Therapy putty: resistance levels, household alternatives, and pacing ideas
Exercises & movement··5 min read·By HandTherapy·Education only; not individualized medical advice.
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Journal articles summarize topics with cited sources for education. Citations are for context, not an endorsement by those organizations. This is not individualized medical or legal advice.
Therapists sometimes recommend putty for graded grip and pinch work when symptoms and tissue irritability allow. If commercial putty is hard to find, teams may discuss household items with similar slow resistance and comfortable texture — always with skin safety and hygiene in mind.
Browsing education listings
Our recovery marketplace lists common tools with public search links — compare options with your clinician, then explore therapy putty listings for orientation (not checkout on HandTherapy.app).
Pair reading with the guided soft grip squeeze and tendon glides pages when they match your plan.
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Evidence & product framing
Journal articles cite external literature for education — see how HandTherapy.app uses research as a transparency layer, not proof of clinical validation.
Related articles
- Tendon glides: why therapists prescribe them — and how to stay in a safe range
Tendon gliding sequences aim to improve tendon glide without provoking irritable tissues — dosing and stop rules matter more than “doing more.”
- Resistance bands for finger spread and extension: small loops, big therapy themes
Thin loops can bias metacarpal phalangeal extension and finger abduction — dosing stays symptom-limited and coordinated with swelling or post-surgical rules.
- Common hand surgeries: a cautious, patient-friendly map
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- Carpal tunnel syndrome: education, conservative care, and when surgery is discussed
Night symptoms, numbness patterns, and weakness are reasons to seek evaluation — education complements, not replaces, examination.
Sources & further reading
- Hand therapy — American Society for Surgery of the Hand(accessed 2026-05-01)
- Tendonitis — AAOS OrthoInfo(accessed 2026-04-22)
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