5 Best Exercises For Tennis Elbow: Symptoms, Causes & Home Remedies
Tennis elbow is the pain and inflammation on the outer part of your elbow (lateral epicondyle). The problem occurs when the muscles that control pronation and supination (rotation of the forearm) are overused or injured. The most common cause of tennis elbow is an excessive activity involving repetitive forearm exertions such as playing tennis, badminton and throwing balls. It can also be caused by the forceful gripping of objects such as a hammer or screwdriver. The pain usually begins gradually and worsens with continued activity. It is usually felt at the outer aspect of your elbow when you are using your forearm muscles to grip something, such as holding a racket or wrenching on a car part.
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What Are The Causes Of Tennis Elbow?
The main cause of tennis elbow is overuse. This can include playing badminton, racquetball, table tennis, and squash. Other activities that put stress on the tendons of the arm, such as running or weightlifting can also be very pain-provoking for those suffering from tennis elbow.
In today’s article, I will be discussing 5 best home exercises for tennis elbow pain, but before starting let me tell you that, before getting yourself indulged in any type of exercise you need to wear stretchable and sweat-absorbing gym outfits in order to make your exercise session more fun and convenient.
5 Best Exercises For Tennis Elbows
The exercises discussed below help to improve the tennis elbow.
1. Performing Wrist Turn
How to Perform
- In order to perform a wrist turn you need to twist your elbow at a 90-degree angle.
- With your palm upward, expand your hands in an outward direction.
- Turn the wrist around progressively, until your palm is directed in a downward position.
- Take a pause at this position for 5 to 6 minutes
- Repeat the exercise for at least 6 to 7 times
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2. Performing Towel Twist Exercise
Towel twist exercise is one the cure for tennis elbow exercise and it is a good way to get rid of tennis elbow in minimum time. It is a low-impact workout that doesn’t put too much stress on the elbow. This exercise helps to rotate the forearm muscles away from the elbow joint, which can relieve pain and reduce inflammation.
A towel twist exercise can be performed while sitting in a chair or while standing or lying down on the floor.
How to Perform
- Wrap a towel around your arm, just above the elbow, and twist it up towards your shoulder.
- Hold for 5 seconds and then release slowly. Repeat this process 10 times with each arm.
- Repeat the exercise another 10 times with each arm.
- Perform this exercise 3 times a day to get rid of tennis elbow pain at home.
3. Performing Wrist Extensor Stretch Exercise
Performed correctly, wrist extensor stretch can help loosen and relax the muscles in your forearm. The wrist extensor stretch exercise is an effective way to get rid of the Tennis Elbow.
How to Perform
- To perform it, you need to hold your hand straight out in front of you with your palm facing down.
- Next, slowly move your arm back until a stretch is felt in the muscles located, outside of your forearm. If needed, bend your wrist and fingers as well so that they are pointing towards the floor while keeping them straight.
- Hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds and then slowly bring your arm back to its original position.
- Repeat this exercise 10 times, 3 times a day.
4. Ball Squeeze Exercise
Ball squeeze exercise is one of the effective home exercises for tennis elbow. This exercise also helps in getting rid of elbow pain too. You can perform this exercise with a rubber ball, simply by squeezing it in your palms slowly and applying minimum pressure on it.
How to Perform
- Grasp the stress pressure ball in our hands.
- With the help of your fingers close the ball, and then squeeze it as hard as you can.
- Keep on squeezing the ball for at least 10 to 12 seconds and then loosen up your hand.
- Repeat the exercise again several times.
Moreover, as I discussed above, if you are planning to hit the gym to start some exercise, you must wear comfortable and lightweight gym attire to get the maximum out of your exercise session.
5. Wrist And Finger Stretch Exercise
The Wrist and Finger Stretch is one of the good home exercises for tennis elbow, It is also helps to reduce pain in the wrist and fingers. This stretch activates many small muscles located around the rotator cuff in your shoulder, as well as the forearm extensor muscles. A rotator cuff is a group of four muscles that connect the shoulder to the upper arm. When these muscles become tight and inflexible, it can lead to injury or pain in other parts of the shoulder joint area such as tennis elbow, frozen shoulder, bursitis, and/or carpal tunnel syndrome.
How to Perform
- Expand your arm before you so your elbow is straight, and your palm should be pointing downward.
- Twist the wrist against the ground with the goal that the fingers are pointing down.
- Now utilize your other hand, to twist your fingers downward against your body, to feel the stretch at your hand as well as your forearm.
- Take a pause for at least 30 seconds and then release your hand
- Repeat the exercise again 5 to 6 times.
Home Remedies For Treating Tennis Elbow
You can get rid of your tennis elbow with home treatments as well. These include: applying heat and cold therapy, wearing a brace or splint (if recommended by your physician), warmth applications such as heating pads, and taking pain medications.
Also, there are a number of over-the-counter treatments for tennis elbow that can help reduce inflammation, and pain and improve elbow range of motion. The most common include topical anti-inflammatory creams, anti-inflammatory pills, and topical steroid injections.