bi-cep pain

hi guys, I have a little problem...about a month ago, i did some arms and the next day my arms felt sore, my right bi-cep a little more, i just assumed it was the usual muscle soreness i experience after a workout, so i whacked arms again and again cos it just felt like the normal soreness. 3 weeks later, no change so i didnt train for a bit, but no change. I can pick up a light dumbell and curl it reasonably fine, but the moment i go anywhere close to a hammer lift it begins to feel sore. Any motion with a hammer lift feels sore, be carrying my daughter or even picking up a bottle of water. Its not unbearable pain but its begining to really annoy me...any ideas? Muscle? Tendon? Pulled?

Hmm, Wayne, it would be best for spike to answer this.

Wayne, is the pain more in the actual biceps, or do you feel it in the brachialis?

Here spikey spikey....where is Spike when you need him...

@ Vin yes I think it is the brachialis, the outer lower part of my bicep is where the pain is at.

I have the same pain from 2 weeks ago and its still there. Irratating.

Regards

Hmmm, must be something in the air...how are you managing training Romp? I cant lift any heavy weights...just using 5 and 10kg dumbells...

I've had that on and off for a couple years now. It came to a point where I had to stop training biceps almost completely and also be very careful on the rowing movements. It was definitely worse on the hammer grip movements. Strangely, it started on my right arm, and then disappeared. Thereafter, it materialised on the left, where it has been for some time now. I've definitely had to cut back on training intensity in order to manage the pain, and my training for the past couple years has been more maintenance than anything else.

In the meantime, I've been trying to figure out what the problem might be. I had an idea that it might be something linked with muscle adhesion, where the different muscles of the forearms (esp around the elbow) start sticking to one another. This can be caused by gripping the weights very tightly, repetitively over a long period of time. I then tried to focus on not gripping the bar too hard, especially during back exercises. It has definitely made some difference, as the pain is not as intense. Every so often, if I don't spend enough time warming up, the pain will return. After a couple days rest though, it subsides.

Reading up on US sites, and heard of something called Active Release Technologies (ART). This is a form of massage that bodybuilders and powerlifters are finding useful to help with these kinds of issues. So far haven't been able to find anyone in SA that does this. Spike, maybe you might be able to give us some insight? I'm in Joburg, but I wouldn't mind travelling to Durban if you reckon you could help sort it out.

Inside the joint? like deep into the Brachi? If so you have a supinator muscle sitting there that wont come right without intervention - ask me its a bitch! Takes a while to get better after many needling sessions and ESPECIALLY rest.
Otherwise Brachialis and Brachialis radialis also take a whacking.

now i am begining to get scared...

ok ok, sounds like there could be a trigger point in the bicep or brachialis, or even supinator. Possible tendonitis as well. Best bet is a full assessment of the elbow and surrounding musculature, and most likely extensive dry needling. Like jack said, pretty painful but worth it in the end

thanks for the long awaited professional answer spike...now what i wanna know is, if i just ignore it and carry on as normal, will it go away? Or will it get worse and whats the worst that could happen?

Wayne wrote: thanks for the long awaited professional answer spike...now what i wanna know is, if i just ignore it and carry on as normal, will it go away? Or will it get worse and whats the worst that could happen?

Wayne i kept training and it kept me going for needling. Rest while going for your treatment until there is no pain. Mine was about 4 weeks. Went back with light training etc. Here rushing just wont help you at all.

training will aggravate any tendonitis that is present, even a week off can make the difference

I kind of have a simular thing in my left bicep. Injured it beginning 2010. With the symtoms i had then it was general consensus that it was tennis elbow. Gave it a 2 months brake. Still i cant do allot of excercises. The only biceps excercise i can do is hammer curls. Cant even do a normal biceps curl with a 6kg dumbell. Cant do pull up; lat pull downs or dumbell upright rows. This 1 a year later......

ABC01 wrote: I kind of have a simular thing in my left bicep. Injured it beginning 2010. With the symtoms i had then it was general consensus that it was tennis elbow. Gave it a 2 months brake. Still i cant do allot of excercises. The only biceps excercise i can do is hammer curls. Cant even do a normal biceps curl with a 6kg dumbell. Cant do pull up; lat pull downs or dumbell upright rows. This 1 a year later......

Like i said - doesnt go away without intervention. The Chiro told me that. And just to make sure you should go see one. Probably not Tennis Elbow - thats a general term for inflamation in that region. Get specific.

I did go see a chiro back then. At that stage both my left shoulder and my bicep was screwed. Im happy to say that my shoulder is fine now. Feel a bit while im doing heavy weights. Its def weaker than the right shoulder.

Think i should go for MRI scan for bicep. Only prob is medical aid does not pay for it and im probably looking at about R2500 if im not mistaken

abc, my pain is opposite, i cant do any hammer movements, thats wen the pain is at its worst, if i do a normal curl wit 5kg dumbell, i can get away...

Sounds like a tendon prob to me is your brachiorodiolis sore when you train forearms?

For me what works great is dry needling for muscle pain and trigger points.Works wonders well worth the buck.Have you given that a try yet.

nope, i have no pain what so ever when doing wrist curls for forearms....

abc, you will be wasting your money on an mri, a diagnostic ultrasound will tell us all we need to know and that'll only set you back a few hundred buck.

Mine is getn worse. I felt sharp pains in my bottom part of the bicep,elbow when lifting the weight for chest last night. Argh. Took some joint pills...like that will help.lol.

Regards

spike wrote: abc, you will be wasting your money on an mri, a diagnostic ultrasound will tell us all we need to know and that'll only set you back a few hundred buck.

Thanx spike! Where do i go for that? a Specialist?

most radiology clinics should be able to do diagnostic ultrasound. Phone around and see. But most importantly you need to know what you're looking for?