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Biceps Muscle Strain The biceps brachii muscle (comprised of the biceps long and short head muscle) are located at the front of your arm. The biceps muscle helps you bend your elbow, rotate your arm and bring your arm straight up in front of you. The biceps tendons and muscles help keep your shoulder stable and also help keep your arm centered in your shoulder socket. The long head biceps tendon attaches to the top of the shoulder socket (glenoid) while the short head of the biceps tendon attaches to a bump on the shoulder blade called the coracoid process. On the other end of the biceps muscle, the tendon attaches to the radius bone at the elbow. Causes of Biceps Muscle StrainBicep muscle strain is caused by over-stretching or over-loading the muscle tissue in the arm. When the muscle tissue is put under too much stress the muscle fibres become damaged and tear. if there is significant bicep muscle (ie. partial tear), the conversation will usually include bicep tendons, as they are usually damaged as well. Aside from this, the biceps muscle can also be caused by:
Statistically speaking, men are at higher risk for strains of the biceps muscle and tendon than are women. Symptoms of Biceps Muscle StrainIf you are suffering biceps muscle strain your pain levels may vary depending on how mild to how severe the damage is to the muscle itself. Location of pain may be at the front of the shoulder, the middle, or at the insertion point (down below the elbow). You will probably experience an increase in pain when bringing your arm up in front of you - at shoulder level. Activities such as throwing or working overhead make your pain worse. Small blood vessels may also be damaged which can cause bruising and swelling at the point of the injury site. You may have heard a slight pop and or felt a sensation in the arm or shoulder. Left untreated, a simple biceps muscle strain can worsen and lead to tearing and/or biceps tendon straining, tearing and even detachment. Biceps Muscle Strain DiagnosisBiceps Tendonitis is caused by overuse of the shoulder, arm and or elbow. The biceps tendons are a strong, cord-like structures that connect the biceps muscle to the bones in the shoulder and elbow.  Proximal Biceps Tendon DamageThis means you are suffering from biceps tendon damage at the shoulder location. Most cases of biceps tendon damage are proximal in nature and nearly always occur at the long head of the biceps tendon. If you are suffering from a proximal biceps tendon injury, you will have tenderness and weakness in the arm. Pain will probably manifest itself if you raise your arm in a throwing motion, pull on something or turn your arm from palm down to palm up. You may have pain and a deep achiness in the shoulder that moves down the front of the arm and (in some causes) radiates to the hand. Sometimes a snapping sound or sensation can be felt or heard in the shoulder. Distal Biceps Tendon DamageThis means you are suffering from biceps tendon damage at the elbow location. If you are suffering from a distal biceps tendon injury, you will probably have pain and some swelling in the front of the elbow, weakness in bending the elbow and weakness in twisting the forearm. Biceps Tendon RuptureThis occurs when one or more of the biceps tendons tear away from the bone and this can happen at the elbow (distal) or at the shoulder (proximal). In cases of tendon rupture, surgery will be required to attached the tendon as a tendon will not reattach on its own. Biceps Muscle Strain - What To Expect for DiagnosisThe only way to really know you are suffering from a biceps strain is to visit your doctor for a physical examination of your arm / shoulder. During a physical examination of your injured arm, your doctor will be looking for weakness, pain in the arm area and swelling. He/she will look and feel the bones and soft tissue in both your shoulder and arm to evaluate symmetry to recognize any differences. This will identify any abnormalities, such as mild or severe inflammation, bone deformities, atrophied muscles, redness and/or warmth on the skin. If there is suspected tendon detachment at the elbow, the physician will look for gaps - indicating the tendon is not where it is expected. Sometimes, one set of symptoms can result in multiple diagnoses. An X-ray, CT scan, MRI or visual ultrasound is often needed in order to diagnose if the area is out of alignment or the extent of the soft tissue damage. It's important to have a proper diagnosis from a doctor or some other medical professional to determine the cause of your symptoms. This way the right treatment can be used to treat the condition and relieve your pain. Strains and Sprains: What's the Difference?Sprains and strains are among the most common injuries in sports, professional, amateur athletes and the general public. You are more at risk for the injury if you have a history of sprains and strains, are overweight, and are in poor physical condition. What is a strain? A strain is an injury that only happens to tendons and muscles. What is a sprain? A sprain is a stretch and/or tear that only happens to ligaments. Sprains and strains are categorized according to severity:
You should seek medical attention if you suspect that you've ruptured a tendon, ligament or muscle, can't move the affected joint and have numbness in any part of the injured area. Biceps Muscle Strain Treatment - |
There are approximately 639 muscles in the human body Muscle aches and pains are common and can involve more than one muscle Muscle pain also can involve ligaments, tendons, and fascia, the soft tissues that connect muscles, bones, and organs Oral medications can mask the pain but do not aid in the healing of a muscle injury. Anti-inflammatories and pain killers can cause muscle related injuries to worsen Muscle pain also can be a sign of conditions affecting your whole body, like some infections and disorders that affect connective tissues throughout the body Most common cause of muscle aches & pains:
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