Bone Health

March 2 2026

Posture Isn’t That Important… Right?

In the past, whenever I heard someone say “posture is important” or “you can do damage if you sit or stand incorrectly”, I honestly wouldn’t pay attention to it.

There’s nothing worse than being ‘nagged’ to “Stand up straight” or “stop slouching!…”

There are some instances where it just can’t be helped.

As many others do, I assumed that I was being nagged and that it really wasn’t a “big deal”.

But oh how I was wrong!

I quickly learned that that’s anything BUT the case.

I was surprised to find that poor posture is one of the biggest causes of shoulder and neck pain today…

And when you realize just how easy it can be to correct posture, you’ll wonder why more people don’t understand its importance!

Here are a few quick tips that will help you spot “bad posture” and how to improve it.

Tip #1:

Watch yourself in the mirror. There can be signs of poor posture even before pain occurs. So, if you can sport the signs early enough, it is often easier to fix!

Signs of poor posture include:

Slumped or rounded shoulders
Protruding abdomen
An excessive curve in your lower back
A caved appearance to the chest
Pain (the one that usually shows up last)

To improve your standing and walking posture, “Think tall”. Imagine a string being pulled from the top of your head, pulling you upward.

Tip #2:

Another great tip I use myself is to practice tightening your abdominal muscles and flattening your stomach. Hold it for a few seconds, then relax. Repeat throughout the day.

Tip #3:

When standing for long periods of time, many people tend to rest their weight predominantly on one foot. Instead, try standing evenly balanced on both feet. If this proves tiring, shift the weight from one foot to the other regularly.

One of the most common causes of poor posture is having a job where you sit at a desk all day. It puts the back and shoulders into an unnatural position!

Tip #4:

Try and take a break every 30 minutes and stand up during this break. When sitting at a desk, lean forward at your hips, bring your trunk forward, and try to keep your lower back pressed against the chair. This should really help to improve your posture and prevent other problems from surfacing.

If you have any more questions about the importance of posture or even shoulder and neck pain, just ask and I’ll be more than happy to help.

And just remember…

“Think Tall.”

Click Here To Arrange A FREE Telephone Consultation

March 2 2026

What is Tennis Elbow Caused By?

alvin Bone Health 0

Although the term tennis elbow clearly originated from people hitting tennis balls around, the condition should be termed “computer elbow” at this point. These days, it’s more commonly caused by computer usage.

Tennis elbow would best be described as a repetitive strain injury, which is ultimately induced by repetitive motions, leading to chronic exhaustion of the muscles and tendons at the outside of the elbow.

And you guessed it. The common causes of tennis elbow are manual labor, office work, and, wait for it,… The use of technological devices!

Out of the many patients that I’ve had over the years suffering from tennis elbow, most of them have had one thing in common: mistaking it for tendonitis.

It’s important to understand that tennis elbow and tendonitis are not the same things.

How Do I Get Tennis Elbow?

A majority of the time, most elbow pain without any obvious explanation turns out to be tennis elbow. This is especially the case for those that have been working on the computer a lot (or playing tennis). But, when looking into more obvious symptoms, the tissues around the elbow are known to be tender and sore.

Spending long amounts of time at the keyboard can make it worse as well. These stressors happen in slow motion and may not be as noticeable as yanking hard on the tendons while playing tennis. Computer users, more often than not, can confirm their tennis elbow just by attempting to hit a backhand on the tennis court. Other methods are simple too, like when it hurts to pull the covers over you at night, picking up a gallon of milk, or grasping a dumbbell or barbell at the gym.

If you think this is something you could be experiencing, give it a try! It might be a bit inconvenient to test your elbow this way, but it’s a very reliable method.

A more convenient but less reliable option would be to test for tendonitis. In the case of the tennis elbow, this means restricted extension from flexion. To do this, flex the wrist and hold it in place. Then, try to straighten it. If it hurts quite a bit when you attempt to straighten it, you probably have a case of tennis elbow.

What Can You Do?

The main issue with tennis elbow, is the many people believe that surgery is the only option to fix the problem. But, there are plenty of non-surgical treatments, all just as effective.

1. Rest:

Rest is ultimately your first line of defense against tennis elbow. Even minor injuries such as this one aren’t likely to magically go away on their own if you continue doing the same things that irritated your muscles in the first place. Just resting the arm as much as possible for a week can make a huge difference.

2: Exercise

Now, this may seem odd considering my first tip was rest. But after initially resting, it’s important to find an even balance of rest and a variety of basic exercises to maximize recovery from a repetitive strain injury. But, just like with any injury, we have to beware of “overdoing it”. Gradually training the flexor muscles and tendons (those that bend limbs) to tolerate exercise again is crucial. A condition such as this won’t get better overnight, but simple to intermediate exercise can cause improvement without over-stimulating.

3. Stretching and Mobilizing:

Stretching is important for various therapies, especially in cases where there is movement restriction and discomfort. Muscle trigger points respond very well to stretches and in my experience, it works even better in this muscle group. Trigger points are almost always a factor when talking about tennis elbow. Although it can be tricky to fully stretch the muscles involved in this condition, I have some tips for making it a bit easier:

Stand with your arm out in front of you and place your hand against a wall with the fingers pointed out to the side
Straighten your elbow and press into the wall so that your wrist is sharply flexed
Hold for a minute

I also recommend mobilizing. Mobilization entails dynamic stretches and rhythmic movements. This has shown to be even more stimulating than simple static stretching alone. To mobilize the forearms:

Sit on the edge of a bench, table or bed
Place the hands palm down, with your fingers pointed backwards.
Lean into it a bit to increase the intensity
Now, bend the wrists the other way, placing the backs of your hands down
Again, lean into it as much or as little as you’d like

4. Seeking out a Physical Therapist

As I stated before, self-stretching and mobilizing the arm, elbow, and wrist can be difficult at times. With the help of a professional, hands-on treatment coupled with tailored at-home exercises can be the most beneficial to this treatment.

So there you go- Hopefully, this cleared up any confusion about if you may or may not be suffering from tennis elbow.

P.S. If you want more help with easing this elbow pain, please fill out this form and make an inquiry about getting physical therapy.

Click Here To Make An Inquiry

March 2 2026

Fastest Way To Relieve Elbow Pain

alvin Bone Health 0

Whether you’re dealing with tendonitis, a golfer’s elbow, tennis elbow, or any other names for this general condition, having elbow and high forearm pain can interfere a lot in everyday life.

After all, elbows are involved every time you lift something and when it triggers a pain response every time, it can be really disheartening.

Try as you may, elbow pain can be very hard to get rid of.

“Believe me, I know”

I have patients come to my clinic after weeks, months, and sometimes even years of suffering from elbow pain.

Naturally, each case of elbow and forearm pain is different and needs to be addressed on an individual basis. But, there’s been one technique, in particular, that’s been very successful in easing and controlling pain in the lower arms.

Oftentimes, the solution to a big problem is right in front of you. You just haven’t thought to try it yet or you’ve simply just overlooked it.

Believe it or not, I’ve helped more people get rid of their elbow pain recently, just by having them stretch their shoulders!

As it turns out, most people don’t take the time to stretch or do any form of recovery work to maintain their mobility and range of motion. Problems quickly arise with this tightness and loss of mobility.

How Tight Elbows Could Be Causing You Problems

More often than not, when muscles become too tight, they often cause pain in that specific muscle itself. But sometimes, it can even cause pain on the opposite side of the body or in the opposing (antagonist) muscle group.

The pain can even show up downstream of the muscle, as is the case with elbow and high forearm pain.

In this case, the triceps become tight and begin to pull excessively on the lower arm bone. As a result, the elbow and forearm areas become extremely sore.

The natural reaction, since the back of the forearm hurts, is to start addressing the back of the forearm. Seems reasonable right? Doctors may even give you supports, wraps, and other bandages to reduce the pain in that area.

Unfortunately, this approach is only an attempt to address the symptoms of the injury, not the cause. And because of this, your results will probably be limited in how beneficial they are.

Do you have a tennis elbow? Watch this video for exercises to reduce pain

Plus, once you stop and remove the supports, the pain comes right back.

The fastest way to relieve elbow pain

If this is what you’ve experienced, I have two great tricep stretches that can be done on a regular basis. They only take a few minutes to do and will take care of that annoying, nagging elbow and forearm pain you’ve had to deal with for so long. These stretches are the fastest way to get rid of elbow pain.

Suggested stretches:

1. Triceps overhead static stretch
Sit in a chair or stand in a relaxed position with your back straight. Raise your left arm straight overhead, then bend it so your left hand is on the middle of your upper back. Your biceps and forearm should be touching. Reach over with your right arm and grasp your left elbow on the top so your right palm faces down. Pull the left elbow gently toward your right side until you feel a stretch. Hold for ten to 20 seconds and repeat on the other side.
2. Cross body stretch
Sit comfortably in a chair or stand with your back straight. Reach your left arm across your body, just under your chin at about shoulder level. Place your right hand on the outside of your left elbow and pull your left arm gently toward your right shoulder. Stop when you feel a stretch in your left triceps and hold for 20 seconds. Relax and repeat this stretch with your right arm.

To learn how to prevent elbow pain. Click here.

Naturally, this is one of the many things that can be done for elbow pain. I know in my career, I’ve successfully corrected elbow/ forearm pain in many different ways and I’d love to share them with you.

If your elbow pain persists, try out one of my free 20-minute discovery visits!

Click Here To Arrange Your FREE Discovery Visit

February 25 2026

Why does my ankle Pain Keep coming back?

alvin Bone Health 0

Here’s my latest post on why your ankle pain keeps coming back and how to ease it

The Achilles tendon sits at the back of your heel and is also the thickest tendon in your body. A lot of the time if someone asks about ankle pain, it tends to be related to this tendon.

In fact, this is a common question we get asked by patients visiting our clinic for the first time. Why does my Achilles pain keep coming back? In fact, a few weeks ago I had a new patient with that very same question.

The patient in question Is a frequent runner and needed to get fit for a sponsored run. Although he knew that he was “running” out of time, frustratingly hindered by this Achilles’ tendon pain that had stopped him from training.

He’s had 1-2 visits of physical therapy treatment in the past, some massage sessions here and there to ease the tendons. It worked for a while however shortly after the pain returned and he felt like he was back to square 1.

Sound familiar? I thought so!

The reason for this patient’s Achilles tendon pain coming back AND the reason for many individuals having recurrences of this pain is that the ROOT cause was not identified! In this case, the root cause was the patient’s foot position.

“But how can foot position affect your Achilles’ tendon?”, I hear you ask. Well, your feet are literally the foundations of your body, and as with the foundations of a house, if they are not strong, cracks will appear.

In the same way, if your feet are not in the correct position, more stress will be going through certain parts of your body (Achilles’ tendon) and you get pain.

It was identified through a thorough assessment that the patient was actually rolling over on one foot (foot arch dropped) too much.

When this happens the Achilles’ tendon is put under more stress over time, getting tighter and tighter and rubbing more and more behind the heel. Ultimately it becomes very sore!

It’s really no surprise that this pain kept coming back!! The root cause of this patient’s pain was corrected with prescription orthotics (customized insoles) being placed into each shoe, to lift the arch of the foot up.

A treatment plan was also designed to reduce the pain immediately, get the patient stronger, more flexible and ensure they can run without fear of this coming back again.

So make sure to have YOUR root cause identified so that you can get back to all activities comfortably and worry-free!

Download Your Free Foot & Ankle Pain Guide

February 25 2026

What Actually Is Bursitis?

alvin Bone Health 0

I have recently been seeing quite a few clients suffering from bursitis, but very few actually know what bursitis is.

Now to understand a little about bursitis and why people get it you first need to know exactly what a bursa is.

A bursa is a fluid-filled sac (think of them as tiny cushions), that sits underneath tendons/bones to stop the two from rubbing together. Tendons are the anchor of a muscle that firmly fix it to a bone.

The tendons are very strong and therefore are under a lot of stress almost like a guitar string, therefore a bursa is necessary to ensure the tendon doesn’t always run on the bone.

I’m sure you have all seen the films where the hero is dangling on an old rope desperately trying to climb to the top of the cliff whilst the rope gradually frays off the edge of the cliff.

Well, this is exactly what would happen to the tendon if the bursae were not there to reduce this friction….So they are pretty important!. As the tendon continually rubs against the bursae during repetitive activities it can become inflamed (swollen) and this can, in turn, cause pain and discomfort.

The most common type of bursitis that I have been seeing the clinic over the last few weeks is trochanteric bursitis, this is actually the bursae that sits on the outside of the hip.

If you feel down to the top of your side pockets you will feel a large bony area that sticks out slightly, this is known as the greater trochanter of the hip.

This is simply an area where lots of muscle tendons anchor, similar to a limpet attaching itself firmly onto a rock in a rock pool. Sitting just underneath these tendons is the trochanteric bursae.

The holidays are just around the corner and many people are opting to try to lose a few pounds before the festivities begin, which means repetitive stress injuries such as bursitis can increase.

Going from doing nothing to running or cycling for hours, not adequately stretching, warming up, or cooling down can lead to muscles that are struggling with this increase in demand becoming tight, causing excess pressure on the bursae ultimately leading to pain (bursitis).

It is important for you to be properly assessed to determine whether or not it is bursitis that is causing you discomfort in this area.

There are various structures around this area and they need to be ruled out to identify the culprit for your discomfort so that it can be more effectively treated.

Signs of Bursitis can be:

Sharp or achy pain in the outside of your hip, (near your pocket).

Pain referring to the outside of your thigh.

Pain that is worse at night or aggravated when going from sitting to standing.

Although it can be hard to avoid bursitis occurring there are certain precautions that can be taken to help limit the chances of you developing one:

There are a few large and very powerful hip muscle tendons that pass over the trochanteric bursae therefore if any of these muscles become particularly tight, more pressure will be placed on the bursae so there will be more chance of developing bursitis.

Hip stretches particularly of the gluteal muscles and Iliotibial band can help to release this pressure.

Limit repetitive activities if you start to feel this discomfort, (aggravated by repetitive hip bending and extending motions e.g cycling, running, etc).

Icing the area can help to reduce the amount of swelling and reduce pressure on the bursae.

Physical Therapy:

Your physical therapist can fully assess to ascertain the exact nature of the injury and whether other structures could be involved that need attending to.

Physical therapy involving hands-on Deep tissue massage can help to loosen the muscles around the hip to take the stress off the bursae as well as other modalities that can help to ease bursitis.

Start the AZ “winter” as you want to finish it…. Fully fit!!.

February 11 2026

What Is a Strain Injury?

alvin Bone Health 0

Over the past month, we’ve been discussing common injuries of the elbow… and a lot of them tend to stem from a strain injury. So, what exactly is a ‘repetitive use injury? Many patients will come into our clinic with this type of injury and wonder “how” or “why”. Or when they have been told they have “tennis elbow” or “golfers elbow”, but are confused because they don’t play tennis or golf at all.

Causes of repetitive strain injury

You don’t even need to be an athlete to experience the symptoms of a repetitive use injury. Commonly, if you spend a lot of time working on a computer, gripping things throughout the day, or are even a car mechanic you can develop this type of injury.

Symptoms of repetitive strain injury

You can begin to experience tenderness, swelling, stiffness, and pain that’s mainly felt during the repetitive motion or action of the elbow or wrist.

Listen to this podcast to learn more about your bones and joints. Click here.

Preventing Repetitive strain injury

Well, the answer includes: resting, stretching, exercising, and awareness. Now, sometimes rest isn’t as simple as it sounds. Sometimes you cannot just completely stop what you’re doing, your sport, or even your work – because that’s your livelihood! But what you can do is allow yourself proper rest. Don’t spend the straight 8-10 hours on either of these activities.

Make sure that you schedule a few minutes of rest or stretching a couple of times per hour. This can include simply scooting back from the work that you are doing, stretch out your wrists and elbows, and maybe even massage the irritated area for a little while. Even though it is a short burst of rest…any rest counts.

Other ways to avoid repetitive use injuries include stretching, exercising, and awareness. Performing the proper stretches and exercises will help to improve the tone of the irritated muscles and fix any muscle imbalances that you may have.

Also, you want to be “aware”. Just how I explained in the paragraph before, you need to be aware of what you are doing or for how long you are doing the thing.

Also, be aware of your posture and positioning while doing whatever activity it is that you are doing. Make sure that you are not holding yourself in an awkward position, as this can place additional stress on the elbow or area of irritation.

Check out our website for more information on how we can help you. Click here.

Now, if you have any further questions about how to avoid an overuse injury, or if you think that these statements relate to something that you are experiencing, please contact our office to speak to a therapist. And if you’d like to find out the best stretches to relieve tight elbow pain, check out our latest technique video below:

Click Here To Arrange A FREE Telephone Consultation

February 11 2026

How Do You Prevent Elbow Pain?

alvin Bone Health 0

When considering joint health, there are several standouts that come to mind first, namely the shoulders, knees, and neck. One joint that is integral to a person’s functional ability, which is quite often overlooked, is the condition of your elbow health. The elbow is one of those things that tend to be taken for granted in the role it plays. From lifting a glass of water to the mouth, to being able to drive a car. Until you begin to notice elbow pain and it impacts your daily function.

What are Common Elbow Pains?

When it comes to elbow pain, there are different types that a person may feel often arising from repetitive motions, also called an “overuse injury”. Commonly, people struggle with tendinitis pain (i.e. golfers or tennis elbow, see our previous blog about these conditions if you would like more information). Though one more overlooked diagnosis is a nerve compression occurring at the elbow. This type of compression, typically of the ulnar nerve in the arm, can occur from repetitive motions. Think factory worker or mail sorting, or from actually compressing the elbow joint throughout the day. Think of working in an office with your elbows resting on the arm of your chair for hours each day.

Nerve compression pain can come on suddenly and disappear just as quickly throughout the day. People often referred to it as a “shock” from the elbow, possibly all the way down to the fingers. One might also experience nerve pain as different sensations. Including heat, cold, tingling, numbness, burning, and pins, and needles.

Did you know that strengthening your shoulders can improve your elbows? Click here to listen to this video.

How Do You Prevent Elbow Pain?

Elbow pain can be treatable and preventable. If you are suffering from elbow pain, just know that you don’t have to. There are several exercises, stretches, and adjustments that can be made to improve or even alleviate these types of symptoms. Foremost, getting in to see your physical therapist create a custom exercise program and hands-on treatment to treat the cause of your elbow pain or elbow nerve compression. If you are looking for immediate options for some relief before you have a chance to get to physical therapy. I encourage you to visit our technique videos on elbow stretches. As well as strengthening techniques to prevent such injuries from exacerbating or recurring in the future.

Now, if you have any further questions about how to avoid an overuse injury, or if you think that these statements relate to something that you are experiencing, please contact our office to speak to a therapist. And if you’d like more information on how physical therapy could benefit you, check out our free report where we go over the 47 most FAQs about Physical Therapy:

Get Your FREE Physical Therapy FAQs Report

February 9 2026

Achilles Tendonitis? Why You Can’t IGNORE It

alvin Bone Health 0

The Achilles tendon is a specialized material located at the back of the leg. It connects your calf muscle to your heel and is a visible cord just behind the ankle. It is largely responsible for our speed and power through the legs. Achilles tendonitis is a common injury among the mid-’30s to mid-50-year-old athletes.

When you find yourself with Achilles tendon problems you should NOT “work” through the pain. This increases the likelihood of a total tear, will delay recovery, and may permanently affect athletic performance (for any running, jumping, or direction-changing sports…. Like tennis, pickleball, basketball, etc).

Too many people wait weeks and months thinking it will go away on its own. Putting themselves at risk of a full tear which requires surgery and months of rehab. When inflamed, the Achilles tendon loses some of its elasticity making it easier to tear. When you take into account the age group and how one’s feet may have a poor blood supply, this makes the issue worse.

If you are suffering from Achilles pain you have to remember there are two types of injury to this area that respond to different types of treatment. One is called insertional Achilles tendonitis and the other is called mid-belly Achilles tendonitis. Insertional Achilles tendonitis is located right on the heel bone behind the ankle.

Mid-belly Achilles tendonitis is found in the middle one-third of the tendon measuring from the insertion to the heel taper of the calf muscle. Getting the right diagnosis significantly improves your chances for a fast and safe return to activity.

Here are 3 Things You Can do to Avoid Tearing Your Achilles Tendon.

Longer Warm-Up Period

Prior to the activity, it becomes more important to improve the elasticity of the Achilles tendon. Inflammation makes the tendon more rigid. As a result, you need to spend more time with light dynamic stretches and movements that include ankle movement with the knee bent and with it straight like you see in this video. Since most Achilles tendon tears occur when the muscles are not warmed up along their full range of motion. I’ve had patients tear it stepping off a curb wrong, and even turning to rebound a basketball for their son after getting home from work. whatever you can do to keep the calf muscle and Achilles tendon warm before going into a quick move will help.

If those movements are painful, back off and start on a stationary bike for 10 minutes. Work intervals on the bike go from lower intensity for 15-30 seconds and then higher intensity for 10-15 seconds. Eventually, you should be able to do 30-45 seconds of high intensity and only 15-20 seconds of low intensity.

Stretches throughout the day

Throughout the day we often get in a rut of doing the same movements that don’t support our recovery effort and can even put us at risk for a spontaneous tear. Break that routine up and include light dynamic and static stretches 3-5 times a day with no pain. In this video, you can see how tight your ankle and calf muscles are and then perform the stretches at the end of the video 3-5 times a day to improve the length of your stiff Achilles tendon. Be sure to take note of your foot position. You want to make sure the toes are pointing straight ahead. If you want to change it up a little you can angle your toes inward as long as you avoid allowing them to migrate outward.

Choose the Correct Footwear

Footwear options for work have a lot more flexibility than ever before. Try to avoid shoes that are heeled and restrict your ankle movement but instead choose to wear low tops and flats. Avoid wearing boots, high tops, or high heels. By wearing low-top flats you will allow for a natural stretch to the Achilles throughout the day. This will help your Achilles to stay elastic and help avoid shortening of the calf muscles.

What Can Physical Therapy Do For You?

When we treat patients suffering from Achilles pain, the first thing we do is to identify what type of injury that you have. The wrong treatment can make things worse. Knowing if ankle stiffness, weak hamstrings, tight calves, tight plantar fascia, high arches, low arches, and any number of combinations therein will determine the kind of treatment we prescribe. Once we identify the type and cause of the pain our treatments will include a combination of hands-on treatments and exercise. Hands-on treatments can include joint mobilizations to loosen stiff joints, instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, and dry needling to influence the flexibility of the muscles and improve the mobility of the fascia. If you have any more specific questions, click the link below to schedule a phone consult.

Click Here To Arrange A FREE Telephone Consultation

February 5 2026

How To Prevent Elbow Pain With Pickleball or Tennis

alvin Bone Health 0

Getting relief from irritating elbow pain that extends all the way down to your wrists and hands and be very scary to deal with. Inflammation can occur when obvious stress or overuse is noticeable.

To prevent elbow pain when playing pickleball or any other racquet sport you should take a look at your swing form for the reasons listed below.

If you get repeated inflammation in the joint then you may have technical issues in your swing causing you pain.

Not hitting the correct spot on the racquet face
Gripping the racquet too tightly
Not following through on your swing

Correcting these reasons can help you to increase the efficiency of your swing and cut back on elbow pain or injury while playing pickleball.

The elbow joint is a hinge joint that provides stability when performing activities. The hinge joint allows the elbow to bend. The muscles that go across your elbow help with extension, flexion, supination, and pronation.

What Causes Elbow Pain?

Elbow pain can be caused by many different things. When playing pickleball or any racquet sport where you extend your elbow causing the tendon to become inflamed and swollen.

This condition develops because of the repetitive motion of the muscles when performing certain tasks.

Other activities beyond racquet sports can cause you to have the same elbow pain. Many assembly line workers, chefs, dentists, plumbers, landscapers, and musicians are more likely to get tennis elbow.

Looking to strengthen your elbow? Watch how to do this exercise from a certified PT.

What are the symptoms of elbow pain?

Some signs of elbow pain include pain on your outer elbow that may travel to your wrist, pain when bending your arm such as opening a jar, stiffness when extending the arm, tender elbow joint, or a weakened grip when holding items.

This pain can be identified with direct pressure over the outside area of the elbow called the lateral epicondyle. This is where the extensor tendons are responsible for pulling our wrist and fingers back, gripping and grasping, and for producing a powerful backhand swing in pickleball insert into the bone. Repeated use of these muscles can slowly cause a breakdown and associated bone ache pain.

More often than not you will not need surgery to fix your elbow pain, however, some may need to check with their doctor if symptoms continue to worsen.

How can I prevent tennis elbow?

When playing any racquet sport make sure to check your equipment so it properly fits you and your skill level.

DID YOU KNOW? Stiff or loose-strung racquets may reduce stress on your forearm. Lighter racquets with a larger grip size will help to reduce strain on the tendons.

Making sure to always warm-up and stretch is important when wanting to prevent injury. Taking breaks between matches may also prevent injuries, giving your muscles time to recover.

Doing forearm exercises can help to strengthen your arm and in the end prevent tennis elbow.

Having Elbow pain? Find out how we can help you.

Shoulder weakness can contribute to elbow pain. If the rotator cuff muscles responsible for external rotation are weak, it will cause increased load from the backhand stroke to transfer into the elbow and begin to irritate the extensor tendons of the elbow. Learn more about shoulder injuries and what to do about them here.

How can physical therapy help my elbow pain?

Elbow pain can be treatable and preventable. If you are suffering from elbow pain, just know that you don’t have to.

There are several exercises, stretches, and adjustments that can be made to improve or even alleviate these types of symptoms.

Foremost, getting in to see your physical therapist creates a custom exercise program and hands-on treatment to treat the cause of your elbow pain or elbow nerve compression.

If you are looking for immediate options for some relief before you have a chance to get to physical therapy.

I encourage you to visit our technique videos on elbow stretches. As well as strengthening techniques to prevent such injuries from exacerbating or recurring in the future.

Feeling like you’re ready to try out physical therapy. Click the link below to sign up for your free discovery visit.

February 5 2026

Elbow Pain? 3 Simple Exercises for Elbow Pain Relief

alvin Bone Health 0

Elbow Pain is very common and frustrating to treat because of how nagging the pain can be. This blog post will introduce you to the necessary anatomy, and break down the symptoms and conditions normally experienced with pain associated with the elbow.

The Anatomy of the elbow

The elbow is made up of three bones: the humerus, ulna, and radius. It is known as a hinged joint which allows you to bend and twist your forearm. Cartilage allows the joints to move against one another very easily and absorb shock that may otherwise hurt your elbow.

The tendons in your elbow attach muscle to bone. One of those tendons of the elbow is the bicep tendon.

This tendon is important because it connects to the bicep muscle on the front of your arm and the tricep tendon on the back of your arm.

On the inside of your arm just above the elbow are the muscles that straighten your fingers and wrist come together. These tendons are important because they are common locations of tendonitis.

Three primary nerves start at the shoulder. They are known as the radial nerve, the ulnar nerve, and the median nerve. These nerves signal your muscles to work and give the signal of touch, pain, and temperature.

Symptoms of elbow pain

Elbow pain can come with different types of elbow pain depending on the area and condition of your elbow.

Some symptoms can be a dull ache, pain when making a fist, soreness around the bump of your elbow, weak grip, popping of the elbow, swelling, redness, and decreased range of motion.

If you’re struggling with these symptoms or similar, seek medical advice from your doctor for your next health steps.

Conditions

Elbow pain can be a symptom of many conditions such as bursitis, osteoarthritis, and a golfer’s elbow.

Bursitis

Bursitis is when swelling around your elbow joint occurs. This swelling can be painful and the first sign of bursitis is swelling at the elbow. Bursitis occurs when the bursa sac around your tendon gets irritated from overuse or trauma.

Bursitis is common in people who require to be on their hands and knees a lot of leaning on their elbows.

Athletes or hobbies that require you to do repetitive motions with your arms can increase pressure and the likelihood of getting bursitis.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a very common condition we see at Preferred Physical Therapy. This occurs when the cartilage of the elbow is worn out or damaged.

This condition can occur because of a previous injury such as a fracture or dislocation. It commonly occurs due to normal wear and tears and from age and activity.

Some common symptoms of osteoarthritis are pain and loss of range of motion. Your elbow may start to lock up more and you may feel the loss of the normal smooth joint surface.

Golfer’s Elbow

Golfer’s elbow is a condition where the tendons of the forearm muscles attach to the bump inside your elbow. This pain may spread into your forearm and wrist.

A golfer’s elbow is similar to a tennis elbow as it occurs outside the elbow. This condition is not limited to golfers. Some symptoms of this condition are pain, tenderness, stiffness, weakness, and tingling.

3 exercises for elbow pain

3-way bicep curl

To help reduce elbow pain you can try this 3-way bicep curl. This is a great exercise to help strengthen the bicep.

This will also help with elbow flexion. The first is a normal bicep curl. Keep your elbow pinned to your side and bring your arm all the way up to the shoulder.

The second way is to have your thumb facing upward on the dumbbell, still keeping your shoulder pinned to your side.

Going up and down in a controlled manner. The third way is going to be having your palm facing down.

Do ten of each being 30 total. If you want to use any weight dumbbell, make sure you don’t start off with too much weight. Follow the video for visual instructions on how to perform this exercise.

3 Way Bicep Curl To Reduce Elbow Pain | Technique Tuesday

Post-Workout Elbow Stretch

If you’re experiencing pain on the inside or the outside then this stretch is for you to help reduce the pain in your elbow. You want to place your hand on the wall straight out. This is to stretch the elbow flexors.

To stretch the elbow extenders place your wrist down while not putting too much pressure on your wrist. Watch the video for a demonstration of the stretch.

Post Workout Elbow stretch

Tennis elbow stretch

This exercise is for the outside of your elbow. This will help strengthen your elbow when you’re playing racquet sports.

Lay your arm on a table holding some sort of weight. With your palm facing down while holding weight, have your wrist leaning off the surface so you are able to move your wrist up and down slowly. For a demonstration of this exercise watch the video below.

Tennis elbow stretch

Key takeaways

Elbow pain can come with different types of elbow pain depending on the area and condition of your elbow.

Some symptoms can be a dull ache, pain when making a fist, soreness around the bump of your elbow, weak grip, popping of the elbow, swelling, redness, and decreased range of motion.

The elbow is made up of three bones: the humerus, ulna, and radius. It is known as a hinged joint which allows you to bend and twist your forearm.

Cartilage allows the joints to move against one another very easily and absorb shock that may otherwise hurt your elbow. Elbow pain can be a symptom of many conditions such as bursitis, osteoarthritis, and a golfer’s elbow.

A great way to diminish your elbow pain is through physical therapy. Physical therapy helps you to eliminate pain, increase range of motion, increase mobility, and recover from an injury or surgery.

At Preferred Physical Therapy in Glendale, Arizona we specialize in helping people 40 and above stay active and independent, live free from painkillers and avoid surgery.. Even if you’ve had pain for years. Our physical therapists get down to the root cause of your pain to help eliminate that pain for good.

To learn more about us and our story follow this link.

You get attention from your physical therapists and exercises to help your specific need.

You are monitored at all times by the physical therapists and patient care specialists to guide you the whole time you are here to make sure you are getting the benefits of doing the exercises correctly.

Does this sound like what you’re looking for? Sign up for a free discovery visit and our front desk team will give you a call to go over what is going on and how we can help you live pain-free again.