Intermediate Wrist and Hand Tendon Repair Rehabilitation

Program Overview This is a seven-week, intermediate-level rehabilitation guide for people recovering from wrist and hand tendon repair. It combines guided exercise, hands-on therapy, splinting, electrical stimulation for muscle re-education, and swelling control. Sessions run about thirty minutes, four times a week, using a stationary bike, TRX, dumbbell, and tennis ball alongside therapy-specific techniques.

Who This Program Is For and Its Goal This program suits people past the earliest healing stage of a tendon repair who have clinician clearance to begin protected motion and gradual strengthening. The goal is to restore wrist and hand movement, rebuild grip and pinch strength, control swelling, and return you to everyday activities safely, while protecting the repair throughout.

Before You Start Begin only with your surgeon's and therapist's approval, and review your splint schedule and precautions with them. This program does not replace supervised care. Your therapist should guide the manual therapy, electrical stimulation, and splint progression, and adjust the plan to your healing.

Safety Notes and When to Stop Do not exercise if you have an active infection, a flare of acute inflammation, or severe pain. Stop right away if pain increases, swelling worsens, or you feel numbness, tingling, or new weakness. Call your clinician for fever, spreading redness, wound opening, or drainage. Keep your spine in a neutral position during all activities.

Weekly Structure The plan runs seven weeks with four thirty-minute sessions each week, progressing through protection, early motion, progressive mobilization, and strengthening phases. Sessions blend therapeutic exercise, manual therapy, splinting adjustments, electrical stimulation, and swelling control, with your stationary bike, TRX, dumbbell, and tennis ball supporting warm-ups, light functional work, and grip tasks.

How the Seven Weeks Are Organized Early weeks focus on protecting the repair, gentle finger motion, and swelling control. Middle weeks add controlled wrist movement and tendon gliding. Later weeks introduce light resistance and functional tasks. Your therapist decides when you move to the next phase based on healing signs and comfort, not the calendar alone.

What a Typical Session Looks Like Each session follows a warm-up, main work, and cool-down pattern. You might start with easy stationary-bike pedaling, then do tendon gliding, wrist range-of-motion, and gentle strengthening with the dumbbell and tennis ball. TRX and light functional tasks add variety. Cool-down includes swelling control, elevation, and gentle stretching as directed.

Warm-Up, Main Work, and Cool-Down Warm up briefly on the stationary bike to raise blood flow. Main work includes guided joint mobilization, tendon gliding, wrist motion, and progressive strengthening with the dumbbell and tennis ball, plus light TRX-assisted movements when cleared. Cool down with gentle stretching, compression, elevation, and any prescribed electrical stimulation or edema techniques.

Tracking Progress Your therapist tracks grip and pinch strength, wrist motion, pain scores, and function questionnaires like the DASH and MHQ. These measures show whether you are ready to advance. Log your home exercises, pain levels, and any swelling so your team can adjust the plan safely.

How Progression Criteria Are Used You move between phases when you meet specific healing and comfort markers, such as controlled swelling, pain staying low at rest, and improving grip strength relative to your other side. Outcome measures guide these decisions alongside your therapist's exam. Never push to the next phase on your own.

Recovery and Self-Care Follow your splint schedule exactly, keep the incision clean and dry, and elevate and compress as advised to limit swelling. Rest between sessions and avoid heavy lifting or gripping. Report any changes in sensation, color, or wound appearance promptly.

Pain Management and Red Flags Use prescribed pain relief as directed by your clinician; this guide gives no medication advice. Mild soreness that settles with rest is common, but stop if pain rises, swelling increases, or you notice numbness, tingling, or wound changes. Seek urgent care for fever or spreading redness.