Exercises & stretching
for elbow pain

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Benefits of exercise for elbow pain

Staying active is one of the most helpful things you can do for most types of elbow pain, including tendon irritation on the inside or outside of the elbow. Movement supports blood flow, reduces stiffness, and helps tissues tolerate daily tasks like gripping and lifting.

Guidelines show that graded exercise is more effective than rest for improving strength and long-term recovery in tendon-related elbow pain¹. Research also shows that most people improve with consistent, guided movement rather than avoiding activity².

Light exercise can also help you feel more confident using your arm again, which is an important part of healing.

Good exercises for elbow pain

Not every exercise is right for every person. If a movement causes sharp pain or new symptoms, stop and consult a medical provider.

1. Prayer position

Why it helps: Eases pain and activates the tendon without overload.

How to do it: Start with the palms of your hands together in front of your face, elbows to the side. Then, lower your hands and raise your elbows, as much as possible, without separating the palms. Hold the position for as long as you can.Repeat 4–5 times, once or twice daily.

2. Slow wrist extension strengthening

Why it helps: Strengthens the muscles that help you grip and lift, which reduces stress on the elbow over time¹.

How to do it: Stand tall with your hands on your hips. Gently arch backward within a comfortable range, pause briefly, then return to upright. Repeat several times throughout the day.

3. Wrist deviations

Why it helps: Improves comfortable movement and decreases stiffness.

How to do it: Start with your elbow bent and palm of your hand facing inwards. Then, tilt your wrist up and down, as much as possible through a pain-free range. Move slowly and avoid forcing the motion. Perform 3 sets of 10–15 reps, once daily.

Helpful stretches for elbow pain

1. Wrist extensor stretch

How it helps: Helps ease tightness on the outer forearm.

How to do it: Extend your arm in front of you with your palm down. Use your other hand to gently bend the wrist downward until a stretch is felt.

2. Wrist flexor stretch

How it helps: Reduces strain on the inner elbow.

How to do it: Extend your arm with your palm up. Gently pull your fingers back toward your body.

3. Forearm rotational stretch

How it helps: Supports comfortable twisting movements.

How to do it: Bend your elbow at 90 degrees and keep it tucked in against your side. Then, slowly rotate your palm up and down through a comfortable range.

4. Triceps stretch

How it helps: Helps reduce pulling on the back of the elbow, especially if the area feels stiff.

How to do it: Lift your arm overhead and bend the elbow so your hand reaches toward your upper back. Use your other hand for a gentle stretch.

Did you know?

Digital care programs can help people stay consistent with exercise, which is one of the strongest predictors of recovery. In a large high quality study from Sword Health, people with chronic musculoskeletal pain showed high adherence and strong improvements with guided digital exercise programs⁴.

Most people with elbow tendon diseases also recover without surgery when they follow a structured exercise plan².

Exercises to avoid with elbow pain

Some movements can make elbow pain feel worse, especially early on. These are general guidelines.

Common triggers

Heavy gripping or lifting, especially with the elbow straight.
Fast, repetitive wrist movements, like heavy typing or tool use.
Throwing motions if you have inner-elbow pain.
Deep elbow bending for long periods, which may irritate an important arm nerve (cubital nerve)

These movements load sensitive tissues more aggressively. Clinical guidelines suggest using a gradual, tolerable loading plan instead of high-stress activities during flares^{1 2}.

Remember, these are not strict rules. You can reintroduce these movements as your symptoms improve.

Clinical insight

Clinical guidelines recommend starting with graded exercise instead of resting the elbow completely. Controlled loading helps tendons heal and improves strength, which leads to better long-term outcomes than passive treatments or inactivity¹.

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Footnotes

Lucado AM et al. Lateral Elbow Pain Clinical Practice Guideline. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2022.

NICE Clinical Knowledge Summary. Tennis Elbow. 2024.

Singh D et al. Medial Tendinopathy Review. Br J Sports Med. 2023.

Sword Health Internal Study – Chronic Shoulder Pain Digital Program RCT, 2023.