If you are experiencing issues with your elbow pain or stiffness in the elbow joint it might be a good idea to go and see a physical therapist.
It’s easy enough to jump on google and self-diagnose.
I’m sure if you sat down and read through the symptoms of tennis elbow you would be able to tick a few of them off. But what if it’s not tennis elbow.
You could be dealing with a sprain, dislocation, or fracture in the elbow.
You could also be dealing with a trapped nerve or arthritis!
So your first step should always be to seek out medical advice.
But let’s have a look at some of the exercises we can be doing to help restore full range of motion to your elbow.
The main thing we want to do is get it moving to loosen it back up again.
So you can start with elbow flexion.
So bring you from the back towards you, you can use light pressure with your opposite hand to give a small about of resistance.
The next thing you can do is to start working on the extension.
So now trying to straighten the arm back out.
You can use a resistance band with this as well for added tension.
Resistance bands are a great tool for not only rehabbing an injury but for resistance training in general.
The majority of my exercise now is down with resistance bands and I even wrote an EBook with you can download for FREE called Train wherever the f*ck you want.
After you do some flexion and extension exercises in the elbow it’s good to try to roll the wrist from side to side.
Once you start to get an improved range of motion it might be time to start trying some strengthen exercises.
What Muscles Do Elbow Extensions Work?
An elbow extension as an exercise is quite literally extending the elbow or straightening the arm and can be done under tension for added resistance to the movement.
Your tricep muscle which is found at the back of your upper arm is the main muscle used to extend the elbow.
But elbow extensions are more commonly called tricep extensions for that reason, your tricep is moving your elbow.
If you are following a rehab exercise program you will probably only be using a small weight during this movement.
But if to rebuild strength in the elbow joint you will be increasing in weight over time.
Skull crushers are another with is great for elbow extension, again start off with a light weight.
You may also find that you need to strengthen the forearm muscles as well.
And an easy way to do this safely while recovering from an injury is just by performing farmer’s carries.
By taking weight in either hand and walking around for an extended period of time you will build up strength in your forearms.
Again if you have been to see your health care provider and have been given examples of exercises to follow, then you should follow those.
What Are Good Elbow Exercises?
The best exercises for your elbow, especially if you are recovering from an injury are stretches.
You can do simple wrist or tricep stretches to take tension away from the elbow joint.
When you straight out your arm you can stretch the wrist both ways depending on which you apply pressure.
You can loosen up the underside by bringing your fingers up with a straight palm.
You can flop your hand forward and stretch the top of the forearm now.
And to stretch your tricep you want to raise your arm straight up, then bring your hand down behind your neck so you feel a gentle stretch through the back of your upper arm.