base of the finger two times.
• Then do the same thing from the fingertip to the middle knuckle. Do this for all the fingers and repeat with the other hand.

This massage increases both circulation and the motion of the joint.

1. As with finger strokes, take hold of your right forefinger with all the fingers of your left hand, as if you were putting on a ring.
2. Use the fingers of your left hand to twist the right finger like you're turning a knob, while sliding your fingers from the base of the digit to the fingertip.
3. Do this twice for each finger and repeat on the other hand.