21 Mar Avoid Bicep Tendon Surgery with PRP Injections
Have you developed bicep tendonitis? Patients commonly experience this when they dislocate a shoulder or are diagnosed with arthritis. As most chiropractors in El Segundo would tell you, increased pain and stiffness can limit what you’re able to do. Fortunately for you, bicep tendonitis is treatable without surgery. Read on to learn more about it and how to avoid surgery to recover from this injury.
Two Types of Bicep Tendonitis
Tendons are a cluster of connective tissue that attaches our muscles to the bone. Two connect the bicep muscle and shoulder. The first tendon is near the top of the shoulder socket. The second is much shorter and close to the front of the shoulder blade. For a better understanding of the injury, bicep tendonitis worsens because of untreated microscopic tears and inflammation.
There are two kinds of bicep tendonitis:
Proximal Bicep Tendonitis – Inflammation is found at the end of the tendon, which joins the shoulder and bicep muscle.
Distal Bicep Tendonitis – The end of the tendon connecting the bicep and elbow gets inflamed.
The Cause
Bicep tendonitis can occur for several reasons, outside of small tears. Examples include:
- Bad posture
- Overuse and repetitive motion
- Lifting above your weight
- Pre-existing injury
- Improper technique playing sports.
- Swimmer’s shoulder
Avoiding Surgery for a Bicep Tendon Injury
After a proper diagnosis, treatments will get recommended depending on the severity of your injury. There are a few home remedies, like:
- Rest when needed and take a break from any activity that caused bicep tendonitis.
- Icing the affected area for 20 minutes, 8x a day, or as needed
- Taking over-the-counter medications to help manage pain and swelling.
- When you visit a physical therapist, they can stretch and strengthen weakened muscles. It will help increase your mobility, but it must get recommended by your doctor to avoid worsening the injury.
When the condition isn’t showing signs of improvement and the tendon continues to tear, you might not need surgery after all. Recent studies show that most tendon pain is not from inflammation but tears instead. After an extensive examination, one of our chiropractors will determine if the pain is coming directly from the bicep tendon or where it attaches.
If so, we might be able to provide localized treatment with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections. This treatment helps patients heal faster and avoids the need for a surgeon to cut through the tendon itself. With PRP injections targeting your pain directly, you’re sure to heal twice as fast!
To schedule your appointment at our center, call 310-340-0313!