Three physical therapy exercises for tennis elbow

Physical Therapy Exercises for Tennis Elbow

Pain on the outside of the elbow. Difficulty letting go of objects. Discomfort in your forearm, wrist and hand. If you’re dealing with these symptoms, you likely have a condition called tennis elbow. 

You may also see this injury called lateral epicondylitis, and it’s a condition that develops when the tendons on the outside of your elbow are irritated or inflamed. Physical therapists offer many techniques that can help treat and prevent tennis elbow; one of the most common methods used in physical therapy plans for tennis elbow is therapeutic exercises. 

These three physical therapy exercises can help treat tennis elbow

There are many physical therapy exercises that can help treat your tennis elbow. However, there are three that can be particularly effective: 

  1. Wrist extension stretch — This exercise is intended to help stretch forearm muscles called the wrist extensors. To perform this exercise:
  • Hold your affected arm straight out in front of you with your palm facing down.
  • Use the fingers of your other hand to slowly pull your hand downward until you feel a stretch in your forearm.
  • Hold this stretch for 10 to 15 seconds. 
  • Release your hand and rest for a few seconds before repeating these steps up to four more times. 
  1. Wrist turn stretch — Another exercise often used in physical therapy plans for tennis elbow is the wrist turn stretch. This stretch offers patients another way to target the wrist extensors. To do this stretch: 
  • Set your forearm on a chair arm or flat surface with your wrist and hand hanging over the edge. 
  • Starting with your palm up, slowly rotate your wrist so that your palm is facing down.
  • Hold this position for 10 to 15 seconds. 
  • Repeat these steps until you’ve done three to five repetitions of this exercise. 
  1. Hammer turn exercise — The goal of this physical therapy exercise for tennis elbow is to strengthen your forearm muscles. To do the hammer turn exercise: 
  • Find a hammer and hold it upright with your hand near the top of the handle. 
  • Rest your forearm on a chair arm or flat surface. Make sure your hand and wrist are hanging over the edge so you can turn your wrist freely. 
  • Slowly rotate your wrist until your palm is facing up. 
  • Then, slowly return the hammer to the upright position. 
  • Repeat these steps until you’ve completed 10 reps. 

Excel PT offers physical therapy for tennis elbow treatment

There are other techniques besides physical therapy exercises that can help treat tennis elbow, and our physical therapists at Excel Sports & Physical Therapy are well versed in many of them. 

We’ll choose the treatment techniques that can be most effective for you after doing a comprehensive evaluation of your elbow. Our specialists can then build you an individualized physical therapy plan designed to reduce your pain, which may include therapy methods such as: 

Contact our team today for more information about how we can help treat your tennis elbow or to schedule your initial appointment.