Qigong for Elbow Pain and Balance

Exercises for elbow discomfort and balance.

These are traditional practice notes, not medical advice. Move gently, adapt every exercise to your own body, and ask a health professional about any condition.

Qigong and stretching for elbow pain (tennis elbow, guitarist's elbow) and for balance.

Warm up

  • Shake off stress. Ring the temple bell.
  • Relax, arms by side. Shake hands, wrists, forearms. 1 min.

Activation massage (30 sec each)

  • LI-11: at the elbow crease, on top of the forearm, on the inside/thumb side; imagine a straight line to the index finger.
  • LI-10: about 3 finger-widths towards the hand / index finger from LI-11, on top of the forearm.

Draw energy with palms

  • Shoulder-width. Hands at 90 degrees, palms facing, soft, relaxed.
  • Expand/inhale, contract/exhale. 2 or 3 min.

Taiji ball rotations

  • Imagine holding a soft, weightless ball.
  • Rotate, allowing wrists, elbows, shoulders fluid movement.
  • Reverse direction after 30 sec.

Press clouds with open hands

  • Slowly press arms forward at shoulder height, palms down, as if pushing a soft cloud. Elbows slightly bent.
  • Pull back, gathering qi, like the tide coming in.
  • Inhale pulling back, exhale pressing forward. 2 or 3 min.

Tapping

  • Gently tap the forearm, stimulating circulation. 1 to 2 min.
  • Rub along both the inner forearm and the outer side of the forearm.
  • Place palm on elbow, imagine warm, golden qi flowing there.

Extensor and flexor stretches

  • Extend arm forward, palm down. Pull fingers, palm down. Hold.
  • Extend arm forward, palm up. Pull fingers, palm down. Hold.

Isometric and supination stretches

  • Push arm down at side, palm down. Hold.
  • Arm forward, palm up. Slowly rotate wrist so palm is down. Hold.

Shoulder, posture, prevention

  • Wise Owl Looks Back (neck stretch).
  • Bow and Arrow (chest stretch).
  • Side Stretch.

Move Hands Like Clouds

  • Taiji ball rotations while stepping slowly to left, to right.
  • Movement comes from waist and spine.
  • Hands and arms only really move during transitions, at the close or open of a step.

Rooster stands on one leg

  • Build up through these steps…
  • In a slow flowing motion, roll weight to one foot, then the other, alternating which tiger you are patting as weight shifts. One heavy foot, one light foot, back and forth.
  • One hand pats a tiger. The light hand is opposite the light foot.
    • If left foot is light, then right hand is light.
  • One hand lifts up. The heavy hand is opposite the heavy foot.
    • If right foot is heavy, then left hand is heavy.
  • Lift light leg from knee and hip, as high as feeling and capacity allow today. Might be just to toe; or might be quite high.
  • At the same time, lift the heavy hand (on the same side as the light foot) straight up. Lifting heavy hand and light foot simultaneously. Use either tiger claw (a determined open grasp) or vajra palm (fingers straight, thumb pulled lightly over the palm).
  • Repeat, alternating sides. As it gets more of a flow, work on raising leg and arm a bit more, holding the posture a little more.

Three Taps practice

  • Tap with toe 3 times.
  • Tap with heel 3 times.
  • Put sole down, lightly, then pick it up again, 3 times.

Seven stars practice

  • Focus on "heavy" opposites: palm/sole, knee/elbow, hip/shoulder.
  • Focus on "light" opposites: palm/sole, knee/elbow, hip/shoulder.
  • Focus on center of balance: the "taiji pole", as in Cloud Hands.
  • Lift light, press heavy palm/foot, knee/elbow, hip/shoulder.
  • Alternate. Focus mind, heavy side. Light side, "do its own thing".
  • Practice as a flow. Practice holding a pose. Relax. Have fun.

From movement.davidstitt.net/en-US/qigong/elbow-and-balance/