What is biceps tendinitis?
Biceps tendinitis develops due to inflammation in the upper biceps tendon. Also known as the slender head of the biceps tendon, this durable, cord-like attachment joins the biceps muscle to the bone within the shoulder socket.
What are the signs?
The most common sign of biceps tendinitis is a pain in the anterior of the shoulder and weakness in the shoulder.
Symptoms of biceps tendinitis include the following:
- Shoulder pain that exacerbates when lifting something heavy
- Shoulder tenderness
- Pain that travels down the arm bone
- A snapping sensation in the shoulder
What are some of the causes of biceps tendinitis?
Biceps tendinitis occurs due to damage to the biceps tendon over time. Due to ageing, the tendons may wear away. As a result, this form of degeneration becomes worse due to overuse which involves engaging in the same repetitive shoulder movements.
How do you treat biceps tendinitis?
After assessing the health of the joint and surrounding structures using diagnostic equipment (X-ray, ultrasound or MRI), Dr du Toit will discuss the different treatment modalities at his disposal.
Conservative treatment measures for biceps tendinitis include:
- Rest involves avoiding high-intensity sports.
- Regular ice (cold) applications should occur every twenty minutes, with breaks in between. However, you must avoid applying ice to the skin directly. Fortunately, this should keep the swelling down.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories are taken to alleviate pain and swelling.
- Steroid injections such as cortisone injections are anti-inflammatory medications administered directly to the tendon to ease the pain.
- Physical therapy involves a licensed physical therapist working with the patient to restore strength and mobility of the shoulder.
Surgery to help treat biceps tendinitis is considered when all conservative treatment options have been exhausted. Fortunately, surgery to treat biceps tendinitis can be done arthroscopically, meaning fewer incisions are made, which helps speed up your recovery time in the long run.
During arthroscopic surgery, Dr du Toit inserts a slender bendable tube (arthroscope) through a tiny incision over the shoulder joint. He can either repair the biceps tendon if it’s still attached to the glenoid or remove the injured segment of the biceps and reconnect the residual tendon to the humerus.