The wrist muscles and forearm muscles do so much more than give you strength in your arm and wrist. These muscles also play a part in helping you move your hand and fingers. There are 18 different muscles!

Here’s a preview of these muscles:

• Flexor pollicis longus: Helps you bend the tip of your thumb.
• Flexor digitorum profundus: Helps you bend your index, middle, ring and small fingers.
• Flexor digitorum superficialis: Helps you bend the middle joint of each finger, except for the thumb, which allows you to do things such as eating with chopsticks.
• Flexor carpi ulnaris: Helps you move your wrist away from the thumb, which is helpful in playing darts.
• Brachioradialis: Helps you twist your forearm so your palm is either facing up or down.
• Flexor carpi radialis: Helps you bend the wrist and move it toward the thumb.
• Palmaris longus: Helps you bend the wrist.
• Extensor pollicis brevis: Helps you straighten the thumb.

To learn more about all 18 muscles, visit our wrist and forearm muscles page on www.HandCare.org.