BICEP TENDONITIS

Tendons are a band of fibrous connective tissue that connect muscles to bones. Tendons have unique properties and serve important functions:

• Tendons help to move our bones and amplify the effect of muscle contractions
• They also play an important role in attenuating and absorbing shock that is transmitted from bone into muscle
• Tendons are strong but they are not designed to stretch or deform easily
• They can become weaker or stronger/stiffer in response to a training stimulus
• Training can make a tendon more prone to or more resilient against, injury.

Tendonitis is often caused by repetitive stress that exceeds the tolerance of the tendon. Causes and contributing factors include ramping up the volume of a new activity too quickly, muscle strength or length impairments, movement pattern inefficiencies and biomechanical errors in the shoulder and arm. Signs and symptoms suggestive of biceps tendonitis include:

• Pain over the involved tendon when the biceps is contracted
• Pain over the involved tendon when the biceps is stretched (straightening the elbow while reaching the arm behind you, palm facing forward)
• Swelling or inflammation over the injured tendon
• Stiffness when moving the shoulder, elbow or forearm near the involved tendon
• A feeling of weakness in the arm when contracting the biceps

If you decide to work with a physical therapist to help correct your bicep tendonitis issues, your entire treatment plan could consist of around 8-20+ different physical therapy sessions that will each last 60-90 minutes. Once you complete your customized physical therapy treatment plan, you will be able to continue to do the prescribed stretches and exercises utilized during your PT sessions yet in the comfort of your own home.

PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR BICEPS TENDONITIS

If you experience persistent arm tendonitis or find yourself stuck in a cycle of taking breaks from your activities only to have symptoms return as soon as you ramp back up, it’s time to see a physical therapist. Full rest may benefit the inflamed and acute case of tendonitis but will actually weaken a tendon that has begun to degenerate.

When you come to Evolve Physical Therapy, my team of physical therapists and I will apply the latest evidence on tendon management to improve your symptoms and the strength and stiffness of the tendon. Manual therapy techniques to promote tendon fiber alignment, address scar tissue, mobilize edema and reduce pain are implemented early in your care. When inflammation has subsided, we will address other contributing factors like muscle weakness, nonoptimal movement patterns, lack of flexibility and training errors through interventions such as stretching and strengthening exercises.

We then use a carefully prescribed, graded loading program to build resilience in the tendon and promote healing of the tissues, therefore increasing its ability to withstand the forces placed on it during sport, exercise and everyday activities. Through this process, you should begin to return to your normal activities with fewer symptoms until you can resume your prior level of activity without pain. A home program of exercises and tendon management strategies can help maintain the health and happiness of your biceps tendon after discharge.

Tendonitis of the biceps muscle can certainly put a damper on your favorite activities but physical therapy can help you find a lasting solution. Stop the cycle of rest and repeat and call Evolve Physical Therapy today. Our team of physical therapists is ready to help you heal that tendon and get back to the activities you love.