Got Tennis Elbow? Try These 10 Exercises

Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) involves pain that occurs on the outside of your elbow. It’s triggered by repetitive motions, like turning or swinging your lower arms, so it tends to surge whenever you grip, grab, pull or overuse your hand.

The pain might make some daily activities and physical activity a little difficult, but there are exercises and stretches you can do to ease the pain and help the affected tendon recover.

Sports medicine physician Dominic King, DO, walks us through the steps of eight exercises and explains how to avoid making the pain worse.

Exercises and stretches for tennis elbow

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When it comes to exercising the tendon that connects your forearm muscles to your elbow, Dr. King says one of the most common mistakes people make is when they try to push through the pain from tennis elbow.

“Part of the problem is a lot of people don’t get a diagnosis of what’s actually causing their pain, and they look for easy fixes,” he notes. “If you’re not sure what’s causing your pain, or you’re doing these exercises and you’re not seeing improvement in six to eight weeks, you should get a professional evaluation.”

Tennis elbow exercises

Strengthening the impacted tendon is often the first step to treating tennis elbow. Dr. King recommends doing two sets of 12 to 15 reps for each exercise, at least two days a week for the first two weeks. Then, you can ramp up the number of sets or reps you’re doing, depending on how you feel.

“When you’re first starting out, do them one or two days a week for two weeks just to see how your body responds,” he advises. “Two weeks gives you enough time to do it with some regularity before you start ramping up to three or four times a week. Ramping things too quickly can sometimes cause tendinitis or muscle strain.”

Eccentric wrist extension

1. Sit at a table with your affected forearm flat against the surface and your wrist hanging limply off the edge, palm facing down.
2. Using your unaffected hand, gently lift your wrist up toward the ceiling (extension) without lifting your forearm from the table.
3. Let go, and take three to five seconds to slowly lower your wrist back down (flexion) toward the floor.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3.
5. For added strengthening, hold onto a light dumbbell (5 pounds or less) or a soup can with your affected wrist.

Wrist flexion strengthening

1. From the eccentric wrist extension position, turn your arm over so your palm is facing up and your wrist is hanging off the edge of the table.
2. While holding a light dumbbell or soup can, slowly curl your affected wrist toward the ceiling without lifting your arm.
3. Slowly lower your wrist all the way back down until you feel that stretch, and repeat.

Forearm pronation and supination

1. Start by sitting with your elbow tucked at your side and your hand out in front of you (like you’re about to type on a keyboard).
2. Hold a can of soup or a dumbbell in your affected hand, keeping your palm facing down and your hand still.
3. Slowly turn your hand palm up (supination). Pause for a second, then slowly turn your palm back down (pronation).
4. Repeat, making sure your movements are slow and controlled.

Grip strengthening

“For this exercise, you’re building strength in your palm and your grip,” explains Dr. King. “You can do this one in a couple of different ways.”

1. Hold a rolled towel or stress ball in your affected hand and gently squeeze it, holding for three to five seconds, before relaxing. Repeat.
2. Fill a large bucket or bowl with uncooked rice, corn or bird seed. Reach into the bucket until your affected hand is fully submerged, and grab a handful. Keeping your arm straight and relaxed, stretch your wrist into alternating positions of extension (toward the ceiling), flexion (toward the floor), pronation (down) and supination (up). Release your grip and relax for a few seconds before repeating.

Tennis elbow stretches

When it comes to stretching, Dr. King recommends holding each of these stretches for 15 to 30 seconds, one to three times a day.

Wrist extensor stretch

1. Reach both arms straight out in front of you with your palms facing down.
2. With your unaffected hand, gently bend your affected wrist so your fingers move toward the floor. You should feel a stretch along the top of your forearm and near the outside of your elbow.
3. After 15 to 30 seconds, gently ease off. Then, repeat.

Wrist flexor stretch

1. Extend both arms straight out in front of you, this time with your palms facing up.
2. With your unaffected hand, gently pull the fingers of your affected hand back down toward the floor. You should feel the stretch along the inside of your forearm.
3. Keep your arms straight and hold this for 15 to 30 seconds, before gently easing up and repeating.

Forearm rotation stretch

1. Sit or stand with your elbow bent 90 degrees and pinned at your side.
2. Slowly turn your palm up as far as it can move and hold for three to five seconds.
3. Slowly turn your palm down as far as it can move and hold for three to five seconds. Then, repeat in both directions.
4. For extra support, you can use your unaffected hand to gently turn your palm a bit more than you can on its own, but don’t overdo it.

Should blade posture holds

1. Sit tall with your shoulders back and your head looking straight ahead.
2. Gently squeeze your shoulder blades together and down, almost like you’re trying to hold onto an apple between your shoulders.
3. Hold for five seconds at a time, then release and repeat. Gradually work your way up to 10, 15 and 30 seconds as you continue to gain strength

“Stabilizing your shoulders is one of the best ways to help take away elbow pain,” says Dr. King. “Holding your shoulders back allows your elbows and wrists to have more motion because everything’s not happening up in front of you.”