How to Relieve and Rehab Elbow Pain
Perform targeted soft-tissue release, eccentric strengthening, and rotational exercises to rehab tennis and golfer's elbow while building tendon resilience.
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🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Lacrosse ball or firm massage ball
- ✓ Light dumbbell (1-5 lbs)
- ✓ Hammer or weighted club
- ✓ Flat bench or sturdy table
- ✓ Light resistance band
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Exercise mat
- ✓ Chair
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Stop immediately if you experience sharp, shooting pain or tingling down the fingers.
- • Perform eccentric movements slowly (3-4 seconds descent); do not drop the weight abruptly.
- • Keep movements strictly below a 3/10 on the discomfort scale during rehabilitation phases.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Perform Forearm Soft-Tissue Release
Rest your forearm palm-down on a flat table. Place a lacrosse ball on the top outer muscle belly below the elbow joint, apply moderate downward pressure with your other hand, and slowly roll along the extensor muscles for 60 seconds. Repeat on the underside flexor muscles with your palm facing up.
- • Lacrosse ball positioned 1-2 inches below the elbow joint line on the muscle tissue
- • Slow, rhythmic 1-inch rolling passes along the length of the forearm muscle belly
- • Rolling directly over the bony elbow protrusion (epicondyle)
- • Applying excessive force causing facial grimacing or arm tensing
Perform Forearm Flexor and Extensor Mobilization
Extend your working arm straight out in front of you with your elbow locked. For extensors, point your fingers downward, make a loose fist, and gently pull your hand toward your body with the opposite hand for 20 seconds. Flip the palm up and pull the fingers back toward your forearm to stretch flexors.
- • Arm fully extended at shoulder height with zero bend at the elbow
- • Gentle, static wrist bend held steadily without bouncing
- • Bending the elbow during the stretch, taking tension off the forearm tendons
- • Aggressively pulling the fingers back beyond a gentle stretch
Perform Eccentric Wrist Extensions
Sit and rest your forearm flat on the bench with your wrist and hand hanging off the edge, palm facing down while holding a light dumbbell. Use your non-working hand to lift the weight up into full extension, then slowly lower the dumbbell downward using ONLY the working hand over a 3-4 second count. Repeat for 10-12 repetitions.
- • Forearm remains completely pinned to the bench throughout the rep
- • Two-handed lift followed by a slow, controlled single-handed downward descent
- • Lifting the dumbbell back up using the injured arm instead of assisting with the free hand
- • Allowing the dumbbell to drop rapidly at the bottom of the range
Perform Eccentric Wrist Flexions
Turn your forearm palm-up on the bench with your wrist hanging over the edge holding the dumbbell. Use your free hand to assist in curling the weight upward, then take your free hand away and lower the weight slowly downward into full wrist extension over a 4-second count. Repeat for 10-12 repetitions.
- • Palm facing ceiling with forearm flat on the bench
- • Continuous 4-second downward uncurling of the wrist
- • Letting the dumbbell roll out of the fingers at the bottom of the movement
- • Using momentum or body sway to swing the weight
Perform Forearm Pronation and Supination Rotations
Rest your forearm on the bench holding a hammer or asymmetrical weight near the bottom of the handle, with the heavy end pointing straight up. Slowly rotate your forearm outward until the hammer head is horizontal, pause, return to center, then slowly rotate inward until horizontal. Complete 10 controlled rotations each way.
- • Hammer head moving in a smooth, wide 180-degree windshield-wiper arc
- • Elbow staying stationary and tucked against the support surface
- • Choking too far down the handle, making the leverage too heavy
- • Flaring the shoulder to turn the arm rather than isolating forearm rotation
Integrate Banded Scapular Retraction and External Rotation
Stand tall holding a light resistance band in both hands with elbows bent at 90 degrees and pinned against your ribs. Pull the band apart by rotating your forearms outward while keeping your elbows glued to your sides and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Hold for 2 seconds, then return slowly for 12 reps.
- • Elbows remaining in direct contact with lateral ribcage during entire movement
- • Shoulder blades visibly pinching toward the spine at peak expansion
- • Letting the elbows flare out away from the torso
- • Shrugging the shoulders up toward the ears
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by Jeremy Ethier — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Lacrosse ball? Tennis ball, baseball, or firm water bottle
- No Light dumbbell? Full 16 oz water bottle or standard canned food
- No Resistance band? Towel held taut for isometric external rotation