Finger curling

[Mon]

Hi all, wondering what causes the finger curling? My dads baby finger has curled and he can only push it open and cant open it otherwise. Any suggestions for this..he tells me he can feel it starting on the ring finger slightly. Thanks for any info or thoughts.

 

[Nikki J]

It is from weakness. Eventually if he does nothing his hand will be stuck in a clenched hand position which can be uncomfortable and lead to infections in his palm. Suggest range of motion and stretching and a splint especially at night

 

[Mon]

Thanks Nicki. I will give him these suggestions. Appreciate it.

 

[affected]

Muscles in the arms are atrophying and this pulls the fingers into a curl. Massage and stretching starting with long strokes along the forearms and progressing to the hands can help relieve and slow down the curling.
Splints when resting and at night can really help too.
Make sure to keep his hands clean and dry as they curl in too.

 

[Mon]

Thanks for your response "affected" sorry not sure of your name. Thanks for these great tips

 

[affected]

You are welcome - I'm called Tillie here
This video might help, I made this when caring for Chris

 

[Mon]

Thanks so much for sharing your video Tillie. Very helpful.

 

[swalker]

I found Tillies videos very helpful. We do passive range of motion on various body parts and I find that it really helps.

Steve

 

[lgelb]

As the weather cools off, if cold is playing a role, you can also try placing HotHands hand warmers, single-use air-activated heat packs, under the hand to try to relax the muscles in between massages; they can be used with or without splints. For those whose legs or feet get cold/cramp, I recommend trying Vaso-Wraps under clothing. Depending on size, they can be used on arms as well.

Of course, there are many kinds of hand (we used fleece "polar fleece unisex hand protectors" from Buck and Buck and it would be easy to insert a hand warmer in the palm or on top/side of the hand of one of those, or alternate), arm, and leg protectors, as well as traditional leggings.

Here is our PT show 'n' tell for massage and ROM in a wheelchair. In winter, those are all the more important.

 

[Mon]

Thanks Laurie for your tips & video. So helpful, especially with the cold weather almost upon us. I will suggest and give a try.

 

[MrEDS]

I am starting to deal with this problem also. I straighten my fingers and massage my forearms several times daily now.

 

[lisatsmith13]

I have started having some finger/hand/arm clenching in one hand, so I was glad to get your instructions.