Distal Biceps Tendonitis

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Messages 1 - 18 of total 18 in this topic
Mark Hudon

Trad climber
Hood River, OR
Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 19, 2012 - 01:42pm PT
Yup, that's me, right arm.
Michelle

Trad climber
Toshi's Station, picking up power converters.
Nov 19, 2012 - 01:45pm PT
yep, went through similar (proximal) recently while swimming tons.

sucks!

Mark Hudon

Trad climber
Hood River, OR
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 19, 2012 - 01:47pm PT
What have you done about it?
ontheedgeandscaredtodeath

Trad climber
SLO, Ca
Nov 19, 2012 - 01:47pm PT
Might be shoulder related. I was experiencing this and spent a bunch of time loosening up my shoulder with foam rollers, bands, etc. I also saw a chiropractor a few times. Fixed it right up.
Michelle

Trad climber
Toshi's Station, picking up power converters.
Nov 19, 2012 - 01:53pm PT
rest was the main one. lots of ultrasound, deep massage and tons of stretching. heat and cold. spent less time in the pool, which was a heated therapy pool. I can't be in water and just sit, I have to be moving. I was as aggressive as I could be with the passive things.

not sure what caused your issue but I had to totally retrain my strokes to be more efficient. that made a difference too.

good luck!

Double D

climber
Nov 19, 2012 - 02:05pm PT
Dang Mark, sorry to hear this. I've had years of off and on tendonitis (various fingers) and have had shoulder rotator cuff problems the later I had surgery which was successful, the former I just had to wait it out. Every 7 years your body will heal tendons so like when your officially ready for Social Security... you can ramp up again.

Good luck and hopefully you can keep inspiring us old farts.

Mark Hudon

Trad climber
Hood River, OR
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 19, 2012 - 02:13pm PT
Somehow I can't even imagine the guy on the back cover of Yosemite Climber even saying the words "Social Secruity"!
John Butler

Social climber
SLC, Utah
Nov 19, 2012 - 03:28pm PT
Rest... then:
heat, stretch, massage and progressive exercises without pain. If the exercise hurts you can't do it.

Nice to have a good physical therapist to get you on a program.

I'm just about pain free with mine after about 6 months. Being old sucks. This sort of thing worked itself out in a week or two BITD.

jb
bmacd

Trad climber
100% Canadian
Nov 19, 2012 - 03:35pm PT
Google "bone broth soup tendon health" the body builders discuss this in forums somewhere too.

Agreed on the Traumeel & yoga as stated below
Ksolem

Trad climber
Monrovia, California
Nov 19, 2012 - 03:59pm PT
Be careful with vitamin I, it's a double edge sword. Read up on prostaglandin inhibitors, you'll see that while they are effective at stopping inflammation they also inhibit the healing process. Long term they are usually not a good choice.

There is a homeopathic product called traumeel which I have found to be very effective. I use the gel topically and also like the systemic sublingual tabs. The ointment is kind of messy.

Michelle

Trad climber
Toshi's Station, picking up power converters.
Nov 19, 2012 - 04:07pm PT
Can I have all your gear? Jk

I've been also thinking about monthly myofascial release treatments for my hips as well. Kinda pricey but worth it.

I also have several different meds I rotate around to deal. Aspirin, Tylenol, freakib mobic (don't do it!) And the occasional tramadol and less occassional Vic. I love yoga for strengthening and flexibility.
mctwisted

Trad climber
e.p.
Nov 19, 2012 - 08:45pm PT
Mark, it worth getting this book-"the big book of endurance training and racing" dr. philip maffetone. through amazon. i've had tendonitis for years and this book has helped more than anything else
duncan

climber
London, UK
Nov 20, 2012 - 03:28am PT
Who diagnosed Biceps tendonitis? Tendonitis is an archaic term since there is usually no/very little inflammation occurring in tendon problems. Consequently, anti-inflammatory medications ("Vitamin I" - ugh! - steroid injections) are usually of little help. NSAIDs are also painkillers, so the problem may feel a little better if you take them, but they will not be helping the tendinopathy and might be hindering normal healing. Dave Macleod suggests elbow crease pain (especially when triggered by compression moves) is commonly due to brachoradialis rather than biceps tendon. Search for his thoughts on this.

What to do?

Most importantly and hardest to identify and address, you need to analyse what in your climbing, training, or other aspects of lifestyle are predisposing you to this. Why has this happened now? It may be a non-ideal movement habit, it may be a muscle imbalance or tightness related to a non-ideal movement habit or posture. It may be an issue with your training. Have you been doing anything differently: increasing dose or changing how you train? Other psychological or health issues can contribute to musculoskeletal problems for well-understood physiological reasons. Anything else going on?

You seem pretty good at problem analysis but it is sometimes hard to self-analyse. An expert physical therapist who has experience in climbing problems and/or a climbing coach may well be able to help.

Address the local pathology: ice, massage, eccentric exercise (if it is indeed a tendonopathy), stretches. Complete rest is usually not helpful and not necessary but you may well need to change what you are currently doing. Take it a bit easier and do some trad. classics perhaps but don’t give up entirely.

Address the likely biomechanical predisposing factors: elbow problems are often related to shoulder minor instability and shoulder posture. My elbow pains were helped by an exercise progamme aimed at helping my shoulder problems: lots of press-ups and side planks for serratus anterior, rotator cuff exercises, thoracic spine stretches (“climbers posture”). This might not be the case for you of course, which is why you need to see someone.

Address the other issues if you have identified them.

Will Gadd and Dave Macleod have some useful things to say. Dave is writing a book on climbing injuries, I'm sure it will be well worth a read when it comes out.

http://willgadd.com/climbers-and-elbow-tendonitis/

http://onlineclimbingcoach.blogspot.ca/2011/02/golferstennis-elbow-etc-what-eccentrics.html
Mark Hudon

Trad climber
Hood River, OR
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 20, 2012 - 10:14am PT
Duncan, thanks, PM'd you.
Mark Hudon

Trad climber
Hood River, OR
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 20, 2012 - 10:39am PT
In his article Macleod talks about golfer's elbow and eccentric exercises. I did have golfer's elbow and did do the eccentric exercises and it really did a great job clearing up that issue. Might my current problem, pain at the bottom of my bicep, benefit from eccentric exercises the same way?
John Butler

Social climber
SLC, Utah
Nov 20, 2012 - 10:43am PT
The eccentrics are what my PT started me on... then transitioned into strengthening routines based on pain/inflammation feedback.
Don Paul

Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
Nov 20, 2012 - 11:48am PT
No insurance means I just fight through it and deal with the pain...

Locker I'm always advocating going outside the US for medical treament, if you're poor like me. I have medical insurance in Colombia, about $30/mo covers everything including dental with no deductible. I'll bet you could get a cortizone shot for less than $5 in mexico. In Mexico, Colombia and most of latin America, you just go into a drugstore if you need medicine. Some of them have signs that say "injections" which means they'll give you a shot right there. You're free to diagnose your own problem and order yourself an injection if you want. Or consult a doctor, up to you.
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Nov 20, 2012 - 04:23pm PT
hey there say, mark...

this book helped me with various neck and shoulder, after lugging in all my stuff to this house, when i moved...

OSTEOPATHIC
SELF-TREATMENT, BY LEON CHAITOW D.O., M.R.O.


SOME folks from england, that are osteopaths (well, retired now)
used and approved of it...

tells you when to see a doc, if you are in question...


get well soons, sorry to hear this...


say, ron:
oh my... does not sound good..
what can you do for this...
get well soon...

hope it does not iterfere with your work????


Messages 1 - 18 of total 18 in this topic
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