Many people consider physical therapy penance they must perform until the doctor relents and brings in the “real” medicine, namely drugs or surgery. But physical therapy is real medicine. Here are just two of the many exercises that are used for shoulders and elbows/wrists. Rotator cuff injuries and tennis elbow seem to be the most common complaints that aging baby boomers have. If you notice that you tend to have problems in these areas, perform these exercises a few times a week and you should begin to notice some improvement.
Rotator and Scapular Squeezes (Shoulder)
Hold a stretch cord or band with both hands, a foot apart, keeping your upper arms against your sides and your forearms extended at right angles straight ahead. With your elbows fixed by your side, slowly extend your hands outward, hold several seconds, then return to the starting position. Concentrate on squeezing your shoulder blades together during the exercise. Do 15 reps daily, gradually working up to 30.
How this helps
For each muscle that moves us one way, an opposite muscle moves us the other. Repetitive exercises like swimming can lead to imbalances by strengthening one muscle more than the other. Stretch-cord “squeezes” help restore balance by working the external shoulder rotators and scapula stabilizers – key muscle groups that help stabilize that area and will keep your shoulders healthy.
Wrist Curls (Elbow)
Holding a 2 to 3 pound dumbbell or large can of soup, curl your wrist up and down. Go slowly, particularly while lowering – the “eccentric contraction” phase of the curl. This lengthens and strengthens the muscle. Repeat 30 times with your palm up. Rest a minute, then repeat 30 times with your palm down.
How this helps
Eccentric contractions prompt tendon-producing cells called tenocytes to deposit healthy replacement tendon fibers at the injured site.
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