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Exercises

Cubital Tunnel Exercises

A nerve glide and hand exercises for cubital tunnel syndrome, which causes tingling in the pinky side of the hand.

Exercise 1: Ulnar Nerve Glide

  1. Start by moving your arm out to the side.
  2. Slowly bend your elbow and bring your hand up toward your face while you tilt your head to the other shoulder.
  3. Straighten your arm with your fingers pointing up toward the ceiling.
  4. Tilt your head toward the arm that is stretched out.
Drawing of a person raising one arm out to the side, then bending the elbow to bring the hand toward the face while tilting the head.
Repeat
10 times
Hold
1 second
Sets
2
Per day
2 times

Exercise 2: Putty Squeezes

  1. Hold the putty with your fingers straight, then squeeze it.
  2. Make sure to keep your fingers straight the whole time.
Drawing of a hand with straight fingers squeezing a lump of putty.
Repeat
10 times
Hold
1 second
Sets
2
Per day
2 times

Exercise 3: Thumb to Little Finger

  1. Touch the tip of your thumb to the tip of your little finger across your palm.
  2. Try to keep both fingers as straight as you can so you don't use other motions.
  3. Your hand should look like the sides are folding in toward each other.
Drawing of a hand with the thumb touching the tip of the little finger across the palm.
Repeat
10 times
Hold
1 second
Sets
3
Per day
3 times

Exercise 4: Thumb Opposition

  1. Roll the theraputty into a long rope shape.
  2. Pinch the putty with your thumb and index finger.
  3. Pinch the putty with your thumb and middle finger.
  4. Pinch the putty with your thumb and ring finger.
  5. Pinch the putty with your thumb and little finger.
  6. Keep switching fingers in order.
  7. Repeat the exercise 1–3 times.
A hand pinching a rope of putty between the thumb and a finger.
Repeat
10 times
Hold
1 second
Sets
2
Per day
2 times