In 2010 a physiotherapist in the USA, Timothy Tyler, did some research on using eccentric muscle contractions to fix chronic tendinosis injuries of the elbow.
An eccentric contraction is when you control a muscle while it is being lengthened. In this case you contract the painful muscle first then slowly let it stretch out.
He heard how using expensive equipment called an isokinetic dynamometer got good results. So he looked at something simpler. He found a cheap rubber bar called a Flexbar® from Thera-Band®.
There are four colors available. These are in order from easiest to hardest resistance:
Instructions
Here is a step by step guide to the Tyler Twist:
- Have your sore elbow by your side and bent at 90°
- Hold the Flexbar® in the hand of the sore elbow
- Extend or bend the wrist backwards
- Now grab the top end of the rubber bar with the other hand
- Flex or twist the bar forward with the top hand
- Don’t let the bottom hand move whilst twisting the top
- Hold the twist and level the rubber bar in front of you
- Control hand of the sore elbow side whilst letting it flex bend forward
- You should feel pain or discomfort at the outside of the elbow
- Do 15 x repetitions of 3 x sets once a day for 6 weeks minimum
