Stretches for the elbow address flexibility in the forearm and wrists. Range-of-motion exercises for the elbow also are beneficial for the joint to keep it mobile and prevent stiffness. Common elbow injuries include tennis elbow and golfer's elbow, even among people who don't play these sports. The best stretches begin with bending the tight or painful area, then progressing to rotation exercises.
Wrist Extension Stretch
The wrist extension stretch is an exercise for lengthening the forearm to address elbow tension. The wrist extension stretch brings the wrist backward into extension, which lengthens the front of the forearm. If you frequently flex your wrist forward, this stretch loosens the muscles called the wrist flexors. This stretch is particularly helpful for preventing or treating golfer's elbow, a condition that causes tenderness in the inner elbow, so if you experience pain in this area, the wrist extension stretch might relieve this pain.
To perform the wrist extension stretch, hold your arm straight with your palm face up, then pull your wrist up and your fingers toward you. Straighten the wrist again.
Wrist Flexion Stretch
The wrist flexion stretch bends the wrist in the opposite direction as the wrist extension stretch. Because bending and straightening the injured area are best for preventing and treating elbow overuse injuries, you should do this exercise if you have pain on the outside of the elbow, or if you feel tension in the back of the forearm. Pain on the outside of the elbow relates to tennis elbow, or any repetitive activity that uses frequent wrist extension -- the opposite of what causes golfer's elbow.
To perform the wrist flexion stretch, hold your arm straight with your palm face down, then bend your wrist down and pull your fingers toward the bottom of your forearm. Straighten your wrist again.
Rotational Stretches
Bend the wrist forward or backward either way to stretch the elbow. Rotational stretches also increase range of motion. If you have a wrist injury, these stretches are best done after wrist flexion and extension are comfortable. Simply hold your arm bent at a 90-degree angle next to your side. With the forearm parallel to the floor and the wrist straight, twist the forearm to turn the palm up in a counterclockwise direction as far as you can, then twist the arm clockwise toward the floor. You can also touch your finger tips together and rotate just the wrist to trace circles in the air in both directions.
Elbow Stretching Guidelines
Stretching exercises lengthen the muscles, tendons and ligaments if you give them time. You have to hold stretches for more than a few seconds for them to work. Maintain stretches for 20 to 30 seconds. Perform 5 to 10 repetitions of each stretch. Stretch your elbows twice a day.
