If you’re a die-hard tennis player, then there is no need of any introduction as to how painful a Tennis Elbow can be as the incidence of having one yourself is quite high! While the name might suggest that the condition is restricted to only tennis players, but such is not the case! This painful, inflammatory condition can happen to anyone due to over strain of the tendons near the elbow.

What Is Tennis Elbow?

Tennis elbow, medically termed Lateral epicondylitis is a form of tendonitis that is primarily depicted by an inflammation or irritation of the thick bands or tendons that attaches the bones to the muscles in the elbow area. This musculoskeletal condition chiefly degenerates the tendons that help in stretching and pulling your wrists and turning your forearms thus limiting the normal activity of an individual ensuing intense pain and discomfort during flexion, and extension motion of the forearms.

Also Read: Tennis Elbow: Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

While athletes who play sports such as tennis, golf, squash, padel or baseball or those who are into weightlifting, painting, knitting or typing may endure this type of injury, it is also commonly noticed in those who put repetitive and continuous stress on their elbow joints throughout their daily lives leading to minute tears in the tendons. But the good news is that, although an extremely painful condition, one doesn’t require the need of a surgery for treating tennis elbow. While prescribed anti-inflammatory or pain-relieving medications surely help mitigate the pain, but if you want a holistic approach in healing your Tennis Elbow pain naturally, there is nothing better than Yoga.

Also Read: Repetitive Strain Injury: Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

How Does Yoga Help In Tennis Elbow?

Yoga is an ancient non-invasive form of treatment that involves gentle stretching and strengthening postures alongside breath control, and meditation, that not only improves strength, flexibility, and balance of the overall body but also mitigates stress, relieves pain from the bodily muscles and induces relaxation.

Well, if you get a green signal from your treating doctor regarding the practice of Yoga, get help from a trained instructor to practice the following proven yoga poses to help manage the pain due to Tennis elbow in no time.

(Note: Ensure to avoid certain poses that require you to balance your full weight onto your hands with your wrists and elbows in extension)

Yoga Postures To Heal Tennis Elbow

Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

Lie on tummy and keep your arms by the sides of your chest. Place your legs hip-width apart. Now, press against the floor, and arch up your upper body from the hips, by straightening your hands. Extend your body till you can head and chest faces the front. Keep your pelvis touched to the ground at all times, your shoulders relaxed and pressed down, stomach stretched and chest puffed out. Inhale and hold the pose for 5-7 breaths. Exhale and come back to the lying posture.

Benefits:

Cobra pose is extremely beneficial for your arms and wrist muscles, joints, and nerves. It gives your arms both a dynamic and static stretch. Practicing it routinely actively helps you create synchronization between your wrists and elbows while subduing the pain. Additionally, it is pivotal for increasing the flexibility and stretching out the muscles of the upper and lower back, and even helps in ridding the extra fat around the tummy.

Tadasana ( Mountain Pose)

Stand tall and, raise both arms in front of you about the height of your shoulders. Interlock your fingers and, turn your wrists so that the palms are facing outward. Straighten your arms and extend it upward above your head. Feel a good stretch from your fingertips to the shoulder. Hold the stretch for 30 to 60 seconds, take a minute of break and continue 5 times.

Benefits:

Being one of the easiest yoga postures and an integral part of the Surya Namaskar, the mountain pose holds high importance in stretching all parts of the body. The elongation or stretch from the hip to the arms trigger posture pressure which in turn relieves pain from the elbow joints. It also makes the backbone more flexible, and fortifies the knees, thighs, and ankles.

Marjari-Bitilasana (Cat / Cow Pose)

Come on all fours while keeping your head upright. Breathe in  deeply and raise your chin while pushing your head a little bit. Keep your buttock muscles still and be in this posture for 30 seconds or as long as comfortable while breathing in and out deeply. Breathe out and arch your backbone upwards towards the sky. Loosen your buttock muscles and arch the spine as much as comfortably possible. Hold this stance for some time and repeat it 4 more times.

Benefits:

The Cat-Cow pose is like two sides of a yin-yan. It plays a key role in opening up the bodily channels, while boosting circulation, and mitigating painful conditions throughout the body. It also elicits a feeling of relaxation within the mind and body, relieving inflammation and swelling from all the tendons, joints and muscles.

Virabhadrasana (Warrior pose)

Stand straight with the legs 3 feet apart. Turn the left foot out by 90 degrees and right foot in by about 15 degrees. Lift both arms sideways to the height of shoulders with your palms facing up. See that your arms are horizontal to the floor. Now, while breathing out, bend your left knee and turn your head to your left. Make a gentle effort to thrust your pelvis down. Keep breathing normally as you go down. Next, while breathing in, come up and while breathing out, bring your arms down to either side of the body. Repeat it 5 times.

Benefits:

This pose strengthens the elbows, arms, thighs and lower back muscles. It is highly  beneficial for conditioning of the lower limb musculature and for improving balance and poise in the body. Regular practice help manage the discomfort due to tennis elbow. It

Trikonasana(Triangle Pose)

Stand erect while keeping your feet joined. Rest your arms on either side of the body. Now, gradually spread your legs apart and lift your left hand up. Breathe in and bend towards your right and balance by keeping the right palm on the floor. Incline your head upwards and fix your gaze on the left-hand fingertips and count up to 20. Repeat the posture on the left side as well. Take a minute of break and continue the entire posture for 4 more times.

Benefits:

The Triangle Pose is exemplary in strengthening the muscles of the arms, legs and chest. It not only improves blood flow in the arms, while mitigating pain from the tendons around the elbow but also aligns the spine, promotes equilibrium, rectifies the body posture and remedies overall stress.