Do you experience pain in your elbow? Or do you hear a clicking sound whenever you move your elbow? If you are a sportsperson, then elbow injury is one of the common sports injuries. Some of the most common types of elbow injuries are tennis elbow and clicking elbow. Such injuries limit the ability of a person to move the arm freely without any pain. To treat this condition, physiotherapists can assist in increasing the person’s mobility and help him to recover quickly. Let’s take a look at how certain physiotherapy exercises can help a person to recover from an elbow injury.
How to treat tennis elbow
Also referred to as lateral epicondylitis, tennis elbow occurs due to overexertion that can cause microtears in the tendons especially, if you play racquet sports such as tennis, badminton, squash, etc. Let’s take a look at some of the physiotherapy exercises that can help you recover from tennis elbow.
Sit on a chair which is positioned right in front of a table.
Hold a rolled towel in your fist.
Squeeze the towel and hold it in the same position for ten seconds.
This exercise allows the elbows to function efficiently. It also helps the flexor muscle tendons of the finger and the thumb to recover from an injury.
Sit on a chair and take a towel. Twist the towel with both the hands.
Repeat this exercise for ten times.
This exercise enhances the wrist flexors and wrist extensors.
How to treat clicking elbow
Clicking elbow is an elbow injury that is common among athletes. This type of injury results in people experiencing a clicking sound followed by a painful sensation. The elbow joint can catch, pop, or slide out of place during certain arm movements. Let’s take a look at some physiotherapy exercises for treating clicking elbow.
In this exercise, you have to first stand straight.
Bend your elbows with your palms facing your shoulders and straighten them as far as possible.
Repeat this exercise for twenty times daily.
This exercise allows your elbow to straighten and gets rid of the clicking sound. Elbow bends also assist in improving wrist flexibility.
In this exercise, you have to stand straight.
Keep your elbow at your side and then lift your forearm to form a 90-degree angle with your palm facing the ceiling. So, your forearm will be parallel to the floor.
Now just try moving your arm such that your palm faces the floor.
Repeat the exercise for ten times for both the forearms.
This exercise increases elbow flexibility and improves its movement.
How to treat Ulnar Neuritis
If you play sports that involve throwing things such as the ball, then there’s a possibility that the elbow nerves can dislocate. The elbow can snap and result in tremendous pain. Let’s see how you can rely on physiotherapy to recover from this injury.
In this exercise, you must sit on a chair as straight as possible.
Flex your hands as far as possible.
Bend your hand in a way that your forearm reaches your shoulder.
This exercise improves the condition of the ulnar nerve and relieves the athlete from the pain.
In this exercise, you need to sit straight on a chair.
Spread your arms till they are parallel to the ground and the ceiling.
Tilt your head in the opposite direction of the hand.
Slowly come back to the same position.
Repeat this exercise for five times and maintain a slow speed to avoid any snapping of neck nerve.
This exercise also enhances an athlete's ability to be flexible and increases the range of motion.
Apart from doing these exercises on your own, you can always consult a physiotherapist in your locality to help you out. Today, modern sports teams also understand the importance of having a physiotherapist on the field and so, if you happen to hurt your elbow while on the field, the physiotherapy can help you to reduce the pain. However, if the injury is severe, you may have to rest and take time to recover from the injury. By following the exercises mentioned above, you can speed up your recovery process.