Exercise has many benefits, but it also has risk of injury. Unfortunately, tendonitis is a common occurrence in active people. It is an inflammation or irritation in the tendon of a muscle, the thick, fibrous band that connects muscle to bone. While tendonitis can occur in any muscle it is most common around the shoulders, elbows, wrists and heels, according to the Mayo Clinic.com. Bicep tendonitis is usually felt around the shoulder and is one of these common areas of tendonitis.
Biceps Anatomy
Your biceps muscle runs along the front of your upper arm. It has two heads: long and short. The long head originates on the top of the shoulder socket, while the short head originates on the coracoid process of the scapula. They both come together to insert past your elbow and on the radius in your lower arm. The primary movement of the biceps is to flex the elbow and supinate the forearm. But it also assists in flexion of the shoulder joint. Biceps tendonitis usually occurs in the long head of the biceps in conjunction with other shoulder problems.
Shoulder Anatomy
Your shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint. The socket is the glenoid fossa on your scapula while the ball is the head of the humerus, or upper arm bone. The long head of the biceps tendon lies under the anterior deltoid. The anterior portion of the deltoid muscle originates on the clavicle and inserts on the humerus. The primary motion of the anterior delt is shoulder flexion, which is the motion that the biceps assists and why anterior deltoid exercises can irritate biceps tendonitis.
Common Anterior Deltoid Exercises
One of the most common exercises for the anterior delts is a front raise, performed with dumbbells or a barbell. These are executed by standing holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your body. Keeping the elbows straight, raise the weights straight in front of you to shoulder height. Lower back to the starting position for one complete repetition. The anterior delt will also assist in push-ups or bench press movements, so these may also aggravate biceps tendonitis.
Treatment Options
Without some type of treatment and continuation of training you could rupture the tendon. This would require surgical repair and a longer recovery, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. If you are in the early stages with no tearing, you may be able to treat the tendonitis with non-surgical methods. First you need to rest. This means avoiding any activity that aggravates the condition. Ice and anti-inflammatory medications can be used to ease discomfort and swelling. If necessary, your doctor may also give you a steroidal injection. Physical therapy can help strengthen the muscles and tendons of the shoulder to get you back to full, pain-free movement.
References
- "ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2010
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Tendonitis of the Long Head of the Biceps
- ExRx.net: Deltoid (Anterior)
- American Council on Exercise: Shoulder Exercises
- Mayo Clinic.com: Tendinitis
