Bicep Tendonitis, Bicep Strain

Bicep tendonitis is a term for painful inflammation of the tendon connecting the bicep muscle to the shoulder. Symptoms include an extremely piercing pain, a shooting or burning pain at the front of the shoulder, especially when you move your arm forward over shoulder height, or during an activity like throwing something. The bicep muscle is in the front part of the upper arm, the bicep tendons connect this muscle to the elbow and at two points on the shoulder. The degree of injury ranges from an irritated tendon to a tear or even a complete rupture of the tendon. Bicep tendonitis is not as common as achilles or supraspinatus, though it is prevalent among weightlifting sports.

Bicep Tendonitis is should not be left untreated as it can degenerate and become more difficult to treat. When treating the bicep tendon(s), rest the area (meaning do NOT workout this area other than stretching), apply ice for 10-20 minutes at a time for at least 3 times a day. Do this to the injured area for the first day to 3 days. Moist heat may be used after the acute swelling is improved and rest prevents further muscle injury. Ultrasound and ice will reduces initial inflammation and swelling and will circulate blood through the area to speed the healing process. If the patient gradually starting flexing and mobilising the area, the muscle would probably heal very well.

However, this is not what typical person does; they may ice once or twice and rest a bit, but most often just take some Advil or Tylenol and continue to commence their workouts. If the strain was minor, their body may be able to heal the muscle fibers normally. Unfortunately, this is not the usual result because the injured muscle is being used instead of rested. Because of the stress on the muscle, their body heals the injured muscle fibers by binding them together with fibrotic adhesions or scar tissue. This is done in an attempt to prevent further damage to the injured area. It is a normal protective response of their body.

To prevent this the patient should apply ultrasound treatment on the area up to three times daily. Ultrasonic energy will naturally "work" the tendon, increasing its flexibily while softening and breaking down scar tissue - which is not something you want in your tendon. Scar tissue is inflexible (non-elastic), and can quickly lead to reinjury of the tendon later down the road.

The trick to any tendon injury is getting it to heal with minimal scar tissue formation and with as much realignment of tendon fibres as possible - something radiant energy and ultrasound are great at! Even with optimum healing there is always less elasticity in a previously injured tendon. The trick is to make sure you heal this the best you can, that way your chance of reinjury down the road is much lower than average - which is well over 50%.

Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy™

An Inferno Wrap™ is one of the most helpful tools for a muscle injury. With Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy™ tissues are safely and gently heated - increasing blood flow within the treated area. Your body’s natural response to this increased temperature is to try to maintain a condition of homeostasis — a balanced environment or state of equilibrium throughout the body. To do this, your body responds with a rapid increase in blood flow to the area (this is known as vasodilation), increasing the supply of nutrients to injured cells and flushing out toxins (including lactic acid, commonly found in trigger points) to promote healing. An Inferno Wrap™ provides effective, non-invasive, non-addictive pain relief with no side effects.

Our Cold Compression Wraps are recommended as the best by the Cleveland Clinic, several professional sports organizations, and countless medical professionals. That's why we sell them, because they are the best. We have noticed over time that our customers are so fond of our cold wraps that they are frequently coming back and ordering a second one - this way they can cool one while wearing the other. The wraps are becoming very popular with baseball and soccer trainers, and the wraps can be conveniently stored in a cooler for quick application on the field when needed.

Ultrasound Therapy is also a helpful tool for pain prevention of a bicep tendonitis, and having a portable ultrasound device at home can be a powerful and convenient treatment tool. If you have symptoms or are recovering from a bicep injury, using ultrasound on a regular basis before your activity or throughout the day will help relax your muscles, tendons and tissues, diminish pain and inflammation, soften scar tissue and contribute greatly to the healing of your injury.

If you suffer from mild inflammation or pain after certain activities or movements use ultrasound therapy when you complete the activity and then rest and elevate your arm. Limit the application of ultrasound to a couple of treatments per day (the manual will recommend treatment frequency depending upon the injury). In between ultrasound treatments, maximize your pain relief and injury recovery by using the Thermotex Personal Therapy System. Proven Performance, Proven Relief - only found at the MendMeShop. If you have been given a treatment plan by your health professional, make sure you adhere to it to ensure pain free living. In general, people who are committed to their therapies and exercises will have the best medical outcomes.