Elbow Fracture Exercises

Athletes such as skateboarders are particularly prone to elbow contact and thus often wear elbow pads for protection. Even if you aren't an athlete, you may slip and land on your elbow or perhaps just bang your elbow carelessly against a door frame. Regardless of how your elbow fracture occurs, you will need professional evaluation. Orthopedic doctors will treat your fracture by a surgical or non-surgical method. After treatment, you must complete the appropriate elbow exercises to regain full strength and extension.

Wrist Stretches

• To build up proper elbow strength and restore joint elasticity you will to need to exercise your arm muscles and wrist. Wrist stretches include flexor and extensor stretches and weight assisted wrist extensions. To perform the flexor stretch, place the palm of you affected hand against a wall. Make sure your arm is parallel to the ground with your elbow facing down and your up facing up. Lightly press your palm against the wall. If done correctly, you will feel the stretch in your forearm. In the early stages after elbow surgery or treatment perform this stretch by pressing down on the palm of your affected hand with your healthy hand. Both stretch methods will require you to stretch for up to five seconds and then relax. Repeat 10 times in a session, twice a day.

  Elbow extensor stretches are similar to flexor stretches. Extend your arm like you would for a flexor stretch, except this time your palm will face the ground. Rather than use the wall, rely only on your healthy hand. Press down on your knuckles so your hand is perpendicular to the ground. Again, you will feel a sensation in your forearm. Hold for up to five seconds and repeat 10 times in each session.

Muscle Stretches

• To perform a tricep stretch that will help to heal and strengthen your elbow region, put both hands on the back of your head with your elbows sticking out on the same plane as your head. Next, take your good arm off your head and use it to pull your injured arm towards your chest. If possible, hold your injured arm by the elbow for a maximum tricep stretch. However, if your injury prevents an elbow hold at first, grasp as close to the elbow as possible. Hold the stretch for five seconds and then release. Repeat 10 times in each session.

  For the bicep stretch, hold you injured arm out and parallel to the ground so that your arm and body form a right angle. Keep your palm faced towards the ceiling. With your arm still straight, reach behind your back as if trying touch your back with your thumb. Go as far back as you can and then hold for five seconds. Repeat 10 times, twice a day.

Weight Assisted Exercises

• Once you finish your initial healing process and your doctor tells you to begin more rigorous exercises, use weight assisted exercises to build back muscle mass near the injury sight and to restore full elbow functioning. To perform a weighted wrist extension lay your arm flat on a table with the forearm and wrist hanging off the end of the table. Hold you palm towards the ground and place a dumb bell in your hand. With your forearm firmly on the table, lift your injured hand upwards as if you were trying to touch the ceiling with your knuckles. Hold the stretch for 5 seconds and then release. Repeat 10 times.

  To perform a weighted bicep exercise, grab a weight with your injured hand and hold your arm straight out in front of you. Lift the weight towards your (same arm) shoulder until you feel the burn in you bicep. Hold for a second and then gradually lower the weight until your arm is stretched out in its initial position. Perform a set of 10 curls.

  With weighted exercises, your weight levels will increase as your elbow heals. Talk to your doctor or physical therapist about the right amount of weight for your particular injury. Initially, expect to use a one, two or four pound weight during exercises.