Tennis elbow

Cause and Symptoms

Some of the muscles that bend the wrist backward and extend the fingers are located on the outside of the elbow. Repeated unilateral movements in these muscles can overwork them and cause pain in the elbow. The pain can also radiate down the forearm and hand, and up the upper arm and neck.

Tennis elbow

What you can do yourself

If you experience the familiar pain of tennis elbow, you should avoid or limit the loads that trigger the pain. At the same time, you should prevent the problem by increasing the strength of the muscles and tendons in the forearm.

It can be difficult to reduce soreness and pain that occurs in connection with your work. You may need relief from the most stressful work functions for a period of time.

If you have a lot of work in front of the computer, you can focus on varying your working positions and work tools. There are, for example, work tools (keyboard and mouse) that are designed to reduce the load on the forearm and elbow.

If you need it, an elbow bandage or elbow strap can remind you to minimize movement in the elbow joint, and the strap can provide pain relief with a small gel pad that is placed on top of the painful point on the elbow.

Exercise

It is important that you stay active and start exercising. Exercise is effective in reducing pain and discomfort, as well as preventing new discomfort in the body.

Below you will find a number of exercises to treat and prevent pain in and around the elbow. You can do all the exercises every day and on both arms.

It is the well-known pain that determines when you can stop doing the exercises. However, it is a good idea to continue doing the exercises as a preventive measure.

Movement exercise

Repetitions: 3x10 repetitions

How to do it: Let your arms hang relaxed along your body. Bend your elbows at a 90 degree angle and keep your elbows close to your body throughout the exercise. Clasp your hands and rotate your wrists in circles. First one way, and then the other. It is normal that there may be some resistance in parts of the movement.

Strength exercise for a tennis elbow

Repetitions: 3x10 repetitions

How to do it: Sit at a table with your forearm resting on the table and your hand over the edge of the table. The palm should point down towards the floor. Hold a 0.5 – 1 kg dumbbell or a small filled water bottle in your hand. Slowly move the hand up and back without moving the forearm on the table. Slowly lower the hand back to the starting position. You should be able to see and feel that you are training the muscles on the upper side of your forearm.