Your biceps have tendons which attach them to your shoulders and your elbows, and help your bicep flex your arm. The tendons at either end can rupture, though proximal ruptures (near the shoulder) are more common. A common cause of bicep tendon ruptures is when a sudden force is applied while the arm is flexed, such as when falling while lifting heavy objects. You may feel a pop near your elbow or shoulder and subsequently experience severe pain and swelling in your upper arm. If you’re experiencing these symptoms or a sudden bulge in the bicep muscle where the muscle has become bunched up, there’s a good chance it’s a bicep tendon rupture. Your shoulder or elbow may feel weak and you might have trouble rotating your forearm. In the event of a bicep tendon injury you should seek medical attention as soon as you can to prevent further damage.
How do you treat a bicep tendon rupture?
The severity of your injury will be diagnosed via physical examination and, if necessary, medical imaging. Depending on the severity, your treatment regimen may range from simply resting the affected arm, to steroid injections or surgery in the most severe cases. In the case of surgery, a surgeon reattached the tendon to the appropriate bone. For tears near the shoulder, the tendon attached to your labrum might be relocated to the upper arm bone, a procedure called tenodesis.
What does PT for a bicep tendon rupture look like?
The goal of physical therapy in the wake of a bicep tendon injury is to restore strength and range of motion to your arm. Your physical therapist will guide you through exercises to strengthen the muscles around your elbow or shoulder (depending on the location of the rupture). The range of exercises you perform will gradually increase as your tendon heals, especially if you are recovering from surgery.
Exercises your PT may use to improve your recovery include:
Cross arm stretch
Shoulder mobility
Elbow and shoulder flexion
Scapular strengthening exercises
As your recovery progresses, additional exercises may be employed such as resisted shoulder rotations with resistance bands.
The timeframe for recovering from a bicep tendon injury can be long. It can take several months to recover, especially after surgery. Your doctors and therapists will evaluate your progress and make adjustments to ensure that your strength and range of motion improve enough to let you resume normal activities, including strenuous work. But with time and perseverance, a strong recovery is very possible.
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