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The bicep muscle has two connection points – your elbow and shoulder. Tendons in the shoulder are responsible for linking the shoulder joint and bicep. For the elbow, the biceps muscle links to your lower arm.
Most bicep injuries usually happen in the shoulder area, and this occurs when the ligaments suffer tears or strains.
At the top point of your upper arm bone (also known as the humerus), tendons could become displaced from the muscle-holding groove.
Other times, your elbow bicep tendons can suffer injuries as well, and these situations could lead to bicep tendonitis. This is what eventually prompts the need for a bicep tendonitis brace.
Typical causes of bicep tendonitis
Tendonitis usually results from overuse, which is what happens to your bicep tendon. Since the human shoulder has complex mechanics, overusing your rotator cuff will have a bad effect on your biceps tendon.
Other causes of this condition are rotator cuff inflammation and weakness. These could cause your tendon to overwork for your shoulder to remain stable. Such excess work puts you at risk of inflammation. Also, if you’re active in overhead activities like swimming, you are likely to develop bicep tendonitis.
Shoulder mobility is also another possible trigger for this condition. Your shoulder capsule helps in making the joint stable, but when the capsule’s posterior aspect starts to tighten, it can lead to anterior tension, which then causes bicep tendon stress.
Signs and symptoms to look out for
Before deciding to use a bicep tendonitis brace or other forms of treatment, you need to know what symptoms to look out for. The most common symptom is anterior shoulder pain.
Symptoms mostly surface when you try lifting your arm above your shoulder. Also, attempting to carry out functional activities like reaching up to take something from a shelf, trying to tuck in your shirt from behind, or lying on the affected side can cause you pain.
Recovering from biceps tendonitis
Although you’ll experience pain if you suffer bicep injuries, visiting your doctor immediately is not always the solution. Just like with other joint strains, taking anti-inflammatory drugs can help to remedy the swelling. But other ways to find relief for bicep tendonitis include:
- Ice – get some ice packs and apply them to the area. Doing this can help to reduce the swelling and reduce the pain that you feel.
- Rest – identify the activity that led to the soreness or pain and take a break from it.
- Elevation – avoid lying flat but sit in a propped up position. Try to keep the injured area above the heart level.
- Use a bicep tendonitis brace – a bicep compression brace can help to relieve the pain that comes from bicep tendonitis. It is a useful tool, and it helps to reduce upper arm muscle oscillation. This is a good way of protecting your biceps to prevent the recurrence of injury.
- Exercises – Some exercises can help to relieve the symptoms of biceps tendonitis. They include the biceps stretch, single shoulder flexion, etc.
Conclusion
If you try out the ways mentioned above to recover from bicep tendonitis with no improvement, your next move should be to schedule a consultation with your doctor. This ensures that you get the right medical attention for your condition.
About The Author:
This is Kevin, a full-time professional blogger. He loves to travel and try new food, surfing and definitely a music addict. He also loves to write on trending ideas on various topics that prove helpful to others with their personal and business works.
