After we give the biceps tendon enough time to heal to the radius bone you start physical therapy. Once you have completed your therapy, most patients are capable of returning to
full
activities — including sports, jobs with heavy lifting, and weight lifting.
How can I exercise with a torn bicep?
With your palm down, raise the arm on your injured side and touch the thumb side of your hand to the wall. Make sure your arm is straight, and then turn your body away from your raised arm until you feel a stretch in the biceps. Hold this stretch for about 15 seconds. Rest, and then complete 2 more reps.
Can you still workout with a torn bicep?
After we give the biceps tendon enough time to heal to the radius bone you start physical therapy. Once you have completed your therapy, most patients are capable of returning to
full
activities — including sports, jobs with heavy lifting, and weight lifting.
Can a torn bicep muscle heal on its own?
Once a bicep is torn,
it unfortunately will not reattach itself to the bone and heal on its own
. There are, however, a variety of treatment options available depending on the severity of your injury and whether it was a partial or complete tear.
Can you function with a torn bicep?
Many people with a biceps tendon tear can still function well. They may only need simple treatments, like icing, aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil), and rest.
Physical therapy and cortisone injections
may also help.
Can I lift weights with a torn bicep?
After we give the biceps tendon enough time to heal to the radius bone you start physical therapy. Once you have completed your therapy, most patients are capable of returning to full activities — including sports, jobs with heavy lifting, and weight lifting.
Are bicep tears permanent?
Unfortunately, if a tear has occurred at the elbow the
biceps tendon will not grow back to the bone and heal itself
regardless of what therapies you try. Although some movement may be possible due to the function of the other muscles in the arm, the full capabilities and strength of the arm will not be possible.
Do you need surgery for a torn bicep?
Many people can still function with a biceps tendon tear, and only need simple treatments to relieve symptoms. If symptoms cannot be relieved by nonsurgical treatments, or if a patient requires complete recovery of strength,
surgery to repair the torn tendor may be required
.
How do you know if you’ve torn your bicep?
Weakness in the shoulder
.
Bruising on the upper arm
.
Inability to move or rotate your arm
.
Change in the look
of the bicep in the upper arm (it may look popped out)
How do you check for a torn bicep?
- a “pop” or tearing sensation when the injury happens.
- warmth around the injury.
- swelling.
- bruising.
- pain or ache at the injury site, and throughout your arm (usually severe at first, and may get better over a few weeks)
- arm weakness.
- difficulty turning your palm.
How long can you wait to repair a torn bicep tendon?
Surgery to repair the tendon should be performed during the
first 2 to 3 weeks after injury
. After this time, the tendon and biceps muscle begin to scar and shorten, and restoring arm function with surgery may not be possible.
How long does a torn bicep take to heal?
It takes
about 3 to 4 months
for your biceps muscle to heal. You may be able to do easier daily activities in 2 to 3 weeks, as long as you don’t use your injured arm. Most people who work at a desk job can return to work in 1 to 2 weeks.
Is distal bicep surgery worth it?
Surgeons seem to agree that the benefit of surgery is
a little more supination strength
, with flexion strength returning close to normal with or without surgery. An untreated rupture causes less deformity than with proximal biceps rupture
Can an old bicep tear be repaired?
Isolated Long Head Biceps Tendon tears
are sometimes treated non-operatively in older
, lower demand patients. Younger patients and athletes will benefit from surgical repair that is termed a tenodesis in which the tendon is reattached in an appropriate location to restore function and secondarily to improve cosmesis.
How do they reattach a torn bicep tendon?
Some techniques require the tendon to be reattached using
stitches passed through holes drilled in the bone
, and other times a small metal implant may be used to reattach the tendon. A biceps tendon repair requires the surgeon to make a small incision over the upper forearm.
What happens if a torn tendon is not repaired?
If left untreated, eventually it can result in other foot and leg problems, such as inflammation and
pain
in the ligaments in the soles of your foot (plantar faciitis), tendinitis in other parts of your foot, shin splints, pain in your ankles, knees and hips and, in severe cases, arthritis in your foot.
