If you’re having pain in or around your shoulder and elbow area that could be an indication of bicep tendonitis.

When we’re shoveling snow or attempting new workouts (particularly with weights) at home, there is a possibility that wrong movements or too much strain can cause inflammation in the tendons.

Our biceps tendon connects the biceps muscle to the two bones in our shoulder and one bone in the elbow. If the tendon becomes inflamed, some of the following symptoms can begin to appear.

  • Pain and aches. These tend to worsen with overhead lifting or activity.
  • Tenderness around the area.
  • Redness and swelling.

There are a number of things that can cause damage to the biceps tendon.

As mentioned above, one of the most common reason for biceps tendonitis is performing intense activity which puts strain on your body.

While exercise is great for your body, when you’re working out at home (due to COVID-19), you have to be careful when trying out new workouts and equipment. Strenuous workouts that you don’t have experience with or don’t have the inner strength for can put strain on your tendons and muscles.

Another reason is age. As we get older, our tendons begin to weaken. Age coupled with overuse, particularly when you’re repeating the same shoulder motions over and over, can cause tendon damage. For instance, when you’re shovelling snow.

Biceps tendonitis is also common in sportspeople who participate in sports where certain repetitive motions are needed such as swimming and tennis.

Lastly, biceps tendonitis can also result from a slip or a fall where you injure your upper arm.

When it comes to treating biceps tendonitis, your medical practitioner may recommend exercise, rest, therapies, medications, or a combination of these things.

Shockwave therapy has proven to be quite effective in treatment of biceps tendonitis.

It delivers strong energy pulses that are applied to the affected area for short periods of time. This stimulates cells that are responsible for bone and connective tissue healing.

Shockwave therapy treatments have also proven to be effective in cases where the human body has not been able to heal itself on its own. These treatments are non-invasive, quick, and quite often eliminate the need for any surgical procedures.

A study was done to assess the efficacy and safety of radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy (rESWT) for chronic distal biceps tendinopathy.

48 patients between the ages of 30-64 years were a part of this study. Mean pre-treatment visual analog scale (VAS) scores for the rESWT and control groups were 8.3 and 8.5 respectively. After 12 months, the mean VAS scores for the rESWT and control groups were 2.7 and 4.7 respectively!

Want to learn more about shockwave therapy for biceps tendonitis? Contact us today. Call 1 (888) 741-SHOC(7462) or visit https://shockwavecanada.com/the-most-portable-radial-shockwave-therapy-machine-yet/.

If you’re a practitioner looking to offer shockwave therapy to your patients, learn more about our shockwave therapy machines, including the MASTERPULS® Ultra line, here: https://shockwavecanada.com/our-shockwave-therapy-machines/.