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Rehabilitative Exercise Using Therapeutic Putty to Heal and Strengthen the Amazing Human Hand

The human hand is an amazing and complex anatomical structure consisting of 27 bones, 10 intrinsic muscles, 15 extrinsic muscles, and multiple joints upon which these muscles act to produce a variety of movements. These movements, some totally unique to the hand, enable humans to perform the tasks and functions of gripping, squeezing, pinching, pulling, pushing, stretching, and twisting.

Now consider that the hand is the distal segment or apparatus of the upper extremity and is preceded by the wrist. The wrist is capable of performing the movements of flexion and extension, and abduction and adduction through the sagittal and frontal planes of motion and is preceded by the forearm. The forearm is capable of performing the movements of supination and pronation through the transverse plane of motion and is preceded by the elbow. The elbow is capable of performing the movements of flexion and extension through the sagittal plane of motion and is preceded by the shoulder. The shoulder is capable of performing the movements of flexion and extension, abduction and adduction, internal and external rotation, and horizontal adduction and abduction through the sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes of motion and is preceded by the shoulder girdle. The shoulder girdle is capable of performing the movements of elevation and depression, protraction and retraction, upward rotation and downward rotation as it moves across the ribcage. Can you see how the summation of all these upper extremity joints and their collective movements can literally place the hand and fingers in myriad positions where they can then perform their own uniquely intended functions? It’s absolutely amazing and stresses the importance of the hand and fingers in our everyday lives and the need to keep them strong and functioning properly. Therefore, if the hand or fingers become injured, develop certain musculoskeletal conditions, undergo surgery, are affected by arthritis, circulatory issues, or stroke, the need to rehabilitate them to help them return to their normal strength and functioning is of paramount importance.

What is therapeutic putty and what are its unique characteristics that make it an effective hand and finger exercise device?

Therapeutic putty, also known as exercise or therapy putty, is a pliable material that can be squeezed, pulled, compressed, twisted, and molded while providing resistance. It is commonly used in occupational therapy and physical therapy clinics, which also explains why it is sometimes referred to as occupational or physical therapy putty. In these clinic settings therapeutic putty is used as a hand rehabilitative tool to work the muscles of the hand and fingers to improve hand and grip strength, finger movement strength, coordination, and dexterity, fine motor skills and overall functioning of the hand.

Therapeutic putty products are silicon based, non-toxic, typically latex free, leave no stains or residues, won’t stick to hands or fragment overtime. As with other exercise devices, therapeutic putty comes in varying viscosities to provide different levels of resistance. The resistance levels generally range from XX-soft to X-firm, and are color coded for differentiation.

Therapeutic putty may also come with unique features designed to aid or enhance the therapeutic exercise experience. These include:

• Multiple colors to increase the sensory stimuli of using theraputty
• Anti-microbial additive to resist growth of odor-causing microbes
• Hardening pellets used to progressively increase the resistance of the putty
• Microwaveable formula that allows the putty to be warmed in a microwave for a more soothing effect on the hand during therapy
• Scented formulas for a more pleasant experience during therapy
• Glitter or sparkle formula for a more visually stimulating experience during therapy
• A lighter and “puffy” feeling formula for an airier feel to the hands

What are some common therapeutic putty exercises used to strengthen and rehabilitate the hand and fingers?

Below are some common therapy putty exercises that a therapist may use in hand and finger therapy exercises or that a patient will perform at home as part of their rehabilitation program.

• A general guideline for these individual exercises is to perform 2 to 3 sets of 10 repetitions/cycles, with a hold time of 1-2 seconds.

Are there tools used in conjunction with rehabilitative therapeutic putty?

There are a few different hand exercise tools that are sometimes used to increase function and enhance versatility of the putty experience. They include:

Are there other uses for therapeutic putty beyond traditional hand and finger therapy?

The school setting, and in particular adaptive classes, is a common place where therapeutic putty is used. In the classroom setting theraputty may be used as a wellness tool providing sensory input, a hand warm-up tool in preparation for writing and other fine motor skill movements, stress or anxiety relief as hands are kept busy working the putty, or simply as an enjoyable use of time as students create.

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CanDo Theraputty Exercise Putty

CanDo Theraputty Antimicrobial Exercise Putty

CanDo Theraputty Microwaveable Exercise Putty

CanDo Theraputty Sparkle Exercise Putty

Val-u-Putty Exercise Putty

Puff LITE Exercise Putty

Puttycise Exercise Putty Tools

What are some of the most frequently asked questions about therapeutic putty?

1.What is therapeutic putty?

Therapeutic putty is a soft, pliable material originally designed as a tool for strengthening hands and fingers. It comes in different resistance levels, represented by a color-coded system, to be used as a tool in rehabilitation programs.

2.What is the main purpose of therapeutic putty?

Therapeutic putty is primarily used for developing hand strength, dexterity, coordination, and flexibility through a variety of exercises designed to work the various hand muscles as part of a rehabilitation program for individuals who have suffered hand injuries, had hand or wrist surgeries, or are experiencing conditions like arthritis.

3.How does therapeutic putty work?

Therapeutic putty provides resistance when squeezed, pinched, twisted, or stretched, requiring users to work their hand muscles and coordinate their effort to meet certain performance goals.

4.What are the different resistance levels of therapeutic putty?

Rehabilitation programs require progressive resistance to overload the muscles gradually and increasingly, subjecting them to resistances not accustomed to as pathology has rendered them weak or weaker. To assist with identification, therapeutic putty products utilize a color-coded system that ranges from extra, extra-soft to extra-firm. A typical system is xx-soft, x-soft, soft, medium, firm, x-firm.

5.Can children use therapeutic putty?

Therapeutic putty is considered safe for children with the recommendation that children be supervised during use to ensure they don’t ingest it. In fact, some parents choose therapeutic putty over Play Doh for child entertainment and creative use because it does not fragment and spread all over when using.

6.Can therapeutic putty be used for reasons other than hand rehabilitation?

Therapeutic putty can be used to treat carpal tunnel syndrome, stroke recovery interventions, provide a sensory rich tactile experience, therapy for rheumatoid arthritis, stress or anxiety intervention as a pliable substance to squeeze and grip, and as a pain relief strategy providing movement in reducing hand pain, or simply as a helpful tool to develop fine motor skills.

7.Is therapeutic putty reusable?

Yes, it is reusable for a long time, even years, if it is kept clean and free from contamination such as grit, specs of debris, and properly stored in its container after each use to prevent drying out.

8.How do I properly clean and care for my therapeutic putty?

It is important to ensure that the hands of the person using the therapeutic putty are clean, washed with soap and water prior to use. Any surface on which the person uses when working with the therapy putty should be clean and free from any dust or debris of any kind. When cleaning therapeutic putty, simply wash it with soap and water. Then allow it to air dry completely before placing it in its container to prevent mold and bacteria growth.

9.Can therapeutic putty be microwaved to help make it soft?

In most cases it is not recommended to microwave therapeutic putty as it can weaken the substance over time. However, some therapeutic putty products are designed specifically to be microwaved before use to provide a warmed and smoothing experience when performing hand exercises.

10.Are there different types of therapeutic putty?

Since the introduction of standard therapeutic putty, other characteristics have been created to enhance the hand exercise experience or provide what would be considered beneficial properties for some users. These include:

• Scented
• Microwaveable
• Anti-microbial
• Sparkle or glitter
• Fluffier feel

11.How long should I use therapeutic putty in a session?

The duration of using therapeutic putty can and will vary depending on the purpose for using the putty, the specific condition for which it is being used as a rehabilitation tool, and where a person is in their progressive rehabilitation program. A good “general” guideline is to perform a specific exercise at 10 repetitions for 1 to 3 sets, and with an end point hold of 1 to 2 seconds.

12.Is therapeutic putty covered by insurance?

In some cases, therapeutic putty may be covered by insurance when prescribed by a physician for a specific rehabilitative purpose. It is recommended to contact your insurance carrier for verification.