HEALTH
5 Arm Stretches To Help With Elbow Injuries
Did you know that around 10.5% of emergency arm injuries occur in the elbow?
While some elbow injuries require immediate medical attention, most problems are chronic and can benefit from lifestyle changes. Adding stretching to your everyday routine can work wonders for chronic elbow pain.
Are you wondering which arm stretches you should do to take care of your elbows? Continue reading to learn about five of the best stretches you should try to alleviate your elbow pain.
1. Towel Twist
The great news is that you can work on healing elbow joint pain without using a ton of equipment. To do a towel twist, all you need is a small towel. For maximum comfort, you can do this stretch sitting down while keeping your shoulders relaxed.
Grab the towel with both hands and wring it while moving your hands in opposite directions. You can imagine that you’re trying to squeeze as much water out of the towel as possible. You can complete 10 sets and then switch directions to complete 10 more sets.
2. Elbow Bend
One of the simplest stretches you can do is the elbow bend. To do this, stand with your arms by your side.
When you’re ready, raise your hands to your shoulders and hold it for 15 to 30 seconds. Complete 10 sets.
3. Fist Squeeze
Another great way that you can improve your elbow joints is to do some fist squeezes. You’ll need to get your hand towel out again.
Hold the towel and squeeze your hands to form a fist for 10 seconds at a time. Be sure to do 10 sets. To get extra support, you can also get a golfers elbow brace.
4. Wrist Extensor Flex
To start a wrist extensor flex, you’ll need to raise one arm in front of your body with your palm facing down. Use your other hand to grab your fingers and gently pull the hand toward the body. Listen to your body to avoid pulling your hand too far back.
Hold this stretch for up to 30 seconds, release it, and repeat it two more times. When you’re finished, you can switch to the other side.
5. Wrist Flexion
You can think of a wrist flexion as a bicep curl for your wrists. You can whip out a lightweight dumbbell or go to your pantry to grab a can for this stretch.
Sit down with the dumbbell or can in your hand and rest your elbow on your knee. With your palm up, start to curl your wrist toward your body while being mindful of keeping the rest of your arm stationary. Aim for 10 repetitions on each side.
These Are the Best Stretches for Elbow Injuries
There are plenty of reasons why people get elbow injuries that require long-term treatments. Stretching and strengthening the nearby muscles and soft tissues with these movements will give you great results.
Do you want to improve more aspects of your wellness routine? Then have a look at our other articles.
Kenneth is a proud native of sydney, born and raised there. However, he pursued his education abroad and studied in Australia. Kenneth has worked as a journalist for almost a decade, making valuable contributions to prominent publications such as Yahoo News and The Verge. Currently, he serves as a journalist for The Hear Up, where he focuses on covering climate and science news. You can reach Kenneth at [email protected].
