Elbow Joint Mobility & Strength Exercises

Following on from my last article on elbow pain, I wanted to share with you some exercises for increasing the mobility and strength of your elbow joint.

  1. Stand or lie down. Bend and straighten your elbow to its outer limits without creating pain. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
  2. Sit with your forearm flat on a table and the palm of your hand against the table top. Then turn your forearm so that the back of your hand is resting on the table and then turn your forearm again so the palm of your hand is against the table.  Repeat 5 to 10 times.
  3. Practice screwing and unscrewing a screw with a screwdriver, while holding your upper arm close to your body.   Repeat 5 to 10 times.
  4. Hold a dumb-bell in your hand (or a can from your kitchen cupboard) and then bend and straighten the elbow joint.  Repeat 5 to 10 times.  You can gradually increase the weight to build strength.
  5. Stand up and do press ups against a wall.  Ensure that you bend your elbow to the maximum and fully straighten your arms.  Repeat 5 to 10 times.
  6. Hold a barbell in your hands (or a mop handle or broom handle), bend and straighten your elbow joint.  Repeat 5 to 10 times.

Static Stretching Exercises

  1. Flex one elbow joint to 90 degrees, then with your other hand resist your bent arm trying to touch your shoulder for 4 – 7 seconds and relax for 2 seconds.
  2. Straighten your arm backwards and take hold of a banister or something similar with your outstretched hand and stretch for 6-8 seconds by bending your knees.

 

Related Posts

  • So how does massage reduce pain? – Part 1

    I said in a previous post that scientists are interested in finding out how massage works.  So if we accept that massage reduces muscle pain, that leaves the question, "How does massage reduce muscle pain?". In 1965, Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall outlined a scientific theory about psychological influence on pain perception; the ‘gate control theory’.  According to the gate control theory, pain signals are not free to reach the brain as soon as they are generated at the injured tissues or sites. They need to encounter certain ‘neurological gates’ at the spinal cord level and these gates determine whether the pain signals should reach the brain or not. In other words, pain is perceived when the gate gives way to the pain signals and it is less intense or not at all perceived when the gate closes for the signals to pass through. Cutaneous mechano-receptors are stimulated by touch (massage) and transmit information within large never fibres to the spinal cord.  These impulses block the passage of painful stimuli entering the same spinal segment along small, slowly conducting neurons. This theory gives the explanation for why someone finds relief by rubbing or massaging an injured or a painful area. For example, the pain gate theory explains "how"  a child feels better after mum or dad intuitively rub their knee when they have fallen over. In summary massage produces short term pain relief by being a particularly effective trigger for the pain gate process. References Melzack R, & Wall PD (1965). Pain mechanisms: a new theory. Science (New York, N.Y.), 150 (3699), 971-9  Moayedi M, & Davis KD (2013). Theories of pain: from specificity to gate control. Journal of neurophysiology, 109 (1), 5-12 Jacobs M. (1960) Massage for the relief of pain: anatomical and physiological considerations.  Physical Therapy Review, 40: 93-8 Melzack R, Wall PD. Pain mechanisms: a new theory. Science. 1965 Nov 19;150(3699):971–979. Wells PE, Frampton V, Bowsher D. (1988) Pain: Management and Control in Physiotherapy.  Heinemann Medical.  Chapter 13. Watson J. (1982) Pain mechanisms: a review.  1. Characteristics of the peripheral receptors.  Australian Journal of Physiotherapy.  27:135-43

  • The Impact of Sitting All Day – Part 1

    For most people know they sit all day as part of their job.  Recently there has been a spate of article in the press about the impact of sitting all day, so I wanted to take some time to look at the impact of sitting all day.

    Sit up Straight

    I want to start this series of articles on a positive note, as most of my clients have to sit to work, the negative impact of sitting is minimised if you sit correctly. As your Mum always said, "Sit up straight", i.e.
    • Not leaning forward
    • Shoulders relaxed
    • Arms close to sides
    • Elbows bent 90°
    • Lower back should be supported
    • Feet flat on floor

    So what happens if you don't sit up straight?

    As you would expect from a masseur I am going to start by looking at the impact on your muscles.

    Strained Neck & Sore Shoulders

    If most of your sitting occurs at a desk at work, craning your neck forward toward a keyboard or tilting your head to cradle a phone while typing can strain the cervical vertebrae and lead to permanent imbalances.  The neck doesn't slouch alone. Slumping forward overextends the shoulder and back muscles as well, particularly the trapezius, which connects the neck and shoulders. Here at Vitality Therapy we offer Seated Acupressure Massage to directly address these issues.

    Bad back

    When we move around, soft discs between vertebrae expand and contract like sponges, soaking up fresh blood and nutrients. But when we sit for a long time, discs are squashed unevenly. Collagen hardens around supporting tendons and ligaments.  So people who sit more are at greater risk of slipped disks or herniated disks.

    I recommend the Yoga position cat-cow for increasing your spinal flexibility. (Click here for guidelines on how to do cat-cow.)

    When you sit for a long time, a muscle called the psoas travels through the abdominal cavity and, when it tightens, pulls the upper lumbar spine forward. Upper-body weight rests entirely on the ischial tuberosity (sitting bones) instead of being distributed along the arch of the spine.  A sports massage or a deep tissue massage can release a tight psoas muscle.  

    Mushy abs

    When you stand, move or even sit up straight, abdominal muscles keep you upright. But when you slump in a chair, they go unused. Tight back muscles and wimpy abs form a posture-wrecking alliance that can exaggerate the spine's natural arch, a condition called hyperlordosis, or swayback.  So sitting up straight is the first step to good abs!

    Tight hips

    Flexible hips help keep you balanced, but chronic sitters so rarely extend the hip flexor muscles in front that they become short and tight, limiting range of motion and stride length. Studies have found that decreased hip mobility is a main reason elderly people tend to fall.  So when you are in the gym remember tohttp://vitalitytherapy.co.uk/wp-admin/post-new.php stretch your hip flexors.

    Limp glutes

    Sitting requires your glutes to do absolutely nothing, and they get used to it. Soft glutes hurt your stability, your ability to push off and your ability to maintain a powerful stride when walking.  They can impact your performance when you run, as all powerful glutes are the key to increasing your speed and powering you up hills.

  • Why does massage help so much?

    In a previous post I outlined some of the benefits of the 15 minutes Seated Acupressure Neck & Shoulder massage including the scientific evidence for these claims. But I think their is one benefit that stands out above these.

    I know in my previous life as an IT project manage, several times I spent most of a day trying to fix a problem and I just couldn't find a solution.  I had a tendency to get caught up in a problem and its just frustrating -- it can literally stress you out. When you're stressed out, it's harder to think clearly. Emotional stress can send your problem-solving skills into a tailspin.  To make matters worse I used to flip over that fine line between being focused on solving the problem and obsessing over it.

    The trick to break this cycle is to shift your focus. The purpose of shifting your focus is to temporarily get your mind off whatever challenge has it tied up in knots.   So when you come back to it you have are re-energised and have a fresh perspective.

    Going for a massage, shifts your focus to your body releases anxiety and the seated acupressure massage energises you & improves your mental alertness.  So I found it an ideal way of breaking the cycle of mentally obsessing over problems when I worked in IT.