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Exercises

Boutonniere Deformity Exercises

Home exercises for a finger that bends at the middle joint after an injury to the back of the finger.

A boutonniere deformity is when the middle joint in any of the fingers is bent due to an injury to the back of the finger. The finger will not move as it should and will be bent at the middle joint, while the tip of the finger will try to point up (see picture). It is important to do exercises to prevent permanent deformity in the finger.

Drawing of a hand showing a boutonniere deformity, where the middle joint of a finger bends and the fingertip points up, next to a swan-neck deformity.

Exercise 1: Joint Blocking

  1. Place your affected hand on a table, palm side up.
  2. With the opposite hand, apply pressure to the affected finger, just below the joint line closest to the finger tip.
  3. Actively bend just the tip of the finger in this position.
Drawing of one hand holding the middle of a finger still while the fingertip bends.
Repeat
10 times
Hold
2 seconds
Sets
3
Per day
3 times

Exercise 2: Digit Reverse Blocking

  1. Place your unaffected hand over the large knuckles of the affected hand to prevent them from moving.
  2. Bend the digits of the affected hand at the middle and end joints towards the palm.
Drawing of one hand covering the large knuckles of the other hand while its fingers curl toward the palm.
Repeat
10 times
Hold
2 seconds
Sets
3
Per day
3 times

Exercise 3: Middle Joint Straightening Stretch

  1. Place the fingers of the unaffected hand on the affected finger as follows: put the index and middle fingers on the back of the finger, just below the middle knuckle, and put the thumb on the front of the finger, just above the middle knuckle.
  2. Apply gentle pressure with the unaffected hand to stretch the middle joint of the affected finger.
Drawing of one hand gently pressing on the middle joint of a finger on the other hand.
Repeat
10 times
Hold
10 seconds
Sets
3
Per day
3 times

Exercise 4: Rubber Band Finger Spreading

  1. Place a rubber band around all of your fingers and thumb on the affected hand.
  2. Spread your fingers apart and hold.
Drawing of a hand with a rubber band around the fingers and thumb, then the fingers spread apart.
Repeat
10 times
Hold
5 seconds
Sets
3
Per day
3 times

Exercise 5: Ball Squeezes

  1. Get a soft ball, putty or dough, or anything you can make into a soft ball (paper, a t-shirt, etc.).
  2. Place it in the palm of the affected hand and firmly squeeze.
Drawing of a hand squeezing a soft ball.
Repeat
10 times
Hold
5 seconds
Sets
3
Per day
3 times

Tips

  • Be gentle, not forceful.
  • Keep your movements slow and controlled.
  • Exercises may be slightly uncomfortable, but you should not push through pain to do movements.