Rehab Mistakes That Keep You Stuck in Pain

One of the biggest mistakes we see in rehab is people sticking with the same light exercises for far too long. If you never increase the challenge, your body won’t adapt, and your pain won’t fully go away. A common example? Wrist curls for elbow pain.

Why Light Exercises Are Only a Starting Point

When someone experiences elbow pain—like tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow—they’re often given wrist curls as part of their rehab. Early on, using a 1lb or 2lb weight might make sense to avoid aggravating the injury. But what happens if that’s the only load ever used?

The forearm muscles responsible for gripping, lifting, and stabilizing the wrist and elbow need to regain strength over time. If you never progress beyond a minimal weight, your muscles won't rebuild their capacity, and you’ll continue experiencing discomfort when performing everyday activities or lifting heavier objects in the gym.

A Simple Test: Compare Your Good Side

A great way to assess whether your rehab is effective is to compare your injured arm to your healthy one. If your good arm can comfortably perform wrist curls with 15-20lbs for 10 reps, but your injured arm never progresses beyond 3-5lbs, you’ll never fully regain strength or function. The injured side needs to work toward matching the strength of the healthy side.

Progression Is Key

Rehab should be treated like strength training—it needs progressive overload. Here’s how you can properly advance your wrist curls for elbow pain:

1. Start Light – Begin with a weight that doesn’t cause sharp pain, typically 2-5lbs.

2. Increase Reps First – If you can easily do 15+ reps, it’s time to move up in weight.

3. Gradually Add Load – Progressively increase by small increments (2-5lbs) every few sessions.

4. Challenge Grip Strength – Incorporate exercises like towel holds, farmer’s carries, and dead hangs to build grip endurance, which helps prevent elbow pain from returning.

Why Strength Matters for Injury Recovery

Many people think rehab is just about doing “gentle” movements, but strength plays a crucial role in pain relief and injury prevention. If your muscles, tendons, and joints are too weak to handle the demands of daily life or workouts, pain will persist. Increasing load (intelligently and gradually) helps your body rebuild its resilience, making movements pain-free again.

Don’t Stay Stuck—Get Real Results

If you’ve been doing the same light exercises for weeks or months with no improvement, it’s time for a new approach. Rehab should challenge your body, not just keep it comfortable. If you’re struggling to fully recover, contact us at Prevail Rehab & Performance—we’ll help you build strength, eliminate pain, and get back to doing what you love.