Tennis elbow is also known as lateral epicondylitis. It occurs when a person strains the tendons in their forearm. People can usually treat tennis elbow at home with rest and over-the-counter medication. Doing specific exercises can also help ease the pain and prevent reoccurrence.
We describe eight exercises to help strengthen muscles in the forearm and prevent tennis elbow from coming back. We also cover causes and symptoms, home treatment, prevention, and when to see a doctor.
Before trying these exercises, wait for any swelling to go down. It is also a good idea to check with a doctor or a physical or occupational therapist first.
Exercises
The following exercises can help rehabilitate tennis elbow:
1. Wrist turn
To perform a wrist turn:
- bend the elbow at a right angle
- extend the hand outwards, palm facing up
- twist the wrist around gradually, until the palm is facing down
- hold the position for 5 seconds
- repeat nine more times
- do two more sets of 10 repetitions
2. Wrist turn with weight
The wrist turn with weight is the same as the wrist turn above. But, in this version, the person also grips a light weight, such as a small dumbbell or a tin of food.