Lateral and Medial Epicondylitis
Tennis Elbow Home Rehabilitation Program
RELEVANT LINKS:
Tennis Elbow
• Posture, posture, posture--always practice good mechanics when standing, sitting,
lifting, etc. Be especially aware if you sit for long periods of time. Take regular breaks
and get up and change positions so your shoulders do not fall into poor posture. This
will also make you rely on your stronger arm and shoulder muscles to do more of the
work than your weaker elbow muscles
• Ice the forearm and elbow for 10-15 minutes / 3-5 times a day. Ice massage (10
min.) or ice bags will both work fine. Ice massage may be best performed by freezing
water in a paper cup, then peeling off the top one half of the paper, holding the base
of the cup and then pressing the ice onto the inured area in a circular fashion
• A wrist splint (Futuro type) may be used for sleeping and any repetitive grasping or
gripping activities. This rests the injured tendon
• Regularly throughout the day (3-5 times):
- Stretch the wrist and forearm by extending the arm and grasping the fingertips
and slowly bring them down and underneath the forearm. Hold 15 sec. Repeat 2
times in 3 different positions of arm rotation
- Stretch the thumb and wrist by extending the arm, resting it on a table with the
palm facing inward; grasp the thumb and hand with your opposite hand and
slowly bend in a direction opposite the thumb. Hold 15 sec. / 3 times
- Stretch the chest by lightly grasping a doorjamb with your fingers just below
shoulder height, relax your arm and slowly rotate your body away from your arm.
15 sec. / 3 times
- Keep your neck loose by bending it from side-to-side 5 times and then rotate one
way then the other 5 times
• Once a day, arm supported on a table, palm facing up and with the elbow bent,
slowly flex or curl up a light weight with your wrist and hand, then lower. The lowering
phase should be twice as long as the lifting/curling. Work up to 2 sets of 20 reps
• Rotator cuff program--Stand up straight with a resisted band wrapped around the
wrist, the elbow bent and a pillow or folded towel under the arm. Rotate the arm
inward against the band and then rotate out. 2 sets of 20-30 reps. Repeat the same
rotating outward against the band
Tennis Elbow
Michael J. Mullin, ATC, PTA
• Posture, posture, posture--always practice good mechanics when standing, sitting,
lifting, etc. Be especially aware if you sit for long periods of time. Take regular breaks
and get up and change positions so your shoulders do not fall into poor posture. This
will also make you rely on your stronger arm and shoulder muscles to do more of the
work than your weaker elbow muscles
• Ice the forearm and elbow for 10-15 minutes / 3-5 times a day. Ice massage (10
min.) or ice bags will both work fine. Ice massage may be best performed by freezing
water in a paper cup, then peeling off the top one half of the paper, holding the base
of the cup and then pressing the ice onto the inured area in a circular fashion
• A wrist splint (Futuro type) may be used for sleeping and any repetitive grasping or
gripping activities. This rests the injured tendon
• Regularly throughout the day (3-5 times):
- Stretch the wrist and forearm by extending the arm and grasping the fingertips
and slowly bring them down and underneath the forearm. Hold 15 sec. Repeat 2
times in 3 different positions of arm rotation
- Stretch the thumb and wrist by extending the arm, resting it on a table with the
palm facing inward; grasp the thumb and hand with your opposite hand and
slowly bend in a direction opposite the thumb. Hold 15 sec. / 3 times
- Stretch the chest by lightly grasping a doorjamb with your fingers just below
shoulder height, relax your arm and slowly rotate your body away from your arm.
15 sec. / 3 times
- Keep your neck loose by bending it from side-to-side 5 times and then rotate one
way then the other 5 times
• Once a day, arm supported on a table, palm facing up and with the elbow bent,
slowly flex or curl up a light weight with your wrist and hand, then lower. The lowering
phase should be twice as long as the lifting/curling. Work up to 2 sets of 20 reps
• Rotator cuff program--Stand up straight with a resisted band wrapped around the
wrist, the elbow bent and a pillow or folded towel under the arm. Rotate the arm
inward against the band and then rotate out. 2 sets of 20-30 reps. Repeat the same
rotating outward against the band
See additional exercises at Rotator Cuff Repair Rehabilitation.