Biceps Tendonitis

What is biceps tendonitis?

Tendons are connective tissue bands that attach muscles to bones. The biceps muscle is located in the front part of the upper arm and attaches at the elbow and in two places at the shoulder. Biceps tendonitis, also called bicipital tendonitis, is inflammation that causes pain in the front part of the shoulder or upper arm.

How does it occur?

Biceps tendonitis occurs from overuse of the arm and shoulder or from an injury to the biceps tendon.

What are the symptoms?

You feel pain when you move your arm and shoulder, especially when you move your arm forward over shoulder height. You feel pain when you touch the front of your shoulder.

How is it diagnosed?

Your health care provider will examine your arm and shoulder for tenderness along the biceps muscle and biceps tendons.

How is it treated?

Treatment may include:

• placing ice packs on your shoulder for 20 to 30 minutes every 3 to 4 hours for 2 or 3 days or until the pain goes away
• taking anti-inflammatory medicine
• getting an injection of a corticosteroid medicine to reduce the inflammation and pain
• doing rehabilitation exercises.

How long will the effects last?

The length of recovery depends on many factors such as your age, health, and if you have had a previous injury. Recovery time also depends on the severity of the injury. A mild injury may recover within a few weeks, whereas a severe injury may take 6 weeks or longer to recover. You need to stop doing the activities that cause pain until the tendon has healed. If you continue doing activities that cause the tendon pain, your symptoms will return and it will take longer to recover.

When can I return to my normal activities?

Everyone recovers from an injury at a different rate. Return to your activities will be determined by how soon your tendon recovers, not by how many days or weeks it has been since your injury has occurred. In general, the longer you have symptoms before you start treatment, the longer it will take to get better. The goal of rehabilitation is to return you to your normal activities as soon as is safely possible. If you return too soon you may worsen your injury.

You may safely return to your normal activities when:

• Your injured shoulder has full range of motion without pain.
• Your injured shoulder has regained normal strength compared to the uninjured shoulder.

How can I prevent biceps tendonitis?

You can best prevent biceps tendonitis by doing a proper warm-up and stretching exercises for your arm and shoulder before your activity.