Rehabilitation of the Elbow in the Throwing Athlete (original) (raw)

ehabilitation following an injury to the elbow is a common occurrence in orthopaedic and sports physical therapy practice. However, relatively little has been written discussing the rehabilitative process of the injured elbow. T h e unique orientation of the elbow complex consists of three bones articulating to form four articulations. This contributes to a high degree of joint congruence and accounts for much of the difficulty experienced by the therapist in obtaining normal function after injury or surgery. As a result of the many unique anatomical considerations of the elbow complex, the therapist is faced with multiple clinical challenges to successfully rehabilitate the injured elbow. T h e purpose of this paper is to discuss these challenges and to suggest possible treatment options that may lead to a successful rehabilitative outcome. Rehabilitation following an elbow injury o r elbow surgery progresses through a multiphased a p proach that is sequential and progressive. T h e ultimate goal of this process is returning the athlete t o his sport o r activity as quickly and safely as possible. T o enable the athlete to return to sporting activities, the elbow must have full, nonpainful range of motion, n o pain o r tenderness on clinical exam, satisfactory muscular strength, power, and endurance, and a satisfactory clinical Rehabilitation following an injury to the elbow joint complex i s common in physical therapy practice. The unique anatomical considerations of the elbow joint provide a significant challenge to the therapist in rehabilitating elbow injuries. The purpose of this paper i s to describe the rehabilitation process for various elbow pathologies and provide a rationale for their treatment. The rehabilitation process for the injured elbow presented in this paper will emphasize phases that are progressive, sequential, and based on clinical and scientific research.