Straining a bicep tendon is a common occurrence due to the bicep's significant strength and its location in the upper arm. Despite being one of the strongest muscles in the body, the bicep is susceptible to injury. However, experiencing a strained bicep tendon does not mean that you have to live with pain or abstain from engaging in high-impact activities such as sports or intense gym workouts.
Though biceps tendinitis can be tough to deal with, there are two key things to remember:
1) It can be easily treated
2) If caught early, the treatment will be much more successful.
What is biceps tendonitis?
Tendons are highly durable, but excessive use can cause them to become sore and painful. This is due to micro-tears in the tendon, known as tendonitis (tendinitis).
Tendonitis often arises from repetitive movements. Professional athletes such as baseball, swimmers, tennis, and golfers are susceptible to developing tendonitis in their shoulders, arms, and elbows. Additionally, sudden and severe loads on the tendon can also cause tendonitis.
Biceps tendonitis can occur in the shoulder or the elbow, but it is uncommon to have it in both areas concurrently. Biceps tendonitis may develop simultaneously in the shoulder with rotator cuff tendonitis since it is part of the rotator cuff complex.
Bicep tendonitis symptoms
The optimal approach for treating bicep tendonitis involves a multifaceted strategy that includes rest, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), ice therapy, and physical therapy.
Bicep tendonitis is an inflammatory ailment that affects the upper bicep tendon, a robust tissue band that links the muscle to the shoulder bone. Although tendon degradation is a natural part of the aging process, repetitive usage can expedite the deterioration and lead to swelling and weakening of the biceps tendon. This condition is frequently observed in individuals who engage in swimming, baseball, or tennis elbow activities.
Common bicep tendonitis symptoms include:
- Pain in the front of the shoulder or elbow
- Weakness in the arm
- Stiffness in the shoulder or elbow
- Clicking or popping sound in the shoulder or elbow
- Difficulty lifting or using your arm
- the upper arm (bicep) weakness, and
- headache
To learn more about how to alleviate your problems associated with this muscle, we urge you to continue reading today!
Home Remedies
While several home remedies can successfully treat bicep tendonitis, contacting your doctor is best if the pain does not subside after a few self-care treatments. The available methods include cold packs, stretching, and wearing supportive braces.
Heat and Cold Therapy
Hot and Cold therapy is an easy, cheap way to manage the swelling of the tendon. Cold on your upper arm will numb the pain and reduce swelling, whereas heat on your tendon gently soothes sore muscles.
Keeping the area as cold as possible is important in the initial stages of an injury. That can help slow the inflammation process, making swelling so painful. Applying a cold compress or cold pack for 20 minutes will relieve pain and swelling in the injury.
Later on, once the injured area has begun to heal, you can consider switching from cold treatments like ice packs or frozen peas (mash up some fresh ones if needed) over to Sacksythyme hot therapy relief heating pad; this allows for increased blood flow and enhanced healing of tendons and muscles.
Sacksy Thyme Hot therapy relief Heating pad for Tendonitis:
The Sacksy Thyme Hot therapy relief Heating pad is an effective way to manage tendonitis pain. The heating pad is designed to provide targeted heat therapy to the affected area, which helps to increase blood flow and reduce inflammation. The heat also helps to relax the muscles, which can alleviate pain and promote healing.
Stretches and Exercises
To help lengthen and strengthen your arm, you need to perform some stretches and light exercises. However, it is important not to do them too early in recovery. It's a good sign if you can gently stretch your biceps without any pain along with stiff shoulders (the inability to lift your arms overhead).
You will likely always have some soreness in this area, even after the injury has healed. If you are very active and feel recurring soreness in the area even when not performing physical activity, make an appointment with your doctor because tendon injuries can progress into chronic tendonitis.
Make sure you always have healthy snacks nearby while improving flexibility and strength so you don't compromise your results!
Medications
There are many over-the-counter medications for bicep tendonitis, including NSAIDs like ibuprofen and naproxen tablets. It helps lessen pain, swelling, and any other symptoms you're experiencing.
However, remember that these medications work best with the help of some at-home remedies to ensure all causes of the pain have been eliminated. Talking to your doctor or pharmacist before starting a new medication is always a good choice!
Taping
Kinesiology Tape is a synthetic material designed to support joints, tendons, and muscles so your ligaments can heal properly. The tape is easy to apply, stays on for multiple days without losing its elasticity, and can be worn during any form of physical activity without restricting your range of motion.
Kinesiology tape is an excellent alternative to surgery or taking medications that slow healing. Another great benefit is if you're interested in a slightly more DIY (do it yourself) approach, it's readily available online and can be ordered in different styles and colors!
Braces
A brace can hold your joint together while encouraging you to take it easy while waiting for the broken arm to heal. Many types of braces are available, with varying degrees of immobilization, and they come in various forms, so there's a perfect one out there for anyone with a broken arm.
One popular compression sleeve is the ACE bandage brace used by athletes. It helps hold the collarbone in place and supports the shoulder in motion.
Massage
Massage therapy is an excellent complementary treatment that's especially effective when combined with other therapies. Massage can help improve blood flow at the injury site, soothe soreness, and improve well-being!
Friction Self-Massage
Friction self-massage is an effective way to strengthen and cure your bicep tendonitis. This massage therapy directly stimulates the area that needs healing and often works especially well for people suffering from tendon inflammation.
However, you seek an alternative to healing your strained muscles and tendons. In that case, consider applying friction against the injured region with deep pressure and some light movements of your affected arm.
TENS Therapy
TENS units are like little batteries for your nerves in this sense. Rather than physically interrupting pain messages, they impact them electrically and obliviously without the patient noticing because their attention can be directed completely elsewhere.
It's a way of working with pain that is unlike the approaches that medicate it away or otherwise mask it by flooding the brain with impulses that block those caused by injury or disease - a practice called transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).
TENS units offer an alternative to other treatment options because they operate entirely on a different model. Instead of trying to drown out physical symptoms, they provide relief in another way, less directly and often more temporarily.
How do you test for biceps tendinitis?
Suppose you are experiencing pain and swelling in your shoulder. In that case, it is recommended to seek the assistance of a healthcare professional, such as a physical therapist or primary care physician, for a thorough assessment.
During the assessment, the healthcare professional will look for common indicators of biceps tendinitis, including but not limited to:
- pain and tenderness at the shoulder joint
- poor range of motion
- diminished strength
- signs of shoulder instability
If there is a rupture of the tendon, swelling may be observed.
A healthcare provider may perform specific evaluations to detect any accompanying rotator cuff tendon impingement in the shoulder.
In certain instances, they may request an MRI or ultrasound to confirm their diagnosis, particularly if they suspect a tendon tear.
Prevention
Biceps tendonitis is a degenerative condition that arises from our body's everyday wear and tears. Overuse can accelerate the problem, especially if you suffer from other shoulder injuries like rotator cuff tears and shoulder instability.
A good acknowledgment of preventative ideas would be to maintain adequate strength and range of motion and rest your shoulder as often as necessary!
There are several things you can do to prevent bicep tendonitis, including:
- Warm up before exercising: Warming up your muscles before exercising can help to prevent injuries.
- Avoid activities that cause pain: If you experience pain during an activity, stop the activity and rest.
- Strengthen your muscles: Strengthening your shoulder and arm muscles can help support the biceps tendon and reduce the risk of injury.
- Maintain a healthy weight: Obesity can put extra stress on the biceps tendon.
- Use proper form: When lifting weights or performing other activities, use proper form to avoid putting excessive strain on your shoulder and arm muscles.
Safe & Effective Tendonitis Treatment
Bicep tendonitis treatment begins with conservative home remedies, but what happens when your pain is still worrying? Do you need medical advice from your doctor? Though your treatment plan will depend on what's causing the pain, you do. Bicep tendonitis symptoms may include pain, tenderness, stiffness, and swelling of the muscles surrounding your elbow, mainly if you've used your arms often. Always apply cold packs, take over-the-counter medications, and use massage as doctors recommend to help treat biceps tendonitis as quickly as possible!