UKC

Few weeks ago I was shifting heavy rocks on a sack barrow in the back garden. Whilst hauling a particularly heavy one up some stairs, something 'went' in my arm. I now get these shooting pains in my lower bicep, about where the tendon meets the elbow, whenever I do anything that involves flexing my arm, such as a bicep curl at the gym, or a pull-down. OK with tricep stuff though.

It's now been 2 months, and doesn't seem to be improving much. Anyone had this sort of thing? Advice welcome.

In reply to BrianT:

did you get any bruising when you first did injury ?

In reply to lost1977: No, not that I could see. It's just this strain/pain at the bottom of my bicep, slightly towards the outside.

If I push my fingers into my flexed bicep, and run them over towards the outside, there's a dip or groove, between the main muscle and one lying under it, on the outside of my upper arm, some 3" above the elbow. It's that region where the pain is. I feel it especially if I acutely flex my left arm and then rotate my lower arm, so my palm goes from facing me, to facing rightwards. Ouch.

In reply to BrianT:
Bloke at the gym reckons it ought to clear up in a few weeks but it's been a few weeks already.

In reply to BrianT:
Have you been to the doctor? Maybe something like a steroid injection would speed up the healing

In reply to boswelox: I'm thinking I ought to go to the doc, yeah. Never have before with pulls and strains; they usually just heal up, but this one isn't going.

In reply to BrianT:

My ex had chronic tennis elbow (she was a builder) steroid injection cleared it right up.

In reply to boswelox: Min's not tennis elbow though. I definitely felt it go when shifting the rock, and it's not in the joint, but at the base of the bicep muscle, where the tendon is.

In reply to BrianT:

Yeah but tennis elbow is tendon damage, which sounds similar to you problem. However, I was struck off for transplanting a chicken's head onto one of my patients so don't take my word for it.

In reply to BrianT:

It can be a long slow job. I did the tendon - bicep attachment whilst tightening scaffold fittings many years ago, and aggraveated it hanging off overhangs and doing pull ups.

Rest, Rest, Rest, Gentle Physio, Rest, and more physio.

Dont start playing monkeys as soon as the pain has eased, because you'll just tweak it again, and be back to square one.

I've still got to look after it, and avoid any sudden wrenching movements, if I want to stay strong.

Take care. It can be blooody frustrating for a climber, when all you want to do is climb!

In reply to Lord of Starkness:

Resting is not the answer. I had the same issue in December.

Go to a sports injury physio. If they are any good they will work out a programme for you involving:

1. Some simple stretching exercises a couple of times a day
2. After two/ three weeks a regieme involving stretching and some very light weights - a couple of kilos - doing bicep curls and some tricep flys.
3.Very easy climbing on the walls - I stepped down to 5+'s which was very boring but worked
4. Some massaging/ heat tratment, maybe acupunture depending on hteir capapbilities

Apparently the worst thing you can do is rest..you need to very lightl;y exercise the area.

All I can say is it worked for me.