Posted by Stephen Messineo on Tue, May 05, 2009 @ 08:58 AM
With the arrival of spring there are many outdoor activities that we prepare to participate in throughout the spring and summer. These include but are not limited to baseball, softball, golf, tennis, gardening, horseshoes, bocce, bags (or whatever backyard lawn sport you enjoy), and fishing. All of these activities require use of our shoulders and elbows. So, around this time of year, we start to notice an increased incidence of shoulder and elbow tendonitis injuries (along with a variety of other injuries stemming from these activities which I will discuss at another time.) Tendonitis is an irritation of the muscle tendon where it attaches to a particular bone. The irritation, swelling, and pain are due to added stress to the tendon due to a particular activity or several activities.
Tendonitis injuries to the shoulder and elbow stemming from the activities mentioned above can be avoided by performing some simple stretching and strengthening exercises using thera-band (which you can always purchase from us if you can’t find it in the stores) or hand weights. I have included pictures below of 4 stretching and 2 strengthening exercises for the shoulder and elbow that will help you avoid tendonitis onset as you get involved with your spring and summer activities. These 6 exercises should take you no longer than 15-20 minutes at a time to do. For the two theraband exercises, you should try 2 sets of 10 reps each. For the 4 stretch exercises, you should hold each stretch gently (no pain) for 20-30 seconds each and repeat 2 -3 times.
Of course, if you do develop a tendonitis injury of the shoulder or elbow, please give us a call. You will want to address this type of injury sooner than later when it occurs, even if you only view it as a nuisance when you first develop it. As tendonitis injuries get worse, they become more debilitating. Furthermore, if you let the injury go to long, it becomes that much harder to rehabilitate and can occasionally lead to a tendon tear that requires surgery to repair. So if you or someone you know has developed tendonitis in their elbow or shoulder, please call or have them call for an appointment with us sooner than later.
Finally, if you would like more information on exercises that will help you prevent tendonitis injury onset, call our new All-Access Fitness Academy (508-845-6738) and schedule an assessment session with one of our Strength and Conditioning Specialists. You do not have to be a member to schedule an assessment, and you will walk away with an increased understanding of the types of exercises you should be doing to avoid tendonitis injuries. This will allow you to stay active this spring and summer without worry.