Baseball elbow, or medial epicondylitis, is a painful condition caused by damage to the elbow ligaments from the forceful, repetitive overhand throw used by baseball fielders and pitchers. A similar condition can be caused by other sports such as tennis and golf. Exercises to strengthen and stretch the elbow, forearm and wrist can help prevent or treat baseball elbow.
Archery Bow Draw
Strengthening the elbow by replicating the same motions used when throwing is a sport-specific method of training. However, it is difficult to find a similar motion to the overhand throw because it is a unique movement that can not be sufficiently replicated with dumbbell-type exercises, according to teacher and coach Jerry Kreber of Omaha, Neb., writing in his baseball coaching blog, "Baseball Ideas." One similar motion used in another sport is that of drawing an archery bow, Kreber suggests. Regularly pulling back a tensioned bowstring to the typical archery draw position, with the wrist back to the ear while standing, will strengthen the muscles and ligaments of the elbow, helping baseball players obtain and maintain a healthy elbow.
Range of Motion Stretches
Once a baseball player has suffered medial epicondylitis, slow and careful rehabilitation is necessary to bring the elbow safely back to game condition. While many stretching and strengthening exercises should wait until the injury begins to heal, three range-of-motion stretches can be engaged in right away, according to the physical therapists at University Sports Medicine, a sports injury medical specialist group based in Buffalo, N.Y. The first is a wrist range-of-motion stretch: Bend the wrist forward and then backward as far as possible, and repeat 10 times. Next, perform a forearm range-of-motion stretch: Keeping the elbow at your side, with the forearm bent at a 90-degree angle so it is parallel to the ground, turn the palm up and hold for 5 seconds, then turn it down and hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times. Lastly, the elbow range-of-motion stretch requires you to stand with arm straight down, then bend your elbow so that your hand gets as close as possible to the shoulder. Repeat 10 times.
Wrist Extension and Flexion
Once the most acute pain and swelling of a baseball elbow injury has subsided, the physical therapists at the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athlete Trauma at Lennox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, recommend wrist extension and flexion exercises to increase forearm strength to bring the arm back to full game condition. Holding a 1-pound dumbbell weight in the hand of the affected arm, sit at the edge of an exercise bench or hard chair. Lay the forearm on the upper leg with the hand extending beyond the knee. For wrist extension, place the palm facing down, then bend the wrist first toward the floor as far as it will go, then up as far as it will go, keeping the forearm still. For wrist flexion, in the same position, place the palm facing up holding the weight, and flex the wrist up and then down as far as it will comfortably go.
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