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Rehabilitation
for Elbow Bursitis
Strengthening
exercises
Alternative
exercises
How
long will the effects of my injury last?
When
can I return to my sport or activity?
Read more about Elbow Bursitis
Rehabilitation
As an athlete, your number one concern is getting back to full strength
as soon as possible so that you can return to training and competition.
That is why appropriate rehabilitation is extremely important.
The most common rehabilitation
for elbow bursitis often includes the following:
- Rest
Reduce activity during acute phase.
- Ice
Apply ice or a cold pack to the outside of the elbow for 15 to 20 minutes,
4 times a day for several days. Wrap the ice or cold pack in a towel.
Do not apply the ice directly to your skin.
- Medication
Take ibuprofen to help reduce inflammation and pain.
Compression - Wrap your elbow in an elastic compression bandage (Ace
bandage). This will limit swelling and support your elbow.
- Stretching
When the acute pain is gone, start gentle stretching of the wrist and
elbow as recommended by your doctor. Stay within pain limits. Hold each
stretch for about 10 seconds and repeat 6 times.
- Strengthening
Begin strengthening exercises for your wrist extensor muscles as recommended
by your doctor.
Although rest, nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs, and avoiding the activity that caused the injury
are the main steps for rehabilitating your bursitis, the following exercises,
which place no extreme mechanical or weight-bearing stress on the elbow,
can be very effective during rehabilitation:
- Wrist flexor stretch
Extend affected arm forward with palm up and elbow straight. Place fingers
and palm of opposite hand across palm and fingers of the extended hand
and draw back with it until stretch is felt in the forearm. Hold this
position for 3 to 5 seconds, then relax for 3 to 5 seconds. Perform
this exercise 10 times.
- Wrist extensor
stretch
Extend affected arm forward with palm down, elbow straight, and fingers
slightly curled. Grasp the affected side hand with other hand and draw
affected side hand down until stretch is felt in the forearm. Hold this
position from 3 to 5 seconds, then relax for 3 to 5 seconds. Perform
this exercise 10 times.
- Pronation/Suppination
stretch
Extend affected arm forward in a hand-shaking position with palm facing
up. Slowly rotate the hand from a palm-up position to a palm-down position.
Hold for 3 to 5 seconds and then rotate back. Perform this exercise
10 times. When you work your way up to strength training, you may use
a small weight while rotating the hand and wrist.
- Tricep stretch
Stand erect with feet at about shoulder width. Raise injured arm at
the shoulder with elbow bent and place the forearm behind the head.
Grasp the injured elbow with opposite hand and draw it toward the center
of the body until stretch is felt. Hold this position for 3 to 5 seconds,
then relax for 3 to 5 seconds. Perform this exercise 10 times.
- Bicep stretch
Stand erect with arms raised to shoulder height and palms up. Press
arms backward until stretch is felt. Hold this position for 3 to 5 seconds,
then relax for 3 to 5 seconds. Perform this exercise 10 times. The bicep
is stretched by this exercise as well as the muscles of the shoulder
and upper chest.
Strengthening exercises
The following exercises develop strength of the muscles of the forearm
and upper arm. To maintain symmetry of the arms in terms of strength and
appearance, perform these strength exercises with the uninjured arm as
well as the injured arm.
- Wrist extension
Sit in a chair with forearm resting on the end of a table, palm down.
Grasp a light weight dumbbell and raise the weight up as high as possible
while maintaining contact with the table top. Hold this position for
3 to 5 seconds. Relax for 3 to 5 seconds. Repeat this exercise 5 to
10 times. Substitute a heavier dumbbell as strength increases.
- Arm curls
Either standing or sitting, grasp a 2- to 4-pound dumbbell in one hand.
With palm up, flex elbow and draw the dumbbell up to the same side shoulder
while maintaining erect posture. Do not bend at the waist or swing the
dumbbell. Lower dumbbell slowly and with control to the starting position.
Repeat this exercise 10 times. Use a heavier dumbbell as strength increases.
Alternative exercises
During the period when normal training should be avoided, alternative
exercises may be used. These activities should not require any actions
that create or intensify pain at the site of injury. They include:
How long will the
effects of my injury last?
Symptoms may disappear within 10 days or persist for more than 2 weeks
and recur from time to time. Bursitis caused by overuse often resolves
after two weeks if you refrain from the activity that caused the problem.
When can I return
to my sport or activity?
The goal of rehabilitation is to return you to your sport or activity
as soon as is safely possible. If you return too soon you may worsen your
injury, which could lead to permanent damage. Everyone recovers from injury
at a different rate. Return to your activity is determined by how soon
your bursitis recovers, not by how many days or weeks it has been since
your injury occurred.
Generally, full use
of the affected elbow should be delayed until all symptoms subside. In
the interim, activities that place no pressure on the elbow, such as swimming
or cycling, can maintain cardiovascular
fitness.
You may safely return
to your sport or activity when pain is gone, and you have full strength
and range of motion in the injured elbow compared to the uninjured elbow.
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