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Two physical therapy exercises for tennis elbow that can help with your pain

Physical Therapy Exercises for Tennis Elbow
Table of contents

Have elbow pain that’s radiating into your forearm and wrist? Not able to shake hands without pain, or is it harder to lift objects because your arm and hand feel weak? A yes answer to any of these questions could mean you’re experiencing an injury called tennis elbow. 

Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis to medical professionals, isn’t just common in tennis players. It can affect anyone who does repetitive movements that place stress on the elbow. In fact, it’s estimated that up to 3% of the U.S. population develops tennis elbow annually. 

Physical therapists can help you find effective options to treat the symptoms of tennis elbow. One of the most common treatment techniques these specialists use for tennis elbow is physical therapy exercises. Here are two examples of exercises your physical therapist can use to help you: 

1. Wrist extensor stretch

A physical therapy exercise that can help your tennis elbow symptoms is the wrist extensor stretch. 

Steps for doing the wrist extensor stretch

  • Stretch your arm out in front of you at a 90-degree angle to your shoulder with your palm facing down. 
  • Bend your wrist forward toward the floor. 
  • Use the other hand to gently apply extra pressure until a light stretch is felt at the forearm and elbow. 
  • Hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds. 
  • Relax for a few seconds; then repeat the above steps four to five times with rest in between. 

2. Forearm supination exercise

Another exercise that could be included in your physical therapy plan for tennis elbow is the forearm supination exercise. This exercise is designed to target the supinator muscle in your forearm, which helps rotate your hand upward. Strengthening this muscle can help relieve stress on the elbow during movements that often lead to lateral epicondylitis. 

How to do the forearm supination exercise

  • Sit in a chair with the affected elbow resting on your knee at a 90-degree angle and your palm facing down. 
  • Slowly rotate your forearm until your palm is facing up. 
  • Hold this position for three to five seconds.
  • Return your arm and hand to the starting position, and then repeat these steps until you’ve done 10 repetitions. To increase the difficulty of this exercise, you can hold a soup can or other light weight in your hand during the exercise. 

You’ll find physical therapy exercises and other tennis elbow treatment options at Advent Physical Therapy

You don’t have to continue living with tennis elbow symptoms. Our Advent Physical Therapy team can help you find exercises and other treatment techniques that can help you. We’ll start by performing a complimentary screening on your elbow. Then, our specialists will construct a personalized therapy plan for you that’s intended to reduce pain and other symptoms. This plan may use therapeutic exercises and techniques like: 

Take the next step to start getting our help with your tennis elbow. Contact our team today for more information about our top-notch therapy services or to schedule an initial appointment.