One part of your rehab for a boxer’s fracture is an exercise program. Exercises for a boxer’s fracture are designed to help your hand and fingers move better and function normally. Your PT will likely prescribe exercises for you to do as part of a home exercise program. But which exercises can you expect to be prescribed after your boxer’s fracture?
Many patients benefit from a step-by-step exercise program that may be prescribed by your physical therapist or healthcare provider after a boxer’s fracture. Check in with your healthcare provider to be sure exercise is safe for you to do, and then visit your PT to learn which exercises are best for your specific condition.
Ready? Let’s get started.
Exercises may be passive ROM, where your PT does the stretching for you, or your PT may have you start gentle wrist and finger stretches. Move each finger through its full motion—bending and straightening—with a little bit of extra pressure. Hold each stretch for 10 seconds, and do each stretch five times.
The motions of the wrist that you should stretch include:
FlexionExtensionRadial deviation (bending your wrist towards your thumb)Ulnar deviation (bending your wrist towards your pinky)Pronation (turning your wrist and hand over as if you were pouring a drink)Supination (turning your palm up as if you were holding a bowl of soup)
You may also need to perform gentle elbow range of motion exercises if you have been protecting your hand by keeping your entire arm immobilized in a sling. Your PT can show you the best way to improve the way your elbow bends and straightens.
The towel handgrip exercise Putty gripping exercises Using a device like a DigiFlex to improve grip strength
Your physical therapist can show you the best exercises to do to improve your grip strength after a boxer’s fracture.
Different ways you can strengthen your finger muscles may include:
Working with therapy puttyUsing elastic rubber bands around your fingers to strengthen themUsing a DigiFlex exercise device
Your physical therapist can show you the best way to strengthen your finger muscles after a boxer’s fracture.
Exercises that may be beneficial may include:
Rotator cuff strengthening Scapular stability exercises Wrist strengthening exercises Elbow mobility and elbow strength exercises
Your physical therapist can show you exactly where to target your upper extremity strengthening exercises to get maximal benefit from your exercise program.
The final piece of the puzzle for your rehab program after a boxer’s fracture is to get back to full function. Speak with your PT about some of the things that you are struggling with, and he or she can devise a specific exercise program and suggest strategies to help you maximize your function. Your therapist can assess your overall strength and mobility and make recommendations about what you can do to return to your baseline level of activity.
A Word From Verywell
Dealing with a boxer’s fracture can be a difficult thing to do. By working closely with your healthcare provider and your physical therapist, and by following a rehab program similar to this step-by-step, you can be sure to quickly and safely get back to your normal level of activity.
