User:LittleBabyGeorge/sandbox

Exercises for Elbow/Radioulnar Joint
The sole muscle that extends the elbow is the triceps brachii. The tip of the olecranon is where the triceps come together. The muscles that are in charge of flexing the elbow are the brachialis and the biceps brachii. The elbow/radioulnar joint is considered a third­class lever when flexed. If the distal radioulnar joint is subluxed or dislocated, whether by a fracture or ligament injury can be painful and often lead to disability. In any case, it is important to get the patient/athlete into rehabilitation as soon as possible.

There are many exercises that can be performed in order to strengthen these muscles before any injury and also in a rehabilitation setting. The following are pictures of example exercises to strengthen the arm muscles for the elbow and radioulnar joint:

The Bench Dip (triceps)
As shown in figure 1, patient should place hands on edge of bench and bend elbow joint to “dip” down, making sure to hold the shoulder girdle in place. For greater intensity, feet can be placed on another bench or chair. Figure 1   http://everkinetic.com/

Barbell Curls (biceps)
As shown in figure 2, with arms in supine position and resistance from barbell, patient should contract biceps. Figure 2 http://everkinetic.com/

Preacher Curl (brachialis)
As shown in figure 3, patient will use a preacher bench to help in isolation of brachialis muscle while arms are in the supine position, being provided resistance by weights. Figure 3          http://everkinetic.com/ Following surgery an exercise regimen will be determined individually based on professionals evaluation. Programs for rehabilitating the elbow is inclusive of hand rehabilitation as well as the shoulder complex. Following elbow surgery, one must begin with minimal exercises in order to reduce the risk of injury. A stress ball or putty can be used in the initial stages of grip strengthening, tolerable elbow flexion and extension, wrist curls and reverse wrist curls are another exercise that can progressively be used. Wrist curls can be performed initially without weight and then adding 1 lb. dumbbells after about a week. ===Wrist Curls Exercise=== As shown in figure 4, this exercise can also be performed sitting with forearm resting on thigh while also using bands to provide resistance. The patient must curl up only moving the wrist. Figure 4    (shown in supination) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Internal/External Rotation Exercise
The shoulder helps support the movement of the elbow. Make sure to adjust the cable or band to height of elbow. Patient must keep elbow against side of their body. Ensuring that the elbow is at a 90% angle, they must reach the lower arm across body. Perform the same action for external rotation only patient must start with arm across body and pull band/cable away from body as shown in figure 5. Figure 5 http://everkinetic.com/ One of the best rehab settings is in an aquatic setting. Water resistance promotes strength and has three primary reasons that attribute to it. Accommodating resistance, variable resistance, and the lack of restriction of the direction of strength­training.

Aquatics Strength Training and/or Rehabilitation (use water weights)
Figure 6 wikipedia commons Water exercises, like the ones shown in figure 6, allow for minimal joint pressure and allows the resistance to adjust depending on the force used against the water. This helps to decrease the risk of reinjury and is also conducive to maintaining strength and joint mobility.