Question
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Chiropractors-965/2009/9/Elbow-1.htm

Victor,

Thanks for the great advice.

I recently went to an Orhtopedic and had my elbow xrayed.  Though the doc told me there shouldn't be any concerns about my elbow, he did mention that my ulna and radius are a little to close to each other and is probably what causing the grinding noise in my elbow, especially when pronating.

He also said to just go back to my normal activities, but just put a brace.  

My question is, are there exercises I can perform at home to help my condition?  I've been doing rubber band therapy for a week or so, and wanted to know if i should continue, or expand.  I am focusing on wrist exercises as well as triceps.  I am also taking chondroitin/glucosamine supplements.

Any thoughts?  You can send me an email directly if you wish.

Answer
Hello again Jan,


I do hope the previous advice helped out a bit.

I am glad you went to the orthopedic and had an examination and Xray.

I am a BIG advocate of asking questions.  I do not mind when my patients ask me questions, it makes me think, makes me give my rationale for diagnosis, treatment, prognosis.  Sometimes THEIR questions help MW develop a new line of thinking on their complaints!

In that spirit of learning, spirit of questioning,,,,
Your Xray shows a Radius and Ulna that are; '...too close together...', so let us place a brace...

Did you follow up with any questions?  If your radius/ ulna are too close together already,,,,
will the brace bring them into closer proximity?, will the brace help separate these bones?
Do you need the brace due to muscular imbalance, tendon involvement, ligament laxity???
Ask questions....

You are doing 'rubber band therapy'.  There are many many maneuvers/ exercises to perform with rubber bands- whether the little kind we use at our writing desk, or big physical therapy rubber bands, or rubber surgical tubing.  If you would like,,, you could recontact me here at     
http://allexperts.com/ep/965-100794/Chiropractors/Victor-Dolan-DC-DACBSP.htm    
allexperts and be more descriptive if you see the need to.

On your exercises:   "... I am focusing on wrist exercises as well as triceps....";  I do like
that it seems you are working on extension exercises.  So much that we do in regular every day life- our activities of daily living- usually stress flexion.  For instance: opening a door- we FLEX our fingers/ hand to grasp the doorknob, open the door;  opening a jar= flexion;  hugging a spouse= flexion; lifting packages= flexion; flexion of our fingers/ wrist/ elbow/ shoulder.
              Sometimes we see someone 'rehabbing' an injury and they carry around a rubber ball and are squeezing it all the time,,,, squeeze = flexion.  IF all we do is flexion, we build into the joint, we build into the system an imbalance.  In rehabilitation: balance is a key; therefore some extension exercises probably should be brought into play.  You say 'rubber band', wrist/ tricep exercises, so I am thinking of EXTENSION rather than flexion, and I think you are doing the correct thing.
              A frequent finger/ wrist/ forearm exercise that I recommend in my office is: wrap the fingers with the rubber band, and then open (extend) the fingers/ thumb against that resisitance.  This exercise can be done with all 5 fingers, any combination of 2, 3, 4, fingers.
Of course, working the tricep means you are working extension at the elbow.

Some elbow exercise demonstrations:
http://www.tenniselbownow.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/xtennise.gif

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_R0-WVJyIEHo/SeX8UYWBjwI/AAAAAAAAAPE/xmeV-Ts7YQg/s400/e...

http://www.healthyexerciseworld.com/images/exercises-tennis-elbow-22-a.jpg

http://www.healthyexerciseworld.com/images/exercises-tennis-elbow-22-b.jpg

http://content.revolutionhealth.com/contentimages/nr551683.jpg

http://www.wristpainadvice.co.uk/wristexcersise.jpg


"....I am also taking chondroitin/glucosamine supplements......",  I am glad you are taking the Glucosamine supplement- this will help long term.

Thanks for the question.

Good Luck from your Staten Island Chiropractor.

Dr. Victor Dolan, DC, DACBSP
Email newsletter . . . . . http://drvictordolan.chiroweb.com