GIVE LIFE THE ELBOW

GIVE LIFE THE ELBOW

It is not often Elbows are a topic of conversation. We become acutely aware of our elbows, when we lean on them too hard, land on them or knock them.

They are extraordinary joints. In quiet brilliance they bend well, but also spin like a whirly-gig, positioning our hand in an abundance of positions. Thank your elbow next time you eat. Guardians of precision, try changing a lightbulb, adjust your mirror or read a book, without moving your elbows.

Etched into our evolution, our ancestors required our elbows to brake the intensity and speed of descent from trees, climbing down from our arboreal beds – taking refuge from nocturnal predators.

A silent enabler of human survival, from the primal act of grasping branches to the habitual clasping of our phones. The elbow enables our curiosity, guiding our action of writing, painting, or threading a needle.
Our hand movement is an integral part of what makes us human.

Our ability to, pull, push and throw things, to tie our laces, to type, sprinkle salt, to wash your armpits or put your hand in your back pocket – all require a healthy elbow joint, enabling the many tasks that we take for granted every day.

The elbow is a mirror to our habits.

Consider the neck tension from sitting at your desk for hours, trickling down into your elbows, then into the wrists ;or consider the incredible elbow to finger mobility of Alex Honnold ascending El Capitan in Free Solo (watch it if you haven’t yet)

Elbow issues such as ‘golfers’ or ‘tennis’ elbow are often not due to keen golfers or tennis buffs. The truth is, like many ‘overuse’ injuries – these problems often arise because of misuse of our arms and shoulders.

Good elbow movement begs collaboration form its neighbours the hand, wrist and shoulder. So effective mobility and strengthening of the whole upper limb keeps your elbows greased and in symphony with the interconnected web of the upper body.

Idle elbows arise from idle hands.

Rotate, push, pull, juggle, hang, climb, throw, get on your hands and knees – crawl – these actions may be the key to preserving the remarkable versatility of your elbows for decades to come.