Hand therapy after surgery · Singapore

Flexor Tendon Repair Recovery Program

Written by Mavis Tham, Shamaine Soh and Yuna Zhuang, Principal Hand Occupational Therapists at Phoenix Rehab.Clinically reviewed by Nigel Chua, Principal Hand Occupational Therapist & Director, AHPC A1300362Z.Last reviewed 3 October 2026.

A repaired flexor tendon has two ways to fail. It can pull apart, or it can stick down. Everything in the first twelve weeks is a trade between those two.

That is why this is the procedure where the therapy protocol matters more than almost any other, and why it is not general physiotherapy. Hand and wrist cases are managed by our hand therapy team.

No referral needed. Every first visit is one 45-minute Assessment & Treatment, $230, nett, no GST. Bring your operation note or scan report.

Where are you right now?

Four situations we see

• Surgery is booked, or you have just come out. You will leave with a splint that holds the wrist and fingers in a protected position, and instructions that will feel over-cautious. They are not.
• You are in the protected weeks. Swelling, a hand that feels foreign, and a finger that will not move the way you tell it to. All usual.
• The splint is off and the finger will not bend, or will not straighten. This is the common one, and the point where the work changes.
• You want to know when you can drive, work, lift or grip.

What does not come back

Adhesions, and why the early weeks decide this

A healing tendon lays down scar tissue that sticks the tendon to everything around it. Once those adhesions are established and mature, they do not dissolve. A tendon glued to its sheath gives you a finger that bends when someone else bends it and will not bend when you ask it to, and the only remaining option at that point is another operation to release it, which starts the whole process again.

That is the reason for controlled movement during the protected weeks rather than rest. Complete rest produces a tendon that healed and a finger that does not work. Too much too early produces a rupture. The protocol your surgeon sets is the line between the two, and following it exactly matters more than effort.

If you have had a flexor tendon repaired and nobody has arranged hand therapy, ring the surgeon rooms this week and ask. Which clinic you attend matters far less than that someone is running the protocol at all.

The shape of it

What happens, week by week

Flexor tendon programs usually run about 12 weeks before grip is loaded fully, and longer for heavy manual work. The weeks below are the common shape after a zone II repair on an early active motion protocol. Your surgeon’s protocol takes precedence, every time.

• Weeks 0 to 4Stage 1 · Calm & ProtectA back-of-hand splint holds the wrist and fingers so the repair cannot be stretched, day and night. The exercises your surgeon’s protocol allows, done exactly as prescribed, several times a day. Swelling and the wound managed.
• Weeks 4 to 8Stage 2 · Move & MobilizeProtection reduced in steps, usually with the splint off by around week 6. Tendon gliding, blocking exercises for each joint, and scar work. Light use for daily tasks, nothing heavy.
• Weeks 8 to 12Stage 3 · Rebuild & StrengthenResistance introduced only when your surgeon allows it, usually around week 8. Grip and pinch measured and built up gradually.
• Week 12 onwardsStage 4 · Return & PerformHeavy grip, tools and sport, built up over the following weeks. Manual work often needs longer.

The weeks are typical ranges, not a promise. You move up a stage when you meet its criteria, and your surgeon’s protocol takes precedence over anything on this page.

The program

The four stages, and what moves you up

• Stage 1, Calm & Protect. Splint fitted and checked, swelling managed, and controlled movement started to the protocol your surgeon specified. The hand is protected at all times, including at night.
  Move up when: the wound has healed, swelling is settling, the prescribed exercises are being done without a jump in pain, and your surgeon agrees protection can be reduced.
• Stage 2, Move & Mobilize. Tendon glide, joint range and scar work as protection is reduced. Criteria to move up are about glide and range, not about comfort.
  Move up when: active bending is close to what the finger does when bent for you (the gap measured at each joint), the finger straightens within the range the protocol allows, and your surgeon has cleared resistance.
• Stage 3, Rebuild & Strengthen. Grip and pinch introduced only once the repair can take it. This is the first point at which loading is safe, and it is later than most people expect.
  Move up when: grip and pinch are measured every two weeks and rising, and loading does not leave the finger more swollen or stiffer the next day.
• Stage 4, Return & Perform. Back to tools, keyboard, instrument or sport, with grip measured side to side before you are finished.
  Graduate when: total finger movement is recorded against the other hand, and grip and pinch meet what your work or sport needs, tested with the tasks themselves.

Measured at your first appointment and again at graduation: a hand function questionnaire, the total movement of the repaired finger in degrees, and grip and pinch strength in kilograms once your surgeon allows it, on both hands.

You move up when you meet the criteria for that stage, not when a number of weeks has passed. Your surgeon’s protocol takes precedence over any range on this page.

Is this normal?

Usually expected, and what is not

Usual: swelling for months, a stiff and sensitive scar, a finger that lags behind the others, cold intolerance, and numbness along one side of the finger if the nerve was repaired at the same time.

Contact your surgeon the same day if you feel a sudden give or pop followed by a loss of active bend, if the splint breaks or comes off, if the wound is red, leaking or increasingly painful, or if you develop fever.

If it is not going to plan

The finger bends when someone else bends it, and not when you ask

That gap between passive and active movement is the signature of adhesion, and it is measured rather than guessed. The sooner it is measured, the more room there is to work with.

The Stalled Recovery Review is three appointments over three weeks with the same hand therapist, because what a tendon does under graded work cannot be read in one visit. $690, nett, no GST.

Logistics

When can I…

Your surgeon decides, based on healing and what your job demands. These are typical points, not permissions.

Who you will see

The hand therapy team that runs this program

Hand, wrist and elbow cases are managed by the hand therapy team. You are matched to the therapist whose declared clinical interest fits what happened to you and the clinic that suits you, and you stay with the same therapist through the program. Every appointment is one to one with your therapist for the full 45 minutes. All are registered with the Allied Health Professions Council.

Mavis Tham

Principal Hand Occupational Therapist. Wrist fractures, TFCC and wrist ligament injuries, custom splinting.

Tanjong Pagar

Shamaine Soh

Principal Hand Occupational Therapist. Stiffness and scar tightness after hand or wrist surgery.

Orchard, Sundays

Yuna Zhuang

Principal Hand Occupational Therapist. Carpal and cubital tunnel, sports wrist and finger injuries, tennis elbow.

What our patients say

Google reviews from our clinics in Singapore.

  
 
 
 
  
 
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5.0
 
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 Micah 
 
53 days ago
 
 
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Amazing experience with Phoenix Rehab, was assisted by Mavis. She’s very kind and professional and did thorough check on my wrist. I feel very comfortable during the process.

I went in for thermoplastic splint, and everything went smoothly. She was able to address my needs on my left wrist sprain.

They were prompt with appointment process and inquiry. Also the clinic is very close to Tanjong Pagar MRT. I highly recommend!
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Chiky Phan 
 
57 days ago
 
 
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Fist time doing ultrasound for my tennis elbow!! Let’s hope it gets better the next few weeks!! Thank Mavis Tham!!
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 XIN WANG 
 
74 days ago
 
 
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Great treatment from my therapist. My painful wrist felt a lot of relief after the session. I’m glad I can slowly get back to doing my usual activities without constant pain.
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Abby Lee 
 
90 days ago
 
 
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Very helpful and friendly !
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 雪梅Cui 
 
128 days ago
 
 
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The masseur is very professional and provides excellent service ，yati is very good!
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Tra Nguyen 
 
219 days ago
 
 
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I wasn’t able to close my fingers due to an injury. Nurul at Phoenix Rehab has helped me tremendously with my recovery process. I have been able to resume my daily activities and exercises after only a few sessions. Nurul has been very professional and positive throughout the entire process. Thank you so much for your help!
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Juzer K 
 
257 days ago
 
 
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Huge shoutout to Yuna Zhang from Phoenix Rehab for helping in my recovery from golfer’s elbow 🙌

I walked in with persistent elbow pain that was affecting workouts and everyday tasks, and Yuna immediately made me feel confident I was in the right hands. She took the time to properly assess my condition, explain the root cause, and tailor a treatment plan to my specific needs instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach.

What I really appreciated was how personalised every session felt. The exercises she gave me were practical, easy to follow, and actually worked. Within a short time, the pain reduced significantly and my strength and mobility improved much faster than I expected.

On top of that, the pricing is very reasonable and affordable, which made committing to recovery much easier.

Professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely caring — highly recommend Yuna at Phoenix Rehab if you’re dealing with hand-related sports injuries 💪
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Fazal Hanafi Chaudhry 
 
341 days ago
 
 
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I enjoy coming to Phoenix rehab as they offer a wide variety of services. I had a finger accident and was working with a very experienced hand therapist. Place is clean and comfortable.  Staff were friendly and appointment was on time
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Stella Yam 
 
482 days ago
 
 
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Very good
  
 
 
 
 
 
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 Juliana 
 
484 days ago
 
 
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Have both physio n Tcm visits here, highly recommend!
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Orchard, Serangoon, Tampines

Nurul Nadzirah

Principal Hand Occupational Therapist. Finger and wrist fractures, De Quervain’s, wrist ligament injuries.

Orchard

Jasmine Ang

Principal Hand Occupational Therapist. TFCC and wrist ligament injuries, trigger finger, thumb and wrist pain after pregnancy.

Jurong East, from 25 October

The program belongs to Phoenix, not to one therapist. Your plan, your measurements and your surgeon’s protocol move with you if you change clinic.

What it costs

$230 per 45 minute appointment

One to one with a hand therapist for the whole 45 minutes. Nett, no GST. Same price for your first appointment and your last. Flexor tendon rehabilitation follows the tissue timeline, so the appointments are spread across all four stages over several months. The Flexor Tendon Repair Recovery Program is 12 appointments, $2,760 in all. You pay for each appointment as you attend it. If you need more, your therapist shows you which stage criteria are still open, and each extra appointment is $230.

This program runs Stages 1 to 4 of the Phoenix Recovery Protocol. It sits under hand therapy after surgery, alongside the other recovery programs. No referral is needed to start.