Tendon Injuries

What is Tendon Injuries?

Bicep’s tendonitis:

Bicep’s tendonitis is the name given to an irritated or inflamed long head of biceps tendon in the shoulder. Inflammation is caused by micro tears in the tendon that can be generated by overuse.

Repetitive movements can predispose to these micro tears / strain injuries from activities or sports, especially those involving overhead movements. Another typical cause is day-to-day activities that cause gradual degenerative changes to the biceps tendon as we age.

Biceps tendinitis typically presents as pain or tenderness in the front of the shoulder made worse by overhead activities, pain and aches that radiate down the arm bone and/or an occasional snapping sound within the shoulder.

Tricep’s tendonitis:

Triceps tendinitis is the name given to irritation or inflammation of the triceps tendon located at the base of the triceps muscle at the back of the elbow.

Tricep tendinopathies are more common in weightlifters, throwing athletes and soccer players due to the constant elbow extension movement. People with reduced strength or flexibility when lifting heavy objects increase the risk of triceps’ tendonitis.

Triceps tendinitis typically presents as pain, tenderness or stiffness in the back of the elbow made worse by elbow use and relieved by rest.

Biceps brachii sprain and strain injuries:

The biceps brachii muscle is a two-headed muscle that crosses both the shoulder and elbow joints and is responsible for flexing the elbow, supinating (externally rotating) the forearm and assisting with forward movement of the shoulder joint. Biceps brachii sprain and strain injuries are injuries to the biceps brachii muscle. A sprain refers to an injury of a ligament while a strain refers to an injury of a muscle.

Sprains and strains typically occur due to injury such as direct trauma, a fall or by lifting something too heavy, or due to repetitive overuse of the muscle without adequate recovery time. These cause over-stretching and possible tearing of the ligament or muscle fibres.

Biceps brachii sprain and strain injuries present as sudden, sharp pain in the upper arm, sometimes accompanied by an audible snap, tenderness over the shoulder or elbow, as well as cramping, bruising and/or weakness of the biceps brachii muscle.

Bicep tendon tears:

The biceps brachii muscle is a two-headed muscle that crosses both the shoulder and elbow joints and is responsible for flexing the elbow, supinating (externally rotating) the forearm and assisting with forward flexion of the shoulder joint. Tendons attach muscle to bones, and a tearing of a bicep’s tendon may be either partial (incomplete tear) or complete (splitting the tendon into two pieces).

There are two main causes of biceps tendon tears, and these are injury and overuse. Injury typically occurs through falling onto an outstretched hand, while overuse is a gradual process whereby repetitive microtrauma causes the tendon to weaken, fray and slowly tear over time. The long head of the biceps is the most susceptible to biceps tendon tears, however because the short head of the biceps rarely tears, many people can still use their biceps muscle even after a complete tear of the long head.

Typical symptoms associated with a bicep’s tendon tear include sudden, sharp pain in the upper arm, an audible “pop”, cramping of the biceps muscle and weakness of the biceps.

Here at Precision Health we offer services such as Chiropractic care and massage therapy which can aid in your recovery from Tendon injuries. Call (02) 9639 7337 or visit our website to book an appointment now!

Racich, C. and Tainter, N. (no date) Biceps tendinopathy,Physiopedia. Available at: https://www.physio-pedia.com/Biceps_Tendinopathy (Accessed: 18 September 2023).
De Proft , J. (no date) Triceps tendonitis, Physiopedia. Available at: https://www.physio-pedia.com/Triceps_tendonitis (Accessed: 18 September 2023).
Faruqi, T. and Rizvi., T.J. (2023) Subacromial Bursitis, National Library of Medicine. Available at:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541096/#:~:text=Subacromial%20bursitis%20is%20a%20common,repetitive%20overhead%20activities%20or%20trauma. (Accessed: September 2023).

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