Sometimes we can find small discomfort when turning the palm of the hand up or down after having done our training. It is one of the symptoms that indicates that we have a biceps tendon tear.
Understanding the injury
We can find the biceps brachii in the anterior area of the arm. It divides into two proximal tendons (long head and short head) that connect the muscle to the bones in both the elbow and the shoulder.
This muscle allows us to rotate the forearm (leaving the palm of the hand facing up or down), flex the elbow, lift objects, and stabilize the shoulder joint.
For what is this?
It can occur for various reasons, but below I will list the most frequent:
- It is preceded by constant and demanding use of muscle and tendon when practicing sports (strength training, swimming, tennis).
- As the injury increases, the tendon begins to tear.
These types of tears occur due to two factors:
- Proximal (shoulder joint): complete or partial tear, frequently related to rotator cuff tears (sports activities at shoulder level). It is associated with older patients, where the long head of the biceps is more easily damaged.
- Distal (elbow joint): occurs less frequently and can be recognized by a clicking sound when the tear begins. As in the previous case, lifting heavy objects, a strong fall or very intense use can cause this injury.
Frequent symptoms
- Sharp pain in the damaged area, small clicking sounds when moving the shoulder, difficulty in rotating the forearm towards (pronation-supination), coloration, inflammation, etc.
Recommendations and treatment
- Simple: do not carry out sports activities that involve the use of the shoulder, rest the arm that is damaged, avoid heavy strength training, use anti-inflammatory drugs, apply cold and ice to the affected area, visit a physiotherapy or doctor specialized in muscle injuries.
- Surgical treatment: There are several ways to treat the damaged tendon. Small incisions are usually made with arthroscopic surgery. Recovery times can vary, such as 3 or 4 months. This type of treatment is done if it is truly necessary.
As a general recommendation, it goes without saying that doing a specific warm-up before playing sports will prevent injuries like this. Also very important to know when to stop. If something hurts, it is better to rest and try in the following days. If you push yourself too hard, the consequences will be worse.
