If you experience pain on the lateral aspect (outer side) of the elbow or discomfort when gripping objects or bending your elbow, you may have tennis elbow. Tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis can be a persistent problem and patients are often unsure of how to improve their pain. Physiotherapy for tennis elbow and regular massages can eventually put your arm at ease. Here are some physiotherapy exercises that you can regularly do at home or office and feel better.
1) Hold a tennis ball or soft rubber ball in your hand.
2) Squeeze and release up to twenty-five times.
3) Do this stretch up to three times a day. If it causes you pain, use a softer object, like a sponge or balled-up socks.
1) Sit at a table with your forearm resting on the table.
2) Hold a rolled up towel or small ball in your hand.
3) Squeeze the towel in your hand and hold for ten seconds.
4) Release and repeat ten times. Switch and do the other arm.
1) Sit in a chair holding a dumbbell vertically in your hand with your elbow resting on your knee.
2) Let the weight of the dumbbell help rotate the arm outward, turning the palm up.
3) Rotate the hand back the other direction until your palm is facing downward.
4) Repeat twenty times on each side.
5) Try to isolate the movement to your lower arm, keeping your upper arm and elbow still.
1) Sit in a chair holding a 2-pound dumbbell in your hand with your palm facing down, resting your elbow comfortably on your knee.
2) Keeping your palm facing down, extend your wrist by curling it towards your body. If this is too challenging, do the movement with no weight.
3) Return to starting position and repeat ten times on each side.
4) Try to isolate the movement to the wrist, keeping the rest of the arm still.
1) Sit in a chair holding a towel with both hands, shoulders relaxed.
2) Twist the towel with both hands in opposite directions as if you are wringing out water.
3) Repeat ten times then repeat another ten times in the other direction.
1) Bend your elbow at a right angle by your side so it forms an L.
2) Hold your hand out palm up.
3) Gently turn your wrist so your palm faces down.
4) Hold for 15 seconds.
5) Repeat three to five times.
1) Start with a 2-pound dumbbell and sit on a chair at a table that has an edge.
2) Bend the elbow to 90º, the palm should be facing the floor. Slowly lower the weight, then slowly raise. This may be painful, but raise and lower the weight ten times or until you can't any more.
3) Rest for a few minutes.
4) Fully straighten the elbow flat across the table, with your palm facing the floor. Slowly lower and raise the weight ten times.
5) When the ten repetitions have become easy to do, increase the weight by 1 or 2 pounds.
Once your elbow is pain-free, and your backhand is better than ever, you should continue to keep your muscles strong and flexible. Talk to your physiotherapist to know the after-care post these physiotherapy exercises.