The Armour Archive

Anyone ever suffer from bicep tendonitis?

I've had lateral epidcondylitis (tennis elbow) in my sword arm for years, and just recently developed bicep tendonitis in my left arm (and it seems to be more consistent if not quite as debilitating).

Thanks!

Max Von Halstern

I had Tennis elbow when I started fighting, mostly due to bad form. I fixed the form a little but also picked up a great exercise for tennis elbow.
Set a knee on a bench, take a LIGHT weight dumbell and let the arm in question hang loose.
As in an arm dumbell row


But then without bending the arm, start gently drawing number 8 figures with your hand and wrist. This exercise is a lot gentler than many others, yet it does wonders because it stretches and exercises without putting stress on the tendon.
I had fantastic results with this, and it is a good idea to do a few before fighter practice, to stretch the tendon as you would with your legs.

I hope this helps.

Glaukos

Max, it's probably caused by dancing in armor. You should avoid that.

Have you gone to a physical therapist? I've had great results from PT, but it only works if you continue the exercises at home in perpetuity.

Skutai wrote: PT only works if you continue the exercises at home in perpetuity.

You are not kidding!

Yes, It sucks.
What fixed it was when they cleared out all the crap in my shoulder shaved off a bunch of bone in the socket and steaked my labrum back to the humerus. My arm was immobile for a month after the surgery. It has been almost a year now with out fighting (untill just a few weeks ago) and The long head of the biceps no longer causes me pain. In fact the surgery was a resounding success. Now its just a long slow road of building back both muscle and tendon strength.

It short stop using it with anything heavier than your toothbrush .

Max,

Here's a good excercise for tennis elbow.

Put your fingertips together like you are trying to pick something up.
Take a heavy rubber band and put it around your fingertips.
Open your hand (rubber band provides resistance)
Rotate your wrist in a circle clockwise slowly.
Close and open hand slowly
Rotate counter clockwise.
Repeat

This builds up a group of small muscles that act as shock absorbers in your elbow.

Roger

bkillian wrote:Yes, It sucks.
What fixed it was when they cleared out all the crap in my shoulder shaved off a bunch of bone in the socket and steaked my labrum back to the humerus. My arm was immobile for a month after the surgery. It has been almost a year now with out fighting (untill just a few weeks ago) and The long head of the biceps no longer causes me pain. In fact the surgery was a resounding success. Now its just a long slow road of building back both muscle and tendon strength.

In short stop using it with anything heavier than your toothbrush .

Unfortunately, the tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) is in my right arm -- my left arm just developed the bicep tendonitis that is more along the lines of what Sir Brian Killian described (Orthopod suggested nothing but extremely minimal exertions and warned of potential tendon snapping creating a bunched-up tendon in the bicep. Prescription was minimal mobility, super-heavy NSAIDS, and Physical Therapy. Since none of those has proved at all helpful on the lateral epicondylitis in the other arm, I'm naturally a bit skeptical.

Thanks!!

Max

And it's not related to rotator cuff? When my ro-tater acts up it will shoot pain down the bicep.

bkillian wrote:Yes, It sucks.
What fixed it was when they cleared out all the crap in my shoulder shaved off a bunch of bone in the socket and steaked my labrum back to the humerus. My arm was immobile for a month after the surgery. It has been almost a year now with out fighting (untill just a few weeks ago) and The long head of the biceps no longer causes me pain. In fact the surgery was a resounding success. Now its just a long slow road of building back both muscle and tendon strength.

It short stop using it with anything heavier than your toothbrush .

Holy Crap!
That is exactly what my surgeon explained to me on Monday.
I have a few months of PT then we have to make a decision.
I've been suffering since I lost a ton of weight and all the "padding" in my shoulder went away.

Max,

Egoscue therapy should be able to help with your problems. Try picking up "Pain Free" by Peter Egoscue. If you want to discuss anything with me, send me an e-mail.

Regards,

paulb wrote:Max,

Egoscue therapy should be able to help with your problems. Try picking up "Pain Free" by Peter Egoscue. If you want to discuss anything with me, send me an e-mail.

Regards,

Thanks, your Grace.

I'll certainly check it out - and drop you a line with questions!

Appreciated, as always!

Max

Sir Omarad wrote:

bkillian wrote:Yes, It sucks.
What fixed it was when they cleared out all the crap in my shoulder shaved off a bunch of bone in the socket and steaked my labrum back to the humerus. My arm was immobile for a month after the surgery. It has been almost a year now with out fighting (untill just a few weeks ago) and The long head of the biceps no longer causes me pain. In fact the surgery was a resounding success. Now its just a long slow road of building back both muscle and tendon strength.

It short stop using it with anything heavier than your toothbrush .

Holy Crap!
That is exactly what my surgeon explained to me on Monday.
I have a few months of PT then we have to make a decision.
I've been suffering since I lost a ton of weight and all the "padding" in my shoulder went away.

My doc has pretty much told me the same thing. Been dealing with PT for a year now. Arm isnt bad for normal day stuff, just stiff all the time in the shoulder area. But when I fight it gets wore out quick, or everyonce and awhile a tendon goes over one of the spurs and I am done for the day. So right now debating on if I care about fighting enough to have the surgery. With all the crap thats gone on this year with the SCA for me, I am leaning towards not doing it and just stepping away.

I know this is weird but how are your feet. Had a migrating pain in my arms that manifested in bicep pain. Was a neck thing caused by posture, caused by bad feet. Got some lifts and solved. Weird but true. You should check it out! Jousting without pain helps you smash it harder.

Andrew McKinnon wrote:I know this is weird but how are your feet. Had a migrating pain in my arms that manifested in bicep pain. Was a neck thing caused by posture, caused by bad feet. Got some lifts and solved. Weird but true. You should check it out! Jousting without pain helps you smash it harder.

Totally grok that. Generally, my biomechanics are decent (kind've have to be, since I spend so much time teaching newcomers about the foundational biomechanics of good technique) -- but I do have fallen arches and tendon damage in my knee (I literally had an opponent "sweep the knee" a la Karate Kid three times in a row in a tourney in the 1990s -- fortunately he was later banned from the lists forever).

Appreciate the thought -- and it's definitely something folks should watch-out for. If you read Duke Paul's forum, you'll see him talking alot about joint-friendly stances and techniques.

Max Von Halstern