My name is Natalie March from Physio-logical, a Chartered Physiotherapist based within Active4Less in PO9. I hope you found our last self-help exercises for wrist pain useful. Today we will be offering some advice and exercises for tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis).
There have been a lot of people who suffer with tennis elbow (pain on outside of the elbow) attending our clinic recently; tennis players, weight lifters, office workers, builders, gardeners, people taking up new and repetitive activities such as decorating or playing the violin.
Most people with this problem have some pain when lifting pans, opening jars, bending their arm, gripping small objects such as pens, shaking someone's hand firmly or holding a cup.
Tennis elbow is an overuse injury which occurs where the tendon which extends the wrist attaches to the outside of the elbow. I am going to give you exercises which will help with tennis elbow.
The best treatment for tennis elbow is frictions, massage, mobilisations combined with exercises. Acupuncture is another effective treatment for tennis elbow too, we offer this at our Havant clinic.
Please be aware of your body and take advice from your GP before exercising if you have any aches or pains or send me an email (enquiries@physio-logical.net) for advice and guidance.
Elbow Flexion/Extension
- Extend your arm with your palm facing up then bend and straighten at your elbow.
- Repeat 10 times, 3 Wrist Extensor Strengthening
Wrist Extensor Strengthening
- Support your forearm on a table with palm facing down
- Hold a weight in the hand of your injured side.
- Use your other hand to bend your wrist up.
- Then let go of your wrist and use just your injured side to lower the weight slowly back to the starting position.
- Repeat 3 sets of 15, 2 times a day
Wrist Extensor Stretch
- Straighten your arm out in front of you
- Bend your wrist down towards the floor
- Use your other hand to apply gentle pressure to stretch out the muscles on the top of your forearm
- Hold for 30 seconds x 2, 3 times a day times a day.
