Top 5 Tennis Elbow Exercises in 5 Minutes or Less!
Tennis elbow or “lateral epicondylitis” can cause intense, searing pain on the outside of your elbow that is stubborn and limits your activities. But luckily, there are many simple tennis elbow exercises to help you feel better! Despite the name, you can get it without ever playing tennis. Other causes are…
- Golfing
- Computer work
- Repetitive or heavy gripping
- Knitting
- Gardening
However, it is easy to treat with the 5 tennis elbow exercises listed below in as little as 5 minutes per day.
You’re not alone!
After retiring, a patient decided to start to knit scarves, gloves, and other goods. Friends and family became so interested in her products that she began to start up her own business and was knitting 5x/week for 2-5 hours a day.
The pain originally began after a long day of knitting, but it slowly became more constant and less activity seemed to irritate it. This constant elbow pain brought her to physiotherapy for tennis elbow treatment. Within a few weeks of physiotherapy and following her home exercise plan, she was able to go back to doing what she loved and continued with her knitting business!
Now, although some choose to take a passive approach, random control trials show superior outcomes regarding pain relief with daily progressive exercises. Afterall, wouldn’t you want to stop the pain sooner and get back to doing the activity you love pain free? Let’s start that path to pain relief!
5 Tennis Elbow Treatment Exercises in 5 Minutes or Less
1. Wrist Extension Curl
- Sitting up, put your arm straight out in front of you with your palm facing the floor and lock your elbow (you may want to start with your hand hanging off the end of a table, as demonstrated in the photo below!)
- Begin to extend your wrist to end range, hold for one second and release to flex the wrist
- You can hold a 1-3 pound weight to begin or use an elastic exercise band
- Ensure that the movement is slow and controlle
2. Wrist Eccentric Extension
- Sitting up, put your arm straight out in front of you with your palm facing down
- You can hold a 1-3 pound weight to begin or use an elastic exercise band
- Begin by using the other hand to help lift the weight into extension.
- Lower the weight back down to the starting position
- Ensure that the movement is slow and controlled
3. Soft Tissue Mobilization for Tennis Elbow
Soft tissue mobilization or STM is not a massage, although that can be helpful. Instead, this is a way to move your tissues around to help break up scar tissue around the elbow. It is done right where your irritation is occurring.
It’s not a massage or a rub, it’s moving the tissue around. You don’t want too much pressure that you irritate it more but enough that it’s mildly uncomfortable but settles when you finish. Don’t be alarmed if you feel or hear cracking/popping as you break down the scar tissue.
How to do it: Place the fingertips of your second and third fingers over the area of irritation and gently move them forward and back, side to side or make circles for 2-3 minutes.
4. Supination with Hammer
- Place your elbow against your side and bend it to 90 degrees
- Hold the hammer in your hand and begin with your palm facing down
- Rotate your wrist so your thumb faces the ceiling, then slowly rotate your hand back down to return to the starting position
- Ensure the movement is slow and controlled throughout
5. Gripping
- Using a towel or soft ball, hold in the affected hand
- While supporting your elbow on a table, begin squeezing the ball for 5-10 seconds, slowly release
Bonus Exercise!
How much and how often should I do these Tennis Elbow Exercises?
We recommend 3 sets of 10 repetitions in a slow and controlled manner 3x/week. Allow for 24-48 hours of rest in between sessions to maximize your recovery.
While the pain may be intense and searing now, doing these 5 simple exercises will have you back in action and pain–free. This can be completed from the comfort of your own home with only a few minutes each week and limited expense.
Just like the patient from the beginning of this article, these exercises are the best for targeting the muscles involved in the pain you are experiencing. Physiotherapy is also a great adjunct to exercise treatment to further identify any pain you are experiencing!
So what now…?
Battling tennis elbow and unsure what to do? While exercise is an important component, you may also need more to get back to normal! Have a listen to what Dr. Jeff Belgue, Chiropractor here at PhysioPlus Health Group, has to say about how we can help in the video below.
Our team of registered Physiotherapists and Chiropractors here at PhysioPlus Health Group are here to help you recover from Tennis Elbow. If you are looking to be pain free and get back to the activities you love, look no further Request an appointment at PhysioPlus Health Group today or give us a call at (437)747-6236. We are conveniently located in the Kingsway & Bloor West Village area.
Complimentary consults available Contact Us Today!
FAQ’s
How long does it take to heal Tennis Elbow?
While a recent, mild tennis elbow injury may need a few weeks to heal, a severely irritated tendon can take months to repair. Mild soreness in the elbow that comes and goes may improve in 6-8 weeks. Prolonged elbow pain and soreness may improve in 6-12 months. In some cases, the pain lasts for 2 years or longer.
Can I exercise if I have Tennis Elbow?
Maintaining physical activity is very important and we would never want you to completely avoid exercise. If you have Tennis Elbow, it is important to recognize exercises that cause your pain! In the earlier stages of this injury it is best to avoid activities that aggravate your injury. It is okay to continue exercises that do not cause your symptoms! And of course, substitute those aggravating movements with the exercises above
How do I know if I have Tennis Elbow?
In the earliest stages of Tennis Elbow, there is an onset of pain on the outside of the elbow during or shortly after an aggravating activity. Over time, this ache on the outside of the elbow becomes more constant and takes longer to subside. If your occupation or daily physical activity requires constant gripping and wrist dominant movements, you may be at a higher risk of developing Tennis Elbow. It is important to recognize the signs and symptoms of Tennis Elbow earlier on in order to address your injury.