Physiotherapy Singapore, Occupational Therapy Singapore, Hand Therapy Singapore

Hand Arthritis Management in Singapore

Arthritis in the hands shows up in ordinary things: a jar that will not open, a key that will not turn, fingers that are stiff for the first part of the day. At the Centre for Advanced Rehabilitation (CARe), our AHPC-registered occupational therapists and physiotherapists assess how your hands are affected and build a plan around the tasks that matter to you.

Hand arthritis management at CARe

Osteoarthritis at the base of the thumb and in the finger joints is the form of arthritis most often seen in a hand therapy clinic. Hand therapy is a recognised part of managing it: the aims are to reduce pain, support joint function and mobility, maintain strength and grip, and keep you doing the daily activities that matter to you. Hand arthritis care in Singapore spans medical care, and for some people surgery, alongside conservative hand therapy; this page describes the therapy side. At the Centre for Advanced Rehabilitation (CARe), that work is led by our AHPC-registered occupational therapists, within a clinic team of AHPC-registered occupational therapists and physiotherapists, and includes therapists who specialise in hand and upper limb rehabilitation and work alongside hand surgeons. Care here is conservative: we do not perform surgery, injections or imaging, and we do not diagnose which type of arthritis you have.

When hand symptoms need urgent medical care

Seek urgent medical assessment today if any joint becomes hot, red, swollen or severely painful. Do not wait for fever or for every symptom to appear. A joint infection can damage a joint quickly and is treated as urgent. If you cannot get a same-day appointment, go to an emergency department. Call 995 immediately if you become confused, faint, breathless, or rapidly and severely unwell. Do not drive yourself.

See a doctor before starting therapy if your hand symptoms have not been medically assessed, particularly if several joints are involved, both hands are affected in a similar pattern, stiffness lasts well into the morning, or you also have rashes, fevers, unexplained weight loss or marked fatigue. Inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis needs medical management as well as therapy. Symptoms that follow a fall or an accident, a joint you cannot move or that looks out of shape, and new numbness, weakness or loss of sensation in the hand also need medical attention promptly, before a therapy programme is started.

How we approach hand arthritis

Assessment first

The first session covers which joints are involved, how pain and stiffness behave through the day and, most importantly, what your hands have stopped you doing. We look at joint movement, grip and pinch strength, swelling, and how you hold and use everyday objects. That assessment sets the goals.

Joint protection, activity modification and adapted tools

Small changes in how a task is done can take a surprising amount of load off a painful joint: spreading load across larger joints, avoiding sustained tight grips, pacing heavier work, and adapting the jobs that provoke your symptoms most. Jar openers, tap turners and built-up handles are unglamorous and often the most useful part of the plan. Where typing or tool use is the aggravating factor, our ergonomics guidance covers workstation setup and rest breaks.

Splints and orthoses

Our therapists fabricate custom splints and orthoses where they help: to support an irritable joint, to improve alignment during loaded tasks, and to give a painful hand a rest. They are typically worn for specific activities or at night rather than all day, and are fitted and adjusted here.

Manual therapy and pain-relief modalities

Joint mobilisation and soft tissue work are used to ease pain and stiffness around the affected joints, matched to how irritable a joint is on the day. Where they suit you, physical agent modalities such as heat or cold therapy, paraffin wax baths, therapeutic ultrasound and electrical stimulation can settle symptoms so that the active parts of the programme are more comfortable.

Personalised exercise

You are given a short, specific programme rather than a generic sheet: gentle range of motion work such as finger and wrist stretches and joint gliding, and graded strength work using therapy putty, grippers or resistance bands where your joints tolerate it, progressed at review.

What hand arthritis management can help with

Hand therapy can help with:

osteoarthritis at the base of the thumb and in the finger joints
finger stiffness, particularly during the first part of the day
difficulty gripping and pinching, opening jars, or turning keys and taps
pain with writing, typing, buttoning clothes and other fine hand tasks
reduced grip and pinch strength, and hands that tire quickly
aching and swelling after housework, gardening or a long day at a keyboard
hands affected by inflammatory arthritis, alongside the medical team managing your condition
protecting your joints while staying active at work and at home

Hand therapy is one part of arthritis care and does not replace medical management. If your symptoms match any of those described in the section above, please seek medical attention promptly rather than waiting for a therapy appointment.

What to expect at your appointment

Bring letters from your doctor or rheumatologist, recent results and any splints you already own. The first appointment is mostly assessment and discussion, and usually ends with something you can start straight away: a joint protection change, a home exercise or a splint plan. Later sessions combine hands-on work, modalities where useful, splint fitting and progression of your exercises, and the plan is adjusted as your hands respond.

Home exercises and continuing your programme

Most of the change happens between appointments, so the programme is deliberately short enough to fit into a normal day. Pacing matters as much as the exercises: breaking heavier tasks into smaller pieces, alternating hand-intensive jobs with lighter ones, and using your splints and aids on the days you know will be demanding. Stop any exercise that sharply increases pain and ask your therapist for advice before restarting it. If a joint becomes hot, red, swollen or severely painful, seek urgent medical assessment today, even without fever. Do not wait for a therapy appointment.

Frequently asked questions

Can hand therapy help with arthritis in the hands?

It can help with pain, stiffness, grip and the daily tasks that arthritis makes difficult. Hand therapy does not reverse the joint changes themselves, and we would not claim otherwise; what it works on is how much those changes interfere with your hands. How much difference it makes varies, and your therapist will be straight with you about what to expect in your case.

Do I need a referral or a diagnosis before I come?

A referral is not generally needed for a therapy assessment, but a diagnosis is a different matter: we do not diagnose which type of arthritis you have, and we do not perform imaging or blood tests. If a doctor has not assessed your hand symptoms, particularly where several joints are involved, please see one first and bring their letters and results.

Will I be given a splint, and would I wear it all the time?

Only if it suits your situation. Where a splint helps, our therapists fabricate it to fit your hand rather than issuing an off-the-shelf one, and it is usually worn for specific activities or at night rather than continuously. Please do not buy one online and assume it suits your joints.

Our clinic locations

CARe @ Camden: 1 Orchard Boulevard, #11-05 Camden Medical Centre, Singapore 248649. Phone / WhatsApp: +65 8040 6409

CARe @ Parkway: 1 Marine Parade Central, #07-07 Parkway Centre, Singapore 449408. Phone / WhatsApp: +65 8040 6409

CARe @ Novena: 101 Irrawaddy Road, #17-10 Royal Square Medical Centre, Singapore 329565. Phone / WhatsApp: +65 8040 6409

Struggling with stiff or painful hands?

If a joint becomes hot, red, swollen or severely painful, seek urgent medical assessment today, even without fever. If you become confused, faint, breathless, or rapidly and severely unwell, call 995. Do not wait for a reply by WhatsApp, the contact form or a clinic callback.

For non-urgent therapy appointments, book an assessment at any of our three clinics. Call +65 8040 6409, message us on WhatsApp, or use our contact page, and we will arrange a suitable time.