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Nerve mobility Gentle ~3 min

Ulnar nerve glide (gentle)

Slowly floss the ulnar nerve pathway with small wrist and finger changes. Stop if ring or small-finger numbness ramps up.

Equipment: No special equipment

Start with the elbow bent comfortably, wrist straight, fingers relaxed.

Ready when you are

We'll guide you through 6 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

  • Cubital tunnel surgery before clearance
  • Ulnar nerve subluxation without clinician guidance
  • Active elbow fracture or dislocation

Stop if

  • Ring or small-finger numbness that lasts after you stop
  • Elbow pain that sharpens with each repetition
  • Night symptoms that suddenly worsen
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

The ulnar nerve moves with wrist and elbow position. Gentle, symptom-limited glides are commonly used in hand therapy to support comfort and tolerance.

What it should feel like

A mild tug along the inner forearm or elbow. Tingling should ease or stay flat — never build.

Target area

Wrist, elbow, ring and small fingers

Stop if you notice

  • Ring or small-finger numbness that lasts after you stop
  • Elbow pain that sharpens with each repetition
  • Night symptoms that suddenly worsen

Get clearance first if

  • Cubital tunnel surgery before clearance
  • Ulnar nerve subluxation without clinician guidance
  • Active elbow fracture or dislocation

Watch a curated demo

Patient education · Ulnar nerve glide (gentle)
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.
Nerve Glide - Ulnar - Ask Doctor Jo · AskDoctorJo · verified 2026-04-22Patient 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.

  • Best 5 Hand, Wrist & Forearm exercises for 70+ (No Pain)

    Bob & Brad · 2026-02-28

    Includes supination and pronation in a gentle mobility sequence.

    Useful for older adults or low-pain mobility work.

    Catalog ids: pronation_supination, wrist_stretching

  • Hand exercises for strength and mobility

    Unknown / YouTube · 2020-02-04

    Covers hand and wrist range of motion exercises for stiffness and mobility.

    Useful for gentle home mobility.

    Catalog ids: wrist_range_of_motion, wrist_stretching

  • Occupational Therapy Hand Exercises

    Unknown / YouTube · 2015-09-29

    Includes tendon gliding and forearm rotation work that may accompany nerve-mobility programs.

    Useful as related upper-limb rehab content.

    Catalog ids: nerve_glides, pronation_supination, wrist_range_of_motion

  • Wrist and Finger Mobility Exercises for Stiffness: Both Hands

    Virtual Hand Care · 2024-05-02

    Virtual Hand Care guided mobility session — adjunct education alongside clinician-directed median nerve glides.

    Gentle wrist and finger warm-up.

    Catalog ids: median_nerve_glide

  • 16 Types of Nerve Gliding and Flossing Exercises

    Verywell Health · 2020-03-03

    Explains median nerve gliding with step-by-step upper-extremity positioning.

    Useful for nerve mobility education.

    Catalog ids: median_nerve_glide

    Open resource

  • Hand therapy exercise videos

    South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust · 2022-01-13

    Includes ulnar nerve gliding, median nerve gliding, and radial nerve gliding exercises.

    Best when nerve-specific glides are prescribed.

    Catalog ids: nerve_glides

    Open resource

  • Simple Nerve Gliding Exercises for Pain Relief and Better Mobility

    The Aeon Clinic · 2025-01-29

    Includes median nerve glide movement patterns and progression.

    Helpful for guided nerve flossing.

    Catalog ids: median_nerve_glide

    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

  • Keep the shoulder relaxed — tension upstream changes nerve tension.
  • If symptoms spike, reduce range or stop for the day.
  • This is education, not a substitute for your surgeon or therapist plan.

Today's dose

Reps
5
Sets
1
Hold
2s
Sessions / day
2
Rest
45s
Pain ceiling
2/10

Common mistakes

  • Forcing a big wrist bend instead of a tiny, comfortable arc
  • Speeding up when the hand feels "fine" — nerves respond to slow dosing
  • Doing dozens of reps when a few controlled reps are enough

Easier version

  • Skip the ulnar tilt; only open and close the fist slowly
  • Do 3 reps once per day for the first week

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

~3 min this exercise

Add a second exercise below for a fuller block.

Equipment

None required — bodyweight / table surface only

Pain-level guard

Explainer ceiling: 2/10 — back off before you reach it.

When to stop

Ring or small-finger numbness that lasts after you stop

Elbow pain that sharpens with each repetition

Full stop rules ↑

Common mistake to watch

• Forcing a big wrist bend instead of a tiny, comfortable arc

More form cues ↓

Education if this matches your situation

Get clearance first if

  • • Cubital tunnel surgery before clearance
  • • Ulnar nerve subluxation without clinician guidance
  • • Active elbow fracture or dislocation

Related in the same lane

Same goal or strong tag overlap.

Keep momentum without overdoing it

Log on TodayShort on time?Bad hand day?Tune recommendationsGuided sessionSafety hubLearn library
In-session scaling: Easier — Skip the ulnar tilt; only open and close the fist slowly Full explainer ↓