Tennis Elbow Exercises

<>Take Care of Your Elbows!

Nancy Hausauer, LMP
706 Sixth Avenue * Tacoma, WA 98405 * 253-686-1214
Massage, lymphatic massage, and energy healing serving Tacoma, Seattle,
Federal Way, Puyallup, Lakewood, Olympia, and the Puget Sound region

What is Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow is the common name for pain near the side of your elbow, where the tendons of your forearm muscles attach to the bony knob on the outside of the elbow. The pain may spread into

your forearm and even your wrist. It may hurt when you extend your wrist (bend it back), make a fist, straighten your fingers, or try to grip objects, such as a coffee cup. Your forearm may also be weakened.

Tennis Elbow Exercises
Exercise has been shown to be fairly effective for relieving and preventing elbow pain. The proper exercises will strengthen weak muscles, so that other muscles aren't required to become strained by compensating.

Before you start exercising, your injury should be completely or nearly completely healed. You should feel no or little pain, and their should be no swelling or stiffness.

If, after waiting until your injury is healed, the exercises below still cause you pain, switch to a lighter weight, no weight, or stop doing them altogether until your healing has progressed further.

Before doing any of these exercises, warm up the muscles and tendons by gently rotating your wrist in all directions. After exercising, ice your elbow for ten to fifteen minutes.

Remember: do nothing that causes you pain!

• In the early phases of healing, and to warm up for more demanding exercises:

  You can increase strength and range of motion by mobilizing your wrist with gentle and frequent bending, straightening and rotation. Do this gently--no pain--but many times a day.

  Put your hand palm up on a table. Touch your thumb to each finger sequentially, repeating the sequence 10-20 times.

  Put your hand palm down on your leg. Turn your hand over so that the palm faces up. Repeat 10-20 times.

• As your wrist becomes stronger:

  To strengthen your wrist extensor muscles, (muscles at the top of the forearm that lift the finger and wrist), rest your forearm on a table with your palm facing down. Bend your wrist upward, so that it is pulled back. Hold this position for 2 seconds and then lower slowly.

  Do 10 to 15 repetitions a day at first, working up to 20. When you can do this easily, add a one-pound or less hand weight to the exercise. Depending on your size and body build, you can gradually increase up to a two to three pound weight.

  To strengthen your wrist flexor muscles, rest your forearm on a table with your palm up. Bend your wrist up, hold for two seconds and lower slowly.

  Do 10 to 15 repetitions a day at first, working up to 20. When you can do this easily, add a one-pound or less hand weight to the exercise. Depending on your size and body build, you can gradually increase up to a three pound weight.

  Hold a tennis ball in the palm of your hand. Firmly squeeze and hold for 3 seconds. Repeat ten to twenty times, but not to the point of pain or muscle exhaustion. Start with a smaller or softer ball if a tennis ball is too difficult.

Remember: Do not do any of these exercises if they conflict with the advice of your doctor, chiropractor, or physical therapist, and don't continue doing them if they make you feel worse.

Additional Effective Self-Care Ideas for Tennis Elbow
Beyond tennis elbow exercises, learn what else you need to do to relieve and heal tennis elbow at my main tennis elbow page.

When to See a Doctor
You should see your doctor if the pain persists for over a week in spite of doing tennis elbow exercises and other self-treatment. See your medical doctor immediately if you can't bend your elbow; your elbow is hot, swollen, and you have a fever; if your elbow looks mis-shapen; or if you think you may have broken a bone or have an infection in your arm.

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