Elbow joint range deficits, causes:
Joint limitation of the elbow can be caused by a variety of factors, including injury, disease, joint or neurological disorders.
Fractures, dislocations, sprains and other acute traumatic injuries can cause damage to the bones, ligaments, tendons and soft tissues around the elbow, which can lead to limited range of motion.
After an injury or period of immobilization, the muscles and soft structures surrounding the elbow may become stiff and shortened, resulting in limited joint motion.
Degeneration of articular cartilage, due to degenerative processes such as osteoarthritis or arthritis, can cause pain and limitation of movement in different joints.
Bursitis (inflammation of the bursae, which are small fluid-filled sacs that cushion the joints) and nerve injuries may also be other possible causes of impaired elbow joint range.
Exercise ideas to recover elbow joint range of motion
Treatments to increase joint mobility generally include peripheral muscle strengthening activities and restoring flexibility to shortened tissues.
We must not forget that pain is a protective mechanism that invites us to immobility in order to restore the injury. However, after the period of immobilization prescribed by the medical specialist, it is important to start as soon as possible with gentle exercises to help restore flexibility and range of motion of the elbow.
Gentle mobilization exercises:
Elbow flexion extension and supination pronation movements can be exercised progressively:
- Without load, with the help of the physiotherapist or in the water, to work without gravity.
- Passive mobilizations of flexion – extension and prone – supination, to progressively increase joint range with the help of the therapist.
- Free exercises or self-assisted by the patient himself with the other hand, controlling his own painful limit.
Potentiation exercises for elbow joint range:
Strengthening the arm and forearm musculature will help restore mobility and protect the joint from future injury.
Exercises with distal load, progressive according to the patient’s previous physical condition. We can use different weights, weighted wrist straps, elastic bands, or our own body weight to strengthen our muscles.
It is not only important to strengthen the main muscles such as biceps or triceps, we must strengthen all the musculature of the affected upper limb. The shoulder, wrist or hand mobility may be affected, even if the primary injury was located at the elbow.
Functional activities:
The ultimate goal of the rehabilitation process is to restore the functionality of the upper limb in daily activities (personal autonomy, work, sports, leisure, etc.).
Las propias actividades de la vida diaria son parte del tratamiento, siempre y cuando el paciente sea consciente de involucrar en la tarea el miembro superior afectado. We can even go a step further and prioritize the involvement of that arm, even if it is not its dominant side.
Virtual reality exercises use simulated environments to stimulate mobility through gamification. In addition, the use of a specific program for physical rehabilitation, such as Rehametrics, will facilitate patient follow-up, since it performs automatic measurements and reports.
Pain control:
The limitation of elbow joint mobility can interfere with daily life, but of course the pain can become very disabling.
The application of cryotherapy (local cold), functional bandages, electrotherapy (ultrasound, shock waves…) and other physiotherapy techniques are frequently used for pain control.
Immersive virtual reality tasks allow us to treat kinesiophobia, the fear of movement. The patient is immersed in the exercise and is able to overcome his or her joint limitations by forgetting the pain.
