Bicep Tendon Pain, Dammit...

[edro]

Goddamn preacher curls...
I never do them because I know it puts a lot of stress on your elbow joint and constrains your arms.
Towards the end of my back/bicep workout 2 weeks ago, I decided to do a few sets.
It felt a little funny while I was doing it, but nothing too terrible.

Ever since then, I get pain in my elbow joint, on the crease in the inside of my arm.
Pain is greatest when I do a hammer curl movement, at the very top of the range of motion.
If my palms are out, or my palms are down (reverse curl) the pain isn't nearly as bad.
Everything I read says it is golfer's elbow or distal bicep tendonitis or tendonosis.

I always use dumbells, pullups or cable machines for biceps.
I will never touch a barbell or EZ curl bar again for curls.

Anyone have or had this?
I will take it easy on movements that hurt it and use ibuprofen before workouts for a while.

 

[highland145]

I got that from cable tricep push downs with a straight bar. Switched to a rope and it went away.

I loved preacher curls until about 3 years ago...partial bicep tendon tear.

 

[moonbogg]

I had a bad case of tennis/golf elbow, or whatever its called. It hurt pretty bad. I got mine from doing too many pull ups and chin ups, but it was primarily caused by chin ups. I stopped them and hoped it would go away, but since the injury was already done, I had to stop ALL puling exercises for a few weeks. Then I gently started pulling again and eased back into it. Now I can pull again like a mother, but I still avoid chin ups. I can do all the pull ups I want, but I will never do another chin up.
That's tennis elbow injury from repeated use of the tendon. It took a couple weeks or more for mine to develop. You said you injured yours from a single session of preacher curls, so I'm not sure what to think about that. I'd avoid any pulling until you get it figured out. Imagine if the tendon snapped on you if you continued to stress it? It happens.

Here's a test you can do to see if its tennis elbow, at least this is what I felt like. Simply grasp something in your hand, extend your arm and rotate your wrist. Did that hurt? I'm just wondering because that caused me pain for a good long while before I started healing.

 

[edro]

I have still done 2 back/bicep days since the injury.
I still did pullups, as those don't seem to irritate it too bad.
I tried 10lb dumbbell curls and it hurt, so I stopped.

You're right though, all pulling exercises hurt it.
Hell, even lifting plates on the various machines and bars hurt it since it is basically a curl.

I will skip next week's back/bicep day and stay on ibuprofen for a week.
It sucks because back/bicep are my favorite day.
Oh well, by biceps are unproportionally large anyway. Maybe a few weeks off is good.

 

[moonbogg]

Since you mentioned it, I remember now. I was about to stop lifting completely for a few weeks because even loading the plates hurt the elbow and it hurt bad enough that I felt like I was just constantly injuring it more. I had to really go easy for a while. Good luck. Don't bust your tendon brother.

 

[ArchAngel777]

Funny how these injuries on thee boards seem to all come at the same time. I just recently did the same thing, from muscle-ups. I laid off for 1 complete week, then worked some very light pulling and pushing exercises back into it. Like 50% of my normal workout weights. I am in my 3rd week of recovery and things are getting better.

Note:

Bicep Tendon is inflamed, so straining out the arm completely, with even a small amount of weight hurt a bit, and also outside tendon that attaches to the upper forearm to my elbow as well. I must have developed tendonitis in multiple tendons, but this was due to the 300+ pull-ups I had been doing per week a few weeks before i did the muscle-ups. Darn American Ninja warrior... I kept training like that and eventually it caught up to me on my kid's playground... Had fun though, until I strained the tendons.

 

[edro]

Update:
Tendon still hurts if I make a hammer curl motion and squeeze tight at the most contracted position.
If I simply lift my arm up to its max position, there is no pain, but that extra clenching to really flex my bicep will make it hurt.

For back/bicep days I have been staying away from anything that could hurt it.
Cable Standing Lat Pushdowns (arms straight)
Cable Reverse Flay (arms straight)
Barbell Row, wide grip (to reduce bicep involvement)
Back Extensions
A few unweighted pullups - Didn't seem to hurt it at all

I have been doing 8-10 sec eccentric curls (slow negative) a few times a week. (as recommended by some websites on rehab for golfer's elbow)
These are harder than expected and I can feel the tendons being worked. They twinge and pop a little, and slightly hurt for a split second through the motion.
You basically lift the dumbell into top curl position with your good arm, then lower it to fully lowered position over 8 seconds.
It is a good workout even for my good arm. I have been using 10-15lbs on these eccentric curls, and it still gets a decent burn.

 

[edro]

Re-aggravated it somehow. Either from doing overhead press, or carrying my son around in that arm.
Either way, it is back to what it felt like a few weeks ago.
I guess I really need to be careful with it for a month or two to make sure it fully heals (if it ever will).

 

[edro]

Read that it could be MAPS (Middle Aged Pullup Syndrome). Fake syndrome coined by some trainer.
Apparently weighted pullups can cause this, which I do a lot of, and did on the day of the injury.
I usually do pullups first, but since it is a major motion at near max weight, it should be done AFTER warmup.
I would do 45lb pullups first in my routine. That could have been the cause. Damn. And I love pullups.
If this thing ever heals, I will be more careful with pullups.

 

[highland145]

3 years in and mine hasn't. Best of.

 

[highland145]

Lifted a box Saturday and jacked it up again. I can pick up my coffee but that's about it. Appointment at 4:00 today with the ortho. If surgery is the remedy, going to push for it ASAP. I'm about half way into my $10K deductible, ATM. Not to mention that my arms look like to guys that we used to laugh at.