10 Exercises for Tennis Elbow Rehab
If you have a tennis elbow, the best thing you can do is give your arm a rest. But once the pain starts to ease, it’s important to do some exercises to help improve your range of motion and prevent the injury from happening again. Here are a few exercises that can help:
- Wrist curls
Wrist curls are a great way to strengthen the muscles and tendons around the elbow joint and prevent tennis elbow.
- To do a wrist curl, sit with your forearm resting on your thigh, palm up.
- Use your other hand to hold a dumbbell or weight.
- Slowly curl your hand up, contracting the muscles in your forearm.
- Hold for a count of two and then slowly lower back down.
- Repeat 10-15 times.
You can also do this exercise standing. Start with your arm extended straight in front of you, palm up. Again, use your other hand to hold a dumbbell or weight. Curl your hand up towards your shoulder and squeeze the muscles in your forearm as you do so. Hold for a count of two and then lower back down.
- Eccentric wrist extension
One treatment option for tennis elbow is eccentric wrist extension, which involves slowly extending the wrist while resistance is applied to the fingers.
- Start in the same position as for wrist curls.
- This time, use your good hand to slowly lower the weight while your injured arm resists.
- Again, do 3 sets of 10 reps.
This exercise can help to stretch and strengthen the muscles and tendons in the forearm, which can help to reduce pain and improve function.
- Wrist flexion
If you’re suffering from tennis elbow, one of the best exercises you can do is wrist flexion. This exercise helps to stretch and strengthen the muscles and tendons around the elbow, which can ease pain and prevent further injury. To do the exercise:
- Sit or stand with your arm outstretched in front of you, palm up.
- Use your other hand to gently bend your wrist back and forth, moving slowly and smoothly at first.
- As you get used to the movement, increase the range of motion and speed of the movement.
- Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions on each side.
If you find that this exercise aggravates your symptoms, stop doing it and consult a doctor or physiotherapist for other options.
- Forearm flexor stretch
A forearm flexor stretch can help to relieve symptoms of tennis elbow. To perform a forearm flexor stretch,
- Extend your arm in front of you with your palm facing down.
- Use your other hand to bend your fingers back toward your wrist.
- Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times.
If you have a tennis elbow, stretching the forearm muscles can help to relieve pain and improve range of motion. The next time you feel pain on the outside of your elbow, try a forearm flexor stretch.
- Forearm pronation
Forearm pronation is a common treatment for tennis elbow. The theory behind it is that by pronating the forearm, the muscles and tendons in the elbow are better able to absorb shock and reduce stress on the joint. There is some evidence that forearm pronation can help to reduce pain and improve function in people with tennis elbow. However, it is not clear how long the effects of this treatment last.
Forearm pronation is a common exercise used to treat tennis elbow. The exercise involves holding your forearm in a pronated position and slowly moving your hand back and forth. This exercise helps to stretch the muscles and tendons around the elbow, which can help to relieve pain.
- Forearm extensor stretch
A simple forearm extensor stretch can help to relieve symptoms of tennis elbow. To perform the stretch,
- Extend your arm out in front of you with your palm facing down.
- Using your other hand, gently pull your fingers back towards your body until you feel a stretch in the forearm muscles.
- Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times.
- Ball squeeze
If you have a tennis elbow, there is a simple exercise you can do at home to help ease the pain. The exercise is called a ball squeeze. Here’s how to do it:
- Sit or stand with your arm outstretched and your palm up.
- Place a small ball in your palm and squeeze it as hard as you can for 10 seconds.
- Relax your hand for 10 seconds and then repeat the process 10 times.
- You can do this exercise several times a day, as needed.
- If the exercise is too painful, you can try holding the ball in your palm and simply making a fist for 10 seconds instead of squeezing it.
- Biceps curl
While the biceps curl is a great exercise for toning the arms, it can also be helpful in relieving tennis elbow pain. The biceps curl works the muscles in the front of the forearm, which can help to take some of the strain off of the elbow joint. To do a biceps curl,
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand.
- Start with your palms facing forward and your elbows at your sides.
- Slowly curl the weights up to your shoulders, keeping your palms facing forward throughout the movement.
- Reverse the motion and lower the weights back to your sides.
- Do three sets of 10-12 repetitions.
If you feel any pain in your elbow during the exercise, stop and consult a doctor or physical therapist before continuing.
- Triceps stretch
If you’re looking for relief from tennis elbow, this triceps stretch is for you. This simple stretch can be done anywhere, no equipment needed. To start,
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and reach one arm overhead.
- Bend your elbow and place your hand behind your head, then use your other hand to grab your bent elbow and pull it gently toward your head.
- You should feel a stretch in the back of your upper arm.
- Hold the stretch for 30 seconds, then switch sides and repeat.
Remember to breathe deeply as you stretch. You may feel a gentle pulling sensation, but it shouldn’t be painful. If it is, ease up on the stretch.
- Hammer curls
One of the best exercises for tennis elbow is hammer curls. This exercise helps to strengthen the muscles and tendons in the forearm and elbow, which can help to prevent or reduce pain from tennis elbow. Here’s how to do hammer curls:
- Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides.
- Holding a dumbbell in each hand, curl your right arm up so that the weight is close to your shoulder.
- As you curl, keep your elbow close to your side and don’t swing the dumbbell.
- Slowly lower the weight back to the starting position.
- Repeat with your left arm. Do 8-12 repetitions on each side.