Two exercises help pain when elbow is bent or straightened

you might not think too much about it, but your elbows move a lot during a normal day. they bend to lift your morning cup of coffee to your lips. they twist to turn doorknobs. bending and straightening so many times every day can leave your elbows vulnerable to injury. in fact, one medical article reports that injuries like tennis elbow affect up to 3% of the u.s. population every year. people who are feeling pain when bending or straightening their elbow can find help from a physical therapist. these specialists have many techniques at their disposal, and they can combine them into a personalized plan to reduce your pain. therapeutic exercises are commonly used to treat elbow pain. there are two exercises in particular that your therapist might prescribe. wrist extensor stretch tightness in your forearm muscles is one common cause of tennis elbow, and it can also lead to elbow pain when bending or straightening your arm. physical therapists can show you how to stretch forearm muscles to reduce tightness. one exercise often used for this purpose is the wrist extensor stretch. how to do the wrist extensor stretch start by holding the affected arm straight out in front of you with your palm down. you can also rest your forearm on a table or countertop if you have trouble maintaining this position; just make sure your wrist is hanging over the edge of the surface. grasp the fingers of the affected hand with your other hand. slowly pull downward toward the floor until you feel a stretch in the outside of your forearm. hold the stretch for 10 to 15 seconds. release the stretch and rest your arm for 10 seconds. repeat these steps until you’ve done three repetitions. wrist turn physical therapists can also show you exercises that can strengthen the forearm muscles. improving strength in these muscles can help decrease pain in your elbow when it’s bent or straightened, and this goal can be accomplished with the wrist turn exercise. how to do the wrist turn exercise place the affected forearm on a table, countertop or other flat surface; your wrist should be over the edge of the surface, and your palm should be facing up. slowly turn your hand inward so that your palm is facing down. concentrate on tightening the forearm muscles during this movement. hold this position for three to five seconds. return your hand to the starting position and rest for five seconds. repeat these steps until you’ve done three sets of five repetitions. you can also use a light hand weight or can of soup to add weight, which will make the exercise more challenging. elbow pain when bending and straightening your arm can be treated at excel sports & physical therapy are you feeling pain every time your elbow is bent and straightened? excel sports & physical therapy offers treatment options that can help. our clinics offer free screenings to help you get your treatment started. we also create individualized therapy plans that meet each patient’s specific needs, and our plans often include beneficial therapy methods such as: therapeutic exercises joint mobilization kinesio taping® hand therapy joint mobilization don’t wait to start getting our help with your elbow pain. contact our team today for more information about how we can help you or to schedule an initial appointment.

You might not think too much about it, but your elbows move a lot during a normal day. They bend to lift your morning cup of coffee to your lips. They twist to turn doorknobs. Bending and straightening so many times every day can leave your elbows vulnerable to injury. In fact, one medical article […]

Elbow pain when bending and straightening — steps to relief

elbow pain when bending and straightening

There are many sports-related injuries and repetitive motions that can contribute to elbow pain that is more pronounced during bending and straightening motions. For example, one of the most common conditions that causes these symptoms is called tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis. This inflammation of the elbow joint caused by repetitive motions like swinging a […]

These issues can feel like arthritis in the elbow

what does arthritis in the elbow feel like?

Rheumatoid arthritis is a common issue that affects the elbow, leading to symptoms like pain, swelling and joint stiffness. However, these symptoms can also be caused by other elbow issues. In some cases, you could even feel like you have arthritis in your elbow when you actually have a completely different elbow condition.  Tennis or […]

What does rheumatoid arthritis in the elbow feel like?

elbow arthritis

Like all the other joints in your body, the elbow is likely to be affected by arthritis. However, unlike many joints, the elbows are more likely to be affected by rheumatoid arthritis. This type of arthritis is when the immune system mistakenly attacks the joints. Typically, rheumatoid arthritis occurs in all your joints at the […]

Why does my wrist hurt when I bend it or put pressure on it?

wrist pain

You use your wrists to do many routine tasks every day, so when this joint hurts, it can make your day much more difficult. Wrist pain can slow down your typing and cause other work-related issues. It can also make it more painful to work out or play sports that you enjoy. If your wrist […]

Three tennis elbow from typing treatments in Ellisville, MO

tennis elbow from typing

Most people in Ellisville, Missouri, have probably heard the term “tennis elbow,” but they may not know that this condition is when tendons on the outside of the elbow are injured or overstretched. Based on the name, you may also think that this condition is a type of sports injury. However, many people today get […]

Two easy golfer’s elbow physical therapy exercises

golfer’s elbow physical therapy

Also called medial epicondylitis, golfer’s elbow is an injury that affects the tendons on the inside of the elbow and the forearm muscles. This condition can be caused by repetitive movements like swinging a golf club, but any repetitive wrist, forearm or elbow movement can cause this condition too. Physical therapy is one of the […]

Three tips for sleeping well with tennis elbow

sleeping with tennis elbow

Lateral epicondylitis, or tennis elbow, is a condition that can cause arm pain and other symptoms. These symptoms could be keeping you up at night, and the way you’re sleeping could be one reason for this. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to sleep better with lateral epicondylitis. Here are three tips for sleeping […]

Tennis elbow symptoms and treatment in Warrenton, MO

tennis elbow

If your outer elbow or forearm isn’t feeling great, then you may be dealing with an injury called tennis elbow. This condition is also known as lateral epicondylitis, and it’s typically the result of repetitive elbow movements and stress. There are several symptoms that you’ll notice if you have tennis elbow. Fortunately, several treatments for […]

Three common golf injuries treatable in Saint Charles, MO

common golf injuries

Golf isn’t a sport that many people think of when it comes to sports injuries. Although there isn’t injury-causing body contact like in football or rugby, golfers have their fair share of injuries. If you’re an injured golfer in Saint Charles, Missouri, you may be happy to know that there are physical therapists nearby, and […]

Golfer’s elbow symptoms and treatments in Winterville, NC

golfer's elbow

Your elbows are able to function thanks to the tendons that connect the muscles to the joints that allow it to bend and straighten out. An injury or condition affecting one or more of these tendons can be painful and limit the use of your elbow. One injury that frequently affects elbows in many Americans […]

How blood flow moderation helps tennis elbow therapy

tennis elbow physical therapy

Blood flow moderation training is typically seen as something that weightlifters do, but you may be surprised to learn it can also be very helpful in your tennis elbow physical therapy. Also called vascular occlusion training, blood flow moderation is a technique designed to restrict but not completely cut off the blood flow to your […]

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