What Are the Home Remedies for Elbow Pain? 7 Exercises You Must Do to Get Stronger Elbows

Elbow pain may occur due to several reasons. That include continuous stress and pressure on the elbow muscles, injured tendon muscles of the elbow, twisting of the arm, etc.

In some cases, elbow pain might also extend to the entire arm and get more severe when you attempt to do basic activities, such as moving your hand, driving and so on.

Luckily, there are various effective home remedies that you can do at home to get relief from elbow pain. Here are a few basic home remedies for elbow pain.

• Rest your elbow - The first thing to do when experiencing elbow pain is to rest your elbow to avoid any more inflammation and irritation in the elbow area.
• Use ice packs - Ice packs can potentially reduce elbow pain; however, you should never apply ice directly to your elbows. Rather, wrap the ice in a towel or cloth, and then apply it to the painful area.
• Compress - Compressing the elbow with a compression bandage is also an effective way to ease elbow pain. Wrap a compression bandage around the painful area tightly, so you may feel the compression.
• Use avocado oil - Avocado oil is also helpful in curing elbow pain. Massage your elbow with avocado oil to reduce swelling and pain.

Apart from these home remedies, there are also several exercises you can do regularly to get stronger and healthier elbows.

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Exercises to get stronger elbows

1) Wrist turns

Instructions:

• Stand straight, and bend your elbow at a right angle.
• Slowly extend your hands outwards with your palms facing up.
• Gently twist your wrist till your palm is facing down.
• Hold the position for 2 to 3 seconds, and repeat the exercise.

2) Hammer curls

Instructions:

• Stand straight. Keep your feet at a shoulder-width distance and your arms down at your sides.
• Hold a dumbbell in each hand, keeping your palms facing towards your body; lift the weight till it reaches your shoulder level.
• Make sure your elbows are pressed to your body throughout the exercise.
• Lower the dumbbell, and repeat the exercise.

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3) Supination with a dumbbell

Instructions:

• Sit straight in a chair, and hold a light-weight dumbbell vertically. Your elbows should rest on your knees.
• Rotate your arm in an outward direction by turning your palm up.
• Rotate your arm in the other direction so that your palm is now facing down.
• Repeat the exercise ten times on each side.

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4) Stress ball squeeze

Instructions:

• Hold a tennis ball in your hand. You may also hold a rolled-up sock.
• Make a fist with your hand around the ball, and squeeze it gently.
• Keep squeezing the ball, and hold this position for a few seconds.
• Release, and relax your hands.
• Repeat ten to 12 times on each hand.

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5) Elbow curls with resistance band

Instructions:

• Stand straight, and extend one foot in front of the other.
• Loop one end of the band directly under your back foot. Hold the other end of the band with your hand. Keep your palms facing upward.
• Pull the band up gently, and curl your arm directly towards your shoulder.
• Return your arm, and repeat the exercise.

You can also use a dumbbell for this exercise; however, start with a light-weight dumbbell.

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6) Towel twist

Instructions:

• Sit on a chair, and keep your back straight.
• Hold a towel in both hands, and make sure your shoulders are relaxed and in a neutral position.
• Gently twist the towel with your hands in the opposite direction. Your right hand should roll forward, while your left should pull it back like you do when wringing out water from clothes.
• After 10 to 12 twists, repeat the same in opposite directions.

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7) Wrist extension and flexion

Instructions:

• Keep your arm straight so that it gets perpendicular to the ground.
• Slightly bend your wrist backward as if you were indicating a stop sign with your hand.
• Use your other hand, and gently pull your fingers back till you feel a stretch on your forearm.
• Hold the stretch for ten seconds, and then release.

Once done, flip your arm over, and perform the same stretch with your fingers in a downward position.

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Summary

The above-mentioned exercises are easy to perform and largely focus on deliberate and slow motions. If these exercises make your pain worse or cause new elbow pain, stop doing them immediately, and talk to a doctor.