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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
Loading hand preview

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 sessionShorts

Full-screen steps & timer, or vertical Shorts — same exercise; pick what fits your space.

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

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.

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 ↓