Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, is a common injury that affects the tendons in the outer part of the elbow due to repetitive forearm, elbow, and wrist motions.
Surprisingly, only 5% of people with tennis elbow are tennis players. Despite its name, you don't have to be a tennis player or avid athlete to develop this condition – something as mundane as using a hammer, painting, or gardening can trigger it.
Although this condition can be frustrating and painful, you don’t have to suffer. Physical therapy is an effective treatment option to manage your recovery and ease pain.
When it comes to tennis elbow, physical therapy can be a game-changer. With the help of a skilled therapist, you'll learn exercises and stretches that can reduce pain, increase flexibility, and improve overall function.
If you have tennis elbow, it's important to be careful with the types of exercises you do. Your physical therapist may suggest modifying your daily activities to avoid further irritation to the affected elbow while recommending treatment that promotes healing.
Stretching and performing exercises guided by a physical therapist are the most effective ways to help ease and heal tennis elbow pain.
Let’s take a look at some stretching exercises to get you started:
Hold the affected arm straight out in front of you with your palm facing up.
With your opposite hand, grab your fingers and push them towards the floor while bending at the wrist and keeping your arm extended until you feel the stretch in your forearm.
Hold for 20-30 seconds, then release.
Perform the opposite with the extended palm facing down for the wrist extensor stretch.
Handshake Stretch: This exercise requires a good range of motion and helps improve flexibility and mobility in your wrist and forearm.
Hold your affected arm out as if you’re going to shake hands with someone.
While keeping your arm still, gently lift your hand at the wrist, bending towards your body.
Then bring your hand back down and stretch towards the floor, still bending at the wrist.
Repeat 10-15 times.
Towel Twist: This exercise helps to strengthen the muscles in your forearm and wrist, which can help to alleviate tennis elbow pain.
Use both hands to hold a small towel.
Keep your arms outstretched and shoulders relaxed.
Twist the towel as if wringing out water.
Repeat 10-15 times.
Once you’re ready to ease into more dynamic drills, you can move on to strength-targeting exercises. Work with your physical therapist to build an exercise plan that provides enough variety to help you regain strength and mobility in your elbow.
Some people may not have the luxury of visiting a physical therapist because of a busy schedule, geographic constraints, or limited mobility — making traveling to a clinic difficult. That’s why Luna provides in-home physical therapy services, allowing you to receive personalized care in your home.
With Luna, you can recover quickly from tennis elbow without compromising your daily routine, getting the quality care you deserve and one-on-one guidance from a board-certified physical therapist.
Contact us to start healing and connect with one of our physical therapists. Get back to tending to your dream garden or building your backyard oasis pain-free.