The bicep muscle is located on the front of your arm between the upper head of the humerus and the elbow joint. A bicep muscle injury can be caused by overuse, muscle tears or muscle strains. Treatments will vary depending on the severity of the injury. If your bicep muscle does not feel better with home-based treatment within a couple of days, schedule a visit with your doctor.
Severity
Muscle strains are often categorized into three levels of severity: mild, moderate and severe, or grades I, II and III. Your doctor or sports therapist may determine the severity by the degree of pain you feel, whether muscle spasms are involved, your range of motion following injury and the degree of swelling or loss of strength in the bicep muscle. Most injuries to the bicep muscle occur at or near the elbow, according to ebicep.com, a website dedicated to bicep exercises and workouts.
Rest
Rest the injured arm and resist exercising or using the arm for between 3 and 7 days post-injury. One to two days of rest are suggested for even mild muscle strain, which allows muscle fibers to begin the healing process. Any use or exercise of an injured bicep muscle may delay the healing process and lead to swelling or increased pain in the area.
Ice
Treat a mild to moderate muscle strain with periodic ice or ice pack treatments. Wrap an ice block or bag of frozen peas or vegetables in a towel and place over the injured bicep for 20 to 30 minutes, and then remove. You can repeat the ice pack treatments once every hour or so. When possible, keep the arm at shoulder level so that you reduce the level of swelling or discomfort in the arm beneath the injury.
Compression
For bicep injuries that cause swelling, wrap an elastic bandage around the arm, but not so tight you reduce blood flow or feel pain. The bandage is merely to keep swelling in check. If you experience swelling or bruising of your bicep, you may have twisted, pulled or torn the muscle or a tendon. If you feel severe pain or can't use the muscle at all, contact your doctor. You may have torn a ligament or tendon as well as injuring your bicep.
Exercise
Wait until all swelling and bruising goes down, then slowly begin exercising the injured arm to facilitate healing. Start with slow and gentle stretches; if you feel pain, reduce the range of motion of the exercises. Follow your doctor's orders when exercising after moderate to severe muscle pulls and strains.
