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Key Takeaways
- Weak grip strength can negatively impact your patient’s life in numerous ways and prevent them from completing daily activities
- Measuring and recording grip strength allows you to track your patient’s progress during therapy
- There are many different grip strength exerciser options available for your patients
- Reviews can provide helpful information so you can find the best products to use in your clinic
Top Products in this Article
From a stroke to aging to injury, many conditions can leave your patient with weak grip strength. This can impact their ability to drive, eat, write, and perform other daily tasks. You can help your patient strengthen their grip and return to their daily life using a variety of hand exercisers. Then, track the impact of your therapy with a hand dynamometer to measure your patient’s grip strength progress. Get started with our top seven choices for measuring and strengthening hand grips!
Table of Contents
- 1 Tool for Measuring Grip Strength
- Get Started with a Grip Strength Calculator
- 6 Tools for Strengthening Hand Grip
1 Tool for Measuring Grip Strength
Jamar Smart Hand Dynamometer
Measure your patient’s grip strength to get a baseline and track their progress. This dynamometer uses electronic load cells instead of hydraulics for fast, accurate results. Plus, you can easily graph and track patient progress using the Jamar Smart tablet app.
Get Started with a Grip Strength Calculator
After measuring your patient’s grip strength, discover the average grip strength for your patient’s demographics and what percentile they fall in using this simple Grip Strength Calculator.
6 Tools for Strengthening Hand Grip
1. THERABAND Hand Exerciser
Use these soft hand exercisers for simple strengthening exercises. They can be heated or frozen before squeezing for hot or cold therapy.
Squishy Good Exerciser “I love these Theraband exercisers, which my hand therapist introduced me to. I've collected some of the toys I used in therapy to use at home. TheraBalls are small, comfortable, inexpensive and effective...” -B. Yelverton, Amazon Customer
2. Rolyan Basic Ergonomic Hand Exerciser
Looking for an exerciser that can be used for grip and finger exercises? Here’s your solution! The foam roller helps train gross grasp while other inserts work on finger pinches.
Physical Therapy Seems to Like “Physical Therapy seems to like these 2 products.” -Jerry G., Performance Health Customer
3. THERABAND Hand Xtrainers
Squeeze, pinch, and stretch the Xtrainers for total hand exercising. Cool in the fridge or warm in the microwave to add hot or cold therapy to your patient’s exercise regimen
Useful, Like It "Like It. I use it to strengthen the extensor side of my fingers, hand and forearm with resistance... the opposite muscles from squeezing a stress ball. Working these muscles is beneficial for those who type a lot, drive a lot or do any activity requiring much hand and forearm flexion. (Strengthening the extensors helps balance muscle tension in the hand.) I am a massage therapist.” -ShopGirl81, Amazon Customer
4. Rolyan Therapy Putty
Therapy putty is a versatile option for patient therapy. It can be rolled, twisted, squeezed, and more for hand and finger strengthening.
Excellent “Your products are excellent and great quality. Love the fast service too!” -Debbie P., Performance Health Customer
5. THERABAND FlexBar
This FlexBar works your patient’s hand grip and can also be used for forearm and wrist strengthening. Patients can also use the flexible, rubber bar to relieve tennis or golfer’s elbow pain.
Great Help for My Wrist
“I broke both wrists in a fall. After the surgery to put plates and screws in them, they therapist used flex bars to help improve my strength and flexibility. It worked so well, I bought two to continue my own therapy at home between therapy visit. Great investment!”
-John B.,Performance Health Customer
Great Company Great Product
“Performance Health can always be counted on to only provide top quality supplies in a very prompt response time.”
-Luanne J., Performance Health Customer
6. Rolyan Temper Foam R-Lite Foam Blocks
Made of slow recovery foam, these progressive resistance blocks are designed for patient rehabilitation after injury or surgery. Patients can squeeze or pinch the middle of the block during sessions to treat a variety of conditions that affect the hands and forearms.
OT "We use them for hand therapy. Gripping and OA program.” -Nichole P., Performance Health Customer
BONUS: Rolyan Graded Pinch Exerciser
Want to focus on your patient’s pinch strength too? Use these plastic clips to challenge your patients as they clip them onto metal rods. The exerciser is offered in a variety of resistances so your patients can move to the next level as they progress
A Nice Surprise “What an incredible improvement over the old Pinch Clips and Box. These clips have a beautiful translucent look; feel awesome in your hand; have a non allergen pad; are wide enough to easily support the width of two fingers; and.... what is really nice, theresistance levels are printed on each pinch clip. The box has knurled finishes on the rods to make it much more effective when you attach the clips. A GREAT BUY.” -Keith W., Performance Health Customer
Medical Disclaimer: The information provided on this site, including text, graphics, images and other material, are for informational purposes only and are not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other healthcare professional with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition.
From a stroke to aging to injury, many conditions can leave your patient with weak grip strength. This can impact their ability to drive, eat, write, and perform other daily tasks. You can help your patient strengthen their grip and return to their daily life using a variety of hand exercisers. Then, track the impact of your therapy with a hand dynamometer to measure your patient’s grip strength progress. Get started with our top seven choices for measuring and strengthening hand grips!
Measure Grip Strength Using a Digital Hand Dynamometer
Jamar Smart Hand Dynamometer
Measure your patient’s grip strength to get a baseline and track their progress. This dynamometer uses electronic load cells instead of hydraulics for fast, accurate results. Plus, you can easily graph and track patient progress using the Jamar Smart tablet app.
6 Tools for Strengthening Hand Grip
1. TheraBand Hand Exerciser
Use these soft hand exercisers for simple strengthening exercises. They can be heated or frozen before squeezing for hot or cold therapy.
Squishy good exerciser “I love these Theraband exercisers, which my hand therapist introduced me to. I've collected some of the toys I used in therapy to use at home. TheraBalls are small, comfortable, inexpensive and effective...” -B. Yelverton, Amazon Customer
2. Rolyan Ultigrip Hand Exercisers
Looking for an exerciser that can be used for grip and finger exercises? Here’s your solution! The foam roller helps train gross grasp while other inserts work on finger pinches.
3. Rolyan Digi-Block Hand Exerciser
Working on isolated joint movements with your patient? Use this firm foam hand exerciser to focus on the CMC, MCP, PIP, or DIP joints during therapy.
4. TheraBand Hand Xtrainers
Squeeze, pinch, and stretch the Xtrainers for total hand exercising. Cool in the fridge or warm in the microwave to add hot or cold therapy to your patient’s exercise regimen.
Useful, like it “Like it. I use it to strengthen the extensor side of my fingers, hand and forearm with resistance... the opposite muscles from squeezing a stress ball. Working these muscles is beneficial for those who type a lot, drive a lot or do any activity requiring much hand and forearm flexion. (Strengthening the extensors helps balance muscle tension in the hand.) I am a massage therapist.” -ShopGirl81, Amazon Customer
5. Sammons Preston Therapy Putty
Therapy putty is a versatile option for patient therapy. It can be rolled, twisted, squeezed, and more for hand and finger strengthening.
6. TheraBand FlexBar
This FlexBar works your patient’s hand grip and can also be used for forearm and wrist strengthening. Patients can also use the flexible, rubber bar to relieve tennis or golfer’s elbow pain.
Hand and Forearm exerciser “Well, I've registered the Flexbar acquisition among my best ever. It is a very handy tool to develop hand and wrist strength. I've been looking for something like this for decades...This, for me at least, deserves two thumbs up!...Excellent!” -F. Villaman, Amazon Customer
Medical Disclaimer: The information provided on this site, including text, graphics, images and other material, are for informational purposes only and are not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other healthcare professional with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition.
