The bicep muscle is one of the important muscles for upper-body strength.
An injury to this hardworking muscle can make day-to-day tasks difficult.
There are two places were the bicep muscle connect, the shoulder and the elbow. In the shoulder, tendons connect the biceps in the shoulder joint. In the elbow, tendons keep the muscle attached to the lower arm.
Most bicep injuries are at the connection point of the shoulder. Strains or tears can develop in the ligament. The tendons can also slip out of their groove at the top of the humerus – the bone on the upper arm – that holds the muscle in place. Injuries to the bicep tendons at the elbow may happen but is very rare.
Bicep tendonitis, which is a strain or a tear in the tendons, can cause a great deal of pain. Overuse can result from repeated lifting required for one’s job, picking up young children, or playing a weekly round of golf. Since these kinds of injuries usually develop slowly over time, they are hard to prevent. Be sure to listen to your body when an activity is causing pain that goes beyond temporary muscle soreness.
Apply these three home treatments:
1. Rest – take a break from the activity that’s causing the pain and soreness.
2. Ice – apply ice packs to the affected area to reduce pain and minimise swelling.
3. Elevation – sit propped up instead of lying flat. Keep your injured joint above the level of your heart.
It’s rare that bicep tendonitis causes any long-term damage and surgery is usually not required. The hardest part of recovering from any joint or tendon injury is to fully rest the area. If you dive back in too soon into the activity that’s causing your pain, you’ll slow your recovery and increase your chances of re-injury.
If you still experience pain after a few weeks of these home treatments, it’s time to call your doctor for anti-inflammatory medication and physical therapy.
Lizel Britz 072 243 7707.
