Tennis Elbow Exercises

Your healthcare provider may recommend exercises to help you heal. Talk to your healthcare provider or physical therapist about which exercises will best help you and how to do them correctly and safely.

You may do the stretching exercises right away. You may do the strengthening exercises when stretching is nearly painless.

Stretching exercises

• Wrist stretch: Press the back of the hand on your injured side with your other hand to help bend your wrist. Hold for 15 seconds. Next, stretch the hand back by pressing the fingers in a backward direction. Hold for 15 seconds. Keep the arm on your injured side straight during this exercise. Do 3 sets.
• Forearm pronation and supination: Bend the elbow of your injured arm 90 degrees, keeping your elbow at your side. Turn your palm up and hold for 5 seconds. Then slowly turn your palm down and hold for 5 seconds. Make sure you keep your elbow at your side and bent 90 degrees while you do the exercise. Do 2 sets of 10.
• Active elbow flexion and extension: Gently bring the palm of the hand on your injured side up toward your shoulder, bending your elbow as much as you can. Then straighten your elbow as far as you can. Repeat 15 times. Do 2 sets of 15.

Strengthening exercises

• Mid-trap exercise: Lie on your stomach on a firm surface and place a folded pillow underneath your chest. Place your arms out straight to your sides with your elbows straight and thumbs toward the ceiling. Slowly raise your arms toward the ceiling as you squeeze your shoulder blades together. Lower slowly. Do 2 sets of 15. As the exercise gets easier to do, hold soup cans or small weights in your hands.
• Eccentric wrist extension: Hold a soup can or hammer handle in the hand of your injured side with your palm facing down. Use the hand on the side that is not injured to bend your wrist up. Then let go of your wrist and use just your injured side to lower the weight slowly using a with a 3-second count back to the starting position. Do 3 sets of 10. Increase the weight you use when this exercise is easy to do.
• Resisted wrist flexion: Hold a weight or hammer handle in the hand of your injured side with your palm up and bend your wrist up. Raise it up on a count of 3 and lower it on a count of 3. Do 3 sets of 10. Increase the weight you use when this exercise is easy to do.
• Wrist radial deviation strengthening: Put your wrist in the sideways position with your thumb up. Hold a can of soup or a hammer handle and gently bend your wrist up, with the thumb reaching toward the ceiling. Slowly lower to the starting position. Do not move your forearm throughout this exercise. Do 3 sets of 10.
• Forearm pronation and supination strengthening: Hold a soup can or hammer handle in your hand and bend your elbow 90 degrees. Slowly turn your hand so your palm is up and then down. Do 2 sets of 10.
• Wrist extension with broom handle: Stand up and hold a broom handle in both hands. With your arms at shoulder level, elbows straight and palms down, roll the broom handle backward in your hand. Do 3 sets of 10.