First, some anatomy; the wrist flexor tendons attach to the medial aspect of the elbow while the wrist extensors attach at the lateral aspect.
I'll never forget the days of doing a tough arm workout, only to feel the ache of tendonitis in the elbows. That pain was associated with medial epicondylitis also known as Golfers Elbow. If you suffer from such a condition, ice the area for ten to fifteen minutes to reduce the inflammation. Be aware, however, that the ulnar nerve runs through the ulnar groove which is found at that medial aspect of the elbow. Icing that nerve directly will lead to numbness and tingling down into the pinky for an extended amount of time. This condition is called Golfers Elbow because it is often experienced by golfers due to the repetitive nature of the golf swing.
What about tennis elbow?
The game of tennis also has its infamous elbow injuries. Tennis Elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is caused by the backhand stroke in the game... especially if the player uses a single handed grip. This puts an extreme amount of pressure on the wrist extensors of the forearm leading to tendonitis. Once again, icing for ten to fifteen minutes after a match is critical to relieving the dull ache of this elbow injury. So we have talked about treatment but what about prevention?
Elbow Injury Prevention...
Prevention of elbow injuries does not include quitting your favorite activity. It is actually quite simple. The wrist extensors are often much weaker than the flexors so strengthening those extensors is the key to restoring the muscular balance in the forearms. This is easily achieved, not with some fancy expensive workout equipment, but rather, a good rubber band. Curling the fingers with the rubber band near the tips of the fingers like a claw then extend your fingers. This is an extremely helpful and easy to do exercise. Keep a rubber band on your wrist to remind you to do the exercise in your spare time. Personally, I do a few sets while I am sitting at a stop light. You will feel the burn in your wrist extensors, which means you are doing it correctly!
It's true that you can do flexor and extensor strengthening exercises at the gym. Using a fairly light dumbell, sit on a bench and rest your arm on your leg. Hold the dumbell in your hand and either curl the wrist up with the palm facing the ceiling for the flexors, or extend the wrist up with the palm facing the floor for the wrist extensors.
The rubber band exercise is much easier, however... and there is no gym membership needed.
Using this little "trick" will help strengthen your forearms and alleviate your elbow injuries for good!
Dr. John DeWitt played twelve years of professional football and went on to become a chiropractor in Southern California. He has suffered a ruptured biceps tendon, left labrum and left deltoid ligaments. This information regarding prevention and cure of elbow injuries came from his first hand experience.
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