Exercises / Forearm & wrist
Wrist extension with a dumbbell
- Tendon loading
- Forearm & wrist
- Light dumbbell, Table
Lifting and slowly lowering a weight with the palm down loads the wrist extensors, the muscles involved in lateral elbow tendinopathy.
Also called reverse wrist curl, wrist extensor strengthening.
Where you stand
No published distribution for this exercise yet. We add one only from a peer-reviewed study.
Muscles worked
- Extensor carpi radialis brevis
- Extensor carpi radialis longus
- Extensor carpi ulnaris
- Extensor digitorum
Filled: primary. Outlined: secondary.
How much
Common clinical dose: 3 sets of 10-15 slow repetitions daily, with mild pain acceptable if it settles by the next day.
Start: Sitting, forearm on a table, palm down
Steps
- Rest the forearm on a table with the hand over the edge, palm down, holding a light dumbbell.
- Lift the back of the hand up as far as comfortable.
- Lower slowly over about 3-4 seconds. Use the other hand to help lift if the lowering phase is the focus.
Cues
- Forearm stays flat on the table
- Slow on the way down
Common mistakes
- Lifting the forearm off the table
- Using a weight that causes sharp pain
Used for
- Lateral elbow tendinopathy
- Wrist extensor strengthening
Take care (1)
- Pain should not keep rising from week to week; reduce the load if it does.
Evidence (1)
- Programmes that included eccentric wrist extensor exercise improved pain, function and grip strength more than programmes without it.3
Harder
References (3)
- Dalley AF, Agur AMR. Wolters Kluwer. Moore's Clinically Oriented Anatomy. 9th ed.
- Neumann DA. Elsevier. Kinesiology of the Musculoskeletal System: Foundations for Rehabilitation. 3rd ed.
- Cullinane FL, Boocock MG, Trevelyan FC. Clin Rehabil. 2014;28(1):3-19. Is eccentric exercise an effective treatment for lateral epicondylitis? A systematic review