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back, you know that this movement can be very painful. The pain is magnified if these muscles are very tight. Therefore, the person assisting with this stretch needs to proceed slowly when pulling the arm up and back.

Figure 3.1 Biceps brachii, brachialis, and brachioradialis muscles.

Figure 3.3 Forearm muscles: (a) inside; (b) outside.

    The movement ranges for wrist flexion, wrist extension, radial deviation, and ulnar deviation are all limited by the strength of the agonist muscles, flexibility of the antagonist muscles, tightness of the dorsal and palmar ligaments, and wrist impingement (ulnar deviation only). Interestingly, all of these, except wrist impingement, can be changed by doing stretching exercises.
    Stretching the muscles that move the elbows and wrists is helpful in alleviating and sometimes preventing overuse injuries. Because it is more resistive to opposing movements, a tight muscle is easy to damage. When the wrist extensor muscles are tight, pain arises on the lateral (outer) side of the elbow. In sports, this pain is sometimes referred to as tennis elbow. Tight wrist flexor muscles, on the other hand, can cause pain on the opposite, or medial, side of the elbow. This pain is frequently called golfer’s elbow. Also, tightness in both the wrist extensors and flexors from either constant wrist hyperextension or flexion can lead to increased friction, inflammation, and overuse injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome. People engaged in static or fine motor work such as keyboard use, computer mouse use, carpentry, or rock climbing are most likely to encounter this condition. To prevent and alleviate this condition, rehabilitation specialists encourage work breaks for stretching both the wrist flexors and extensors to help strengthen and loosen the muscles and tendons.
    Many of the instructions and illustrations in this chapter are given for the left side of the body. Similar but opposite procedures would be used for the right side of the body. The stretches in this chapter are excellent overall stretches for all the arm muscles. However, some people may need to target a specific muscle or group and, hence, require stretches more suited to their needs. Specific muscle stretches require the involvement of one or more movements in the opposite direction of the desired muscle’s movements. For example, if you want to stretch the flexor carpi radialis, perform a movement that involves wrist extension and radial deviation. When a muscle has a high level of stiffness, however, you should use fewer simultaneous opposite movements. For example, to stretch a very tight flexor carpi radialis, start by doing only radial deviation. As a muscle becomes loose, you can then incorporate more simultaneous opposite movements.

Triceps Brachii Stretch

Execution
     
Sit in a chair with a back or stand upright with the left arm flexed at the elbow.
Raise the left arm until the elbow is next to the left ear and the left hand is near the right shoulder blade.
Grasp the upper arm just below the left elbow with the right hand, and pull or push the left elbow behind the head and toward the floor.
Repeat these steps for the opposite arm.
Muscles Stretched
     
Most-stretched muscle: Left triceps brachii
Less-stretched muscles: Left latissimus dorsi, left teres major, left teres minor, left posterior deltoid
Stretch Notes
Tightness in the elbow extensor muscles is the main cause of tennis elbow, or pain in the lateral elbow during arm movements. This tightness is usually caused by overworking or straining these muscles or by working against resistance with the arm fully extended. Therefore, any activity that uses these muscles can lead to tightness. Consequently, this stretch is beneficial not only for tennis players but also for swimmers. Alternatively, strain can result if the muscle is constantly overstretched by tight elbow flexors or if the arm is muscle bound (inability to completely straighten the arm).
Doing this stretch while