Wrist extensor stretch (tennis elbow stretch)

How to move

1. Stand or sit tall. Reach the sore arm straight out in front of you, a little below shoulder height, palm facing down.
2. Keep the fingers relaxed.
3. Put the other hand on the back of the sore hand and gently bend the wrist down until you feel a pull along the top of the forearm, towards the outside of the elbow.
4. Keep the elbow straight but not forced, and the shoulder relaxed down.
5. Hold for 30 seconds, breathing slowly, then release.
6. Repeat 3 times. For a stronger stretch, curl the fingers into a loose fist before bending the wrist down; for a gentler one, bend the elbow a little.

Form cues

• A pull along the forearm, not pain at the elbow.
• Breathe slowly and let the forearm relax into it.
• Avoid: bending the elbow or shrugging to escape the stretch, yanking on the fingers, locking the elbow hard, or holding your breath.

Practice and cautions

3 holds of 30 seconds, after the strengthening exercises, once or twice a day. This is the dose in an NHS Scotland tennis elbow exercise booklet; a UK consensus protocol also does 3 holds of 30 seconds before loading, and Versus Arthritis uses holds of 15 to 30 seconds, 3 times.

Ease off if it brings on tingling or numbness in the hand: that is a nerve, not a muscle. In the first irritable weeks keep the pull gentle. In one trial, stretching on its own did about as well as stretching plus strengthening at 6 weeks, but a guideline found no long-term advantage to stretching alone, so use it alongside strengthening, not as the whole programme. This is movement education, not an assessment or treatment prescription. Stop for sharp or increasing pain, dizziness, numbness or tingling; seek individual guidance for symptoms, injury or restrictions.