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[MUSIC PLAYING] Tendonitis is an inflammatory condition of the tendon due to overuse or
trauma. There's typically some degree of microtearing within the tendon, which leads to the inflammatory
cycle.
Common symptoms of tendonitis are pain at the elbow, either on the inside or the outside
of the elbow, with lifting, gripping, carrying activities, even with opening doors or opening
or closing jars or other containers.
Tendonitis is caused by overusing the arm with gripping or lifting activities, or other
things like golf or tennis, where there's actually too much stress on the tendon where
the microtrauma has occurred. And that then leads to the inflammatory cycle.
Treatment for an elbow tendonitis would initially involve resting, icing, and potentially taking
some anti-inflammatory medications, along with potentially bracing the site to allow
for rest of the area for two to three weeks. After a period of two to three weeks of rest
to allow the initial recovery, we would want to start stressing the tendon gently. We would
perform some gentle stretches in order to do that.
One stretch you would perform would be to bring the arm down like this, in order to
stretch the top part of the forearm muscles. We would perform 30 second stretches, two
to three repetitions.
And we could also perform a stretch with palm up, bringing the arm down like this, to stretch
this side of the musculature. We would perform, again, two to three repetitions for 30 second
stretches. These stretches should be performed two to three times a day in a completely pain
free range of motion.
Once we've started some pain free stretching, we can also starting stressing the tendons
in a pain free way also. We could start performing some wrist extension exercises. We could perform
10 to 15 repetitions, two to three sets. Again, also in a completely pain free range of motion.
We can also perform wrist flexion. 15 repetitions, two to three sets, completely pain free. And
then we can also hold the dumbbell on the end, and bring the arm down this way and this
way. These should be performed one time per day, two to three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions,
all maintaining pain free range.
When we start the resistance exercises, a very light level of resistance should be used.
One to three pounds maximum should be used. And then you can progress up from there, once
you can achieve two to three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions completely pain free.
Finally, some light gripping exercises could be incorporated. These gripping devices can
be purchased at any local sporting goods store. These gripping exercises should be performed
one time a day for one to three minutes at a time in a completely pain free movement.
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