The tennis elbow injury is surprisingly not limited to tennis players. Other athletes such as swimmers and baseball players can suffer tennis elbow, and non-athletes such as butchers, plumbers, and carpenters are also susceptible to tennis elbow.
Thankfully, there are a few tennis elbow exercises out there to help treat this injury. But let’s start from the top: what is tennis elbow?
Understanding Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow isn’t an injury caused by specifically playing tennis; anyone who repetitively performs the same intense arm motion can pick up the tennis elbow injury. The repetitive stress on the muscles in your forearm can irritate the tendons in the elbow, causing inflammation.
Non-athletes that suffer tennis elbow are generally between 35-55 years old. Chronic tennis elbow can be caused by either continued stress on the joint or a single intense event.
Tennis Elbow Symptoms
Many people live with tennis elbow without knowing it. Some of the symptoms of tennis elbow include:
- Pain on the bone beside your elbow, where the bone links with your injured tendons
- Pain in your arm, the lower or upper part
- Pain experienced when you use your arm, such as opening a door, making a fist, or lifting an object
Exercises To Relieve Tennis Elbow Pain
Thankfully, there are some exercises you can perform to relieve yourself of the pain caused by tennis elbow. By repeating these exercises several times per day, the average case of tennis elbow should heal completely within 2 weeks. Try to perform these exercises with regular hydrotherapy (ice packs and heat pads applied to the pained area).
Here are the top 5 tennis elbow exercises – aimed at reducing pain and preventing reoccurrence – and how to perform them:
1. Elbow Bend
While standing in a straight position, begin by placing your arms down to your side. With your palm facing out, slowly bend your arm upward, as if you were performing a bicep curl. Bend it up all the way, until your hand touches your shoulder.
Now keep yourself in this position for 15-30 seconds. After this time, bend it back down slowly until you return to your original position. Repeat this motion 10 times.
2. Wrist Flex
This can be done in a sitting or standing position. Begin with your arms down at your side. Then lift your affected arm straight in front of you, palm facing to the ground. Now with your other hand, gently and slowly apply pressure to the wrist or your affected arm. This will hurt, but continue to press the hand as far down as you can, so that the palm is now facing you.
Hold this position for 15-30 seconds. After this time, let go of your wrist and straighten it. Now use the opposite hand to bend the stretching hand back the other way, pulling your fingers to you. Hold for another 15-30 seconds. Repeat this 3 times.
3. Wrist Lift
Hold your affected arm out in front of you. Bend the elbow at a right angle, and then pick up a light weight (such as a can of food or a book). Hold the weight in your hand with your palm upwards. Now bend your wrist towards you, slowly. Hold this position for 5 seconds and then release. Repeat this 30 times, in 3 sets of 10.
4. Wrist Turn
Begin with your arms at your sides. Bend the elbow of your affected arm at a right angle, forming an L shape with your arm. Hold your hand out with your palm up. Slowly turn your wrist until your palm is now face down. Stay in this position for 5 seconds, and then slowly rotate back up. Repeat this 30 times, in 3 sets of 10.
5. Wrist Turn With Weight
Perform the same exercise as that described above, but this time while holding a lightweight.
Treat Your Tennis Elbow With Chiropractic Today
While tennis elbow exercises can assist you on your road to recovery, Chiropractic treatment might be the most effective way to ensure that you return to a life without pain in your arms.
Our professionally trained Chiropractors at First Choice Chiropractic have assisted countless patients with tennis elbow, with our guaranteed process of assessing, identifying, and treating tennis elbow and related injuries. With years of experience and a commitment towards pain relief, every patient is guaranteed to begin a treatment plan that is certain to relieve them of their pain.
Contact us for your appointment and start working towards long-term relief from your tennis elbow today!
