A common injury at the elbow is either golfer’s or tennis elbow. All the muscles that flex the wrist and fingers attach at the elbow on the medial side (inside), and all the muscles that extend the wrist and fingers attach at the elbow on the lateral side (outside). When these groups of muscles get tight (usually through repetitive motions) the common tendon of these muscles can get inflamed at the elbow. Not only could you be feeling pain at the elbow, but these muscles can also refer down into the wrist and hand. Although the term golfer’s elbow refers to the inside of the elbow, and tennis elbow refers to the outside; it does not have to be these specific activities that lead to tendonitis. Common motions include prolonged gripping, increased typing, using hand power tools, throwing, etc.
During treatment of tennis and golfer elbow, the muscles of the forearm are worked on using hands or “scraping” tools to facilitate healing in this area. After treatment, it is important to continue stretches at home. To stretch the forearm flexors, extend the arm palm up, and use the opposite hand to extend the wrist. To stretch the forearm extensions, extend the arm palm down, and use the opposite hand to flex the wrist. You can check out how to do these stretches with this video.