Soft grip squeeze
Use a soft ball, sock, or therapy putty for gentle progressive grip work — only when symptoms are stable.
Hold a soft ball or rolled sock in the palm.
Ready when you are
We'll guide you through 5 short steps — about 27 seconds of guided motion. Pause or stop anytime — nothing leaves your device.
Have ready: Soft ball, sock, or therapy putty
Contraindications & stop if…
When not to do this
- Acute injury without clearance
- Recent tendon or ligament repair
- Active flare-up of arthritis
Stop if
- Joint pain (not muscle effort)
- Next-day stiffness that limits function
- New numbness
Guided full-screen session — 3D hand, optional mirror, voice or silent modes.
Why it helps
Grip strength supports independence — opening jars, carrying bags, and using tools. Build slowly to avoid setbacks.
What it should feel like
Mild muscular effort. No joint pain.
Target area
Hand, forearm
Stop if you notice
- Joint pain (not muscle effort)
- Next-day stiffness that limits function
- New numbness
Get clearance first if
- Acute injury without clearance
- Recent tendon or ligament repair
- Active flare-up of arthritis
Watch a curated demo
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
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.
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
- Only start if your therapist has cleared strengthening.
- Use a soft object — never a hard ball.
- Skip if you had a flare in the last 48 hours.
Today's dose
- Reps
- 10
- Sets
- 2
- Hold
- 3s
- Sessions / day
- 1
- Rest
- 60s
- Pain ceiling
- 3/10
Common mistakes
- Squeezing as hard as possible — aim for ~50% effort
- Skipping the rest between sets
- Doing it daily; muscles need recovery between sessions
Easier version
- Use a softer object (rolled sock instead of putty)
- Reduce reps to 5 and remove the hold
Harder version
Only if your phase allows progression.
- Increase hold to 5 seconds
- Add a third set with a longer rest
- Step up to firmer therapy putty when stable for 2 weeks
How did this feel?
One tap. Saved as a question for your next visit when relevant — never auto-shared.
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.
~3 min this exercise
Add a second exercise below for a fuller block.
Soft ball, rolled sock, or therapy putty
Explainer ceiling: 3/10 — back off before you reach it.
Get clearance first if
- • Acute injury without clearance
- • Recent tendon or ligament repair
- • Active flare-up of arthritis
Where this fits in a program
- General stiffness after immobilization — Post-cast stiffness kit
- Carpal tunnel syndrome — Low-cost carpal tunnel pathway
- Trigger finger — Trigger finger low-irritation pathway
- Arthritis of the hand — Arthritis-friendly home kit
Next recommended exercises
Often the next intensity or a logical pairing.
Prerequisite / easier lane
Lower load exercises with overlapping goals.
Commonly paired with
Different goal, shared tags — typical clinical pairings.
Movement library — same skills, smaller steps
Movements are the building blocks therapists combine into exercises.