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Mobility Gentle ~2 min

Table finger slides

With the palm on the table, slide each fingertip a short distance toward the thumb line and return — a gentle tendon excursion drill when composite glides are still uncomfortable.

Equipment: No special equipment

Rest the forearm on the table, palm down, fingers long and relaxed.

Ready when you are

We'll guide you through 5 short steps — about 32 seconds of guided motion. Pause or stop anytime — nothing is uploaded.

Have ready: No special equipment

Contraindications & stop if…

When not to do this

  • Acute fracture or unstable fixation without clearance
  • Open wounds on the fingertip pads

Stop if

  • Sharp pain at a knuckle or along a tendon
  • Triggering or catching that worsens
  • New swelling after the session
How does the hand feel right now?
No painWorst pain

Prefer a quick pacing gate before the timer? Use full guided session — it asks for pain, stiffness, and fatigue in a few taps first (education only, not clearance).

Guided session

Full-screen steps and timer below — same exercise. For vertical reel mode, use the clapper icon next to Save at the top of the page.

Why it helps

Small sliding motions encourage the flexor tendons to glide under the pulleys with very low load — a common bridge between protected rest and full tendon glide sequences.

What it should feel like

Light friction under the pads and a small pull along the finger. No sharp knuckle pain.

Target area

Fingers, palm

Stop if you notice

  • Sharp pain at a knuckle or along a tendon
  • Triggering or catching that worsens
  • New swelling after the session

Get clearance first if

  • Acute fracture or unstable fixation without clearance
  • Open wounds on the fingertip pads

Watch a curated demo

Patient education · Table finger slides
Watch on YouTube

Your practice loop

Pause where you want, then tap A for where the loop starts and B for where it ends. Turn Autoloop off anytime — your A/B times stay saved for this video.

Now 0:00 · Loop 0:00 → end of video

Full video. Native YouTube controls stay in the player frame.
Improve Hand Function with Grip & Finger Strengthening · ChadGOrthoOT · verified 2026-05-02OT demo includes tabletop sliding and finger control drills — use as adjacent education for gentle fingertip slides; confirm range and load with your therapist.Patient education only — not a replacement for advice from your clinician.

More demos & readings (editorial catalog)

Extra YouTube, PDF, and hospital links gathered for this exercise cluster. The top embed above remains the oEmbed-verified pick when present; treat these as adjacent education — confirm fit with your clinician.

Typical catalog dose: 10 repetitions per hand.

Precautions (catalog)

  • Keep the movement gentle.
  • Stop if swelling or pain increases.

  • 5 Minute Finger and Hand Stiffness Exercise Routine for Both Hands

    Virtual Hand Care · 2023-03-12

    Introduces dynamic spider fingers as exercise number one.

    Good for stiffness and warming up the hand.

    Catalog ids: dynamic_spider_fingers

  • Hand exercises for strength and mobility

    Unknown / YouTube · 2020-02-04

    Supports mobility and hand opening patterns.

    Useful as an alternative mobility drill.

    Catalog ids: dynamic_spider_fingers

  • Wrist and Finger Mobility Exercises for Stiffness: Both Hands

    Virtual Hand Care · 2024-05-02

    A guided mobility session that includes knuckle bender tendon glides and hook fist movement.

    Good for stiffness, arthritis, and post-injury mobility.

    Catalog ids: tendon_glide_sequence

  • Hand Exercises

    Royal United Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust · 2023-10-01

    A patient hand exercise sheet covering basic finger bend, straighten, spread, and squeeze movements.

    Appropriate for gentle recovery and daily range-of-motion work.

    Catalog ids: finger_lifts_spreads

    Open resource

  • Hand Physical Therapy Exercises to Boost Mobility and Recovery

    BTE Technologies / TherapySpark · 2025-06-19

    Shows finger lifts and spreads for hand mobility and control.

    Useful for basic at-home mobility work.

    Catalog ids: finger_lifts_spreads

    Open resource

  • Occupational Therapy Hand Exercises: Home Program

    Medbridge · 2026-03-01

    Contains tendon glide positions as part of a hand mobility home program.

    Useful for structured therapy programs and progression planning.

    Catalog ids: tendon_glide_sequence

    Open resource

Catalog fact-check source list

Education sources

HandTherapy.app summarizes common home-program elements used in hand therapy and surgery recovery education. These links are for learning — they do not replace your clinician's instructions.

Explainer

How to do it well

Goal, setup, dose, and the things therapists most often have to repeat. This is education — not a replacement for your clinician's plan.

Before you start

  • Use a non-sticky surface; a thin cloth is OK if skin grips the table.
  • Keep the wrist quiet — motion comes from the fingers only.

Today's dose

Reps
6
Sets
2
Sessions / day
3
Rest
30s
Pain ceiling
3/10

Common mistakes

  • Lifting the fingertips off the table to 'cheat' range
  • Dragging through sharp pain to get more slide
  • Holding the breath

Easier version

  • Slide only the index finger for the whole session
  • Cut reps in half

Harder version

Only if your phase allows progression.

  • When cleared, overlap with your full tendon glide sequence

How did this feel?

One tap. Saved as a question for your next visit when relevant — never auto-shared.

Jump toSession playerWhy & safetyForm cues & doseKeep going
Continue your rehab

What to do next — not a dead end

Suggestions use shared goals, tags, and difficulty — not your medical record. Always defer to your clinician’s plan after surgery or a flare.

Estimated time

~2 min this exercise

Add a second exercise below for a fuller block.

Equipment

None required — bodyweight / table surface only

Pain-level guard

Explainer ceiling: 3/10 — back off before you reach it.

When to stop

Sharp pain at a knuckle or along a tendon

Triggering or catching that worsens

Full stop rules ↑

Common mistake to watch

• Lifting the fingertips off the table to 'cheat' range

More form cues ↓

Get clearance first if

  • • Acute fracture or unstable fixation without clearance
  • • Open wounds on the fingertip pads

Next recommended exercises

Often the next intensity or a logical pairing.

Movement library — same skills, smaller steps

Movements are the building blocks therapists combine into exercises.

Keep momentum without overdoing it

Log on TodayShort on time?Bad hand day?Tune recommendationsGuided sessionSafety hubLearn library
In-session scaling: Easier — Slide only the index finger for the whole session · Harder — When cleared, overlap with your full tendon glide sequenceFull explainer ↓