Your bicep muscles are so tough, they’re difficult to injure. The same can’t be said of the tendons that connect that muscle to the bones in your shoulder and elbow. When one of the tendons gets stretched too much, mini-tears may appear, which causes pain, stiffness and a restricted range of motion. Biceps tendonitis doesn’t go away on its own, so you need to seek medical attention. Redefine Healthcare, in multiple New Jersey locations, offers top-rated pain management doctors who know how to make an accurate diagnosis and formulate an effective treatment plan. Call the practice today for a consultation.
The biceps muscle is located in front of your upper arm. A tough muscle to hurt, it’s attached to your shoulder blade by two tendons, those thick fibrous cords that connect muscle to bone. When a tendon becomes inflamed, it’s called tendonitis. With biceps tendonitis, the long head tendon, the longer of the two, becomes inflamed, causing pain and a reduced range of motion. Biceps tendonitis may accompany other conditions, such as:
If you’re experiencing inflammation of your biceps tendon, don’t wait for it to get better on its own. It won’t. Instead, seek out medical attention. Schedule an examination from a pain expert in New Jersey like the pain management doctors at Redefine Healthcare. They find the source of your pain and then determine the best form of treatment for you.
Dr. Freeman is a very caring, thorough and skilled doctor. The staff is fantastic. Glensi and Kim welcome you with a smile. Ana makes you feel like family when bringing you into the exam room or starting your EMG and Ronnie always returns your calls. I highly recommend Redefine Healthcare if you are experiencing pain.
A throbbing ache or tenderness in the front of your shoulder may be a sign that you have or are developing biceps tendonitis. The pain may worsen with movement, especially when you reach overhead. Other symptoms of the injury include:
The pain may radiate down your arm, like many other ailments that affect your arm or shoulder. The symptoms can make it difficult for your doctor to distinguish biceps tendonitis from other conditions, including a pinched nerve in your neck or even cervical disc degeneration. The pain may get worse at night, especially if you lie on the affected shoulder.
Ordinary wear and tear can cause your tendons to weaken over time. This weakening may get worse with repetitive activities that require heavy or prolonged use of your shoulder and arm muscles, such as swimming or playing tennis. Other causes and risk factors of this condition include:
Some types of work, such as factory work, require repetitive movements and increase your risk of developing biceps tendonitis. The aging process also makes you more vulnerable, as it causes changes to the circulation and tendon elasticity of your biceps. Getting older not only increases your risk of injury, but it also reduces your ability to heal efficiently.
Treatment usually starts with the most conservative remedies, such as rest, ice and over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen or naproxen. To start to heal, avoid activities that worsen your pain. If your arm and shoulder continue to cause you pain, your doctor may recommend more aggressive treatment options, such as:
Biceps tendonitis may improve in one or two weeks with these treatments. If there’s no improvement from any of these treatments, surgery may be needed, but that’s usually only necessary in severe cases.
It’s easier to try to prevent biceps tendonitis than it is to recover from it. The things you can do to help prevent this condition include:
If you do a lot of overhead activity at your job or while doing household chores, take breaks periodically. Don’t try to work through the pain, since pain is your body’s way of letting you know that there’s something wrong and you should stop what you’re doing.
If you have pain in your arm or shoulder that isn’t responding to home treatment, see your NJ pain management doctor for an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. If you don’t have your tendonitis treated promptly, you increase the risk of experiencing more serious medical problems, such as a tendon rupture. When you have your biceps tendonitis diagnosed and treated early, there’s a good chance you’ll recovery your full shoulder range of motion.
At Redefine Healthcare, patient care and pain relief are top priorities. Whether you have arm pain, back pain, knee pain or hip pain, expert pain management professionals can help. They have six convenient locations and have been providing treatments for effective pain relief for more than 20 years. Contact the nearest facility in northern New Jersey.
I have been a patient of Dr Friedman for 11 years now, he has managed my pain with compassion and professionalism. I would recommend and have recommended him to anybody that is suffering from chronic pain. the staff is friendly the office is clean and modern , with state-of-the-art modalities.
Dr. Eric D. Freeman is a top-rated, best-in-class pain management doctor. He is a nationally recognized pain relief specialist and is among the top pain care doctors in New Jersey and the country. He is an award-winning expert and contributor to prominent media outlets. Dr. Eric D. Freeman has been recognized for his thoughtful, thorough, modern approach to treating chronic pain. He has been named a “top pain management doctor in New Jersey” and one of “America’s Top Physicians” for advanced sports injury treatments.
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