8 Easy-to-Follow & Effective Elbow Stretches for Pain Relief

Elbow pain and discomfort may have a variety of causes, including but not limited to conditions such as golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis), tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis), and other types of sprains and strains.

When these conditions occur, elbow pain might continue to be a problem for a long while, even after the initial swelling goes down. The pain is then treated with the help of stretches and other light exercises, sometimes with the help of medication to reduce inflammation.

We list 8 elbow stretches for relieving yourself of pain, along with instructions on how to perform them. These are light exercises based on repetitive movements, typically performed with no instruments; some may include equipment such as light weights or rubber bands.

For the best recovery results, you should do these stretches as part of the same routine in the order listed below. You can also do them as stand-alone exercises, usually as warm-ups before sports sessions or other activities where you expect greater strain on your elbows.

1. Wrist Turn

This basic exercise helps stimulate wrist and forearm muscles, reducing the overall muscle tension. Outside of recovery, it’s common to use wrist turns as a warm-up for all sorts of activities requiring gripping or arm mobility.

To do a wrist turn, you should:

Bend your elbow at the right angle of roughly 90 degrees.
Extend your hand outwards so the palm is facing up.
Slowly and gradually twist your wrist so the palm ends up facing down.
Hold the palm in position for 5 seconds, then slowly release it.
Do this 30 times in total.

2. Wrist Lift

A wrist lift serves to strengthen your forearm, enabling it to sustain more pressure without straining and therefore accelerating your recovery. You can do this exercise with your palm up or down, ideally alternating both between sets.

A wrist lift requires you to:

Grip a lightweight item, such as a 1 lb dumbbell or a tin of canned food.
Bend your elbow at a 90-degree angle.
Extend your hand outwards.
Bend your wrist towards your body.
Hold it in position for 5 seconds, then release slowly.
Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions with your palm up and another 3 sets of 10 repetitions with your palm down.

3. Wrist Extensor Stretch

This exercise does wonders for pain relief and reduces the tension in muscles near the top of your forearm.

A man’s forearm before doing the elbow stretches.

It can also be used outside of recovery as a warm-up for gripping activities.

To perform this stretch:

Raise your arm and hold it straight out in front of your body.
Hold your palm facing the front.
Using your other hand, apply gentle pressure to your stretching hand across the palm.
Pull the hand towards the direction of your body until you start feeling a stretch on the inside of your forearm.
Hold your hand in this position for 15 to 30 seconds.
Repeat 5 times for both arms.

4. Wrist Extension Flex

Similar to the above exercise, the two are typically performed in a pair. When combined, the two exercises stimulate the full range of your forearm muscles.

For this stretch, you should:

Raise your arm and hold it straight out in front of your body.
Position your palm facing down, then start to slowly bend your wrist downwards.
Using your other hand, apply gentle pressure to your stretching hand across the palm.
Pull the hand towards the direction of your body until you start feeling a stretch on the inside of your forearm.
Hold your hand in this position for 15 to 30 seconds.
Repeat 5 times for both arms.

5. Wrist Extension Strengthening

This exercise will strengthen your forearm muscles and requires you to use a set of 1 lb, 2 lbs, and 3 lbs light weights. Just like the two stretches described above, it is performed in two variants: with palm up and palm down, designed to stimulate the full range of forearm muscles when combined.

This is a progressive exercise, meaning that its intensity increases with progress without experiencing any pain in your elbow.

A man holding his elbow preparing to conduct elbow stretches.

There are four stages; you should move on to the next one once you’ve managed to complete two consecutive days on the previous level with no noticeable increase in pain.

The stages are as follows:

No weights; place your forearm on a table, with your wrist positioned at the edge and your elbow bent at 90 degrees.
Use a 1-lb weight; keep your forearm on a table and elbow bent at 90 degrees.
Use a 2-lb weight; slightly straighten your elbow so your forearms are more in line with your upper arms, but keep your forearms on a table.
Use a 3-lb weight; keep your arm straight and in the air.

To perform this exercise:

Bend your wrist as far as possible.
Hold it in position for 1 second, then pull it back and hold for another 3 seconds.
Repeat 30 times for each arm.
Do a series with your palm facing up and another one with your palm facing down.

6. Forearm Strengthening

Just like the previous exercise, this one is done in four stages, with a table and a set of progressively heavier weights.

It follows the same progressive formula; you should move to the next stage after completing two consecutive days with no increase in pain. This exercise is especially good for those who are looking to stop elbow pain when sleeping.

The four stages are:

No weights; place your forearm on a table, with your wrist positioned at the edge and your elbow bent at 90 degrees.
Use a 1-lb weights; keep your forearm on a table and elbow bent at 90 degrees.
Use a 2-lb weights; slightly straighten your elbow so your forearms are more in line with your upper arms, but keep your forearms on a table.
Use a 3-lb weights; keep your arm straight and in the air.

To do this exercise:

Start with your palm facing the side, then slowly start turning it so it faces upwards.
Slowly return to the starting position, then keep turning it so it faces down.
Return to the starting position again.
Repeat the exercise 30 times for each arm.

7. Grip Strengthening

For this exercise, you will need a rubber stress ball or ring or a substitute such as a tennis ball, rolled-up sock, or rolled-up towel.

If you’re doing this exercise in sync with the other stretches described above, it’s best to position your arm in a way that follows the stages in wrist extension and forearm strengthening exercises.

To perform this exercise:

Place the rubber ball or other instrument in your hand.
Grip it with your fingers, forming a fist.
Squeeze it for 10 seconds.
Repeat 10 times for each hand.

8. Finger Stretch

You will need an elastic rubber or latex band.to perform this stretch.

Similar to the grip-strengthening exercise, this elbow stretching technique can be done as a stand-alone warm-up but is also an indispensable part of an elbow recovery routine. If performed in sync with the other exercises on this list, it should also follow the same stages as the wrist extension and forearm strengthening exercises.

To do finger stretches:

Place the elastic band around your fingers.
Slightly cup your hand.
Gently spread your fingers apart, and then move them back together.
Repeat 10 times for each hand.

Final Words

Even with a regular exercise routine, elbow pain can continue to be a nuisance for a long while. As such, it’s worth looking into anything that can help accelerate your recovery and get your body back to its optimal condition as fast as possible, such as elbow stretches.

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