The bicep is a muscle located at the front of the upper arm. Two tendons attach the muscle to the bones in the arm and shoulder, which allows movement. A tear in the bicep tendon can be very painful and often require surgery and a long healing process.
Something like a sudden trauma such as a slip-and-fall or car accident may cause a tear, but it’s also possible from simply twisting the elbow or shoulder in an awkward way. If you are injured due to someone else’s negligence, contact our attorneys today.
Bicep Tendon Tear Symptoms
A bicep tendon tear can happen at either the shoulder or the elbow and is either complete or partial. A complete tear means the tendon has torn away from the bone, while a partial tear is still attached.
Commonly, a tear causes severe pain in the upper part of the arm or at the elbow. You may hear or feel a “pop” when a tendon tears. Additionally, you should look out for
- Sharp pain at the shoulder or elbow.
- A bruise that appears on the upper arm of forearm near the elbow.
- A feeling of weakness in the shoulder or elbow.
- Trouble rotating your arm.
- A change in the contour of the front of your bicep in the upper arm.
Treatment
Treatment is slightly different depending on the location of the tear. However, in each instance, if you believe you have suffered this type of injury, seek immediate medical attention.
Shoulder tears are painful, but arguably less drastic than that of the elbow. This is because there are other muscles and attachments between the arm and shoulder that enable to arm to move. While the tear is healing, patients are advised to apply cold packs, rest and attend physical therapy.
Tears at the elbow frequently require surgery to return to normal functionality. Once the tissue is torn it cannot heal on its own, although other arm muscles can help retain a sufficient range of motion. Tears at the elbow need immediate medical attention and swift repairs.
Physical Therapy
It may take three months or even more of physical therapy for a surgically repaired tendon to heal completely. In some cases, complete recovery can take up to a year, but most people regain their range of motion and strength more quickly.
Physical therapy will focus primarily on strengthening exercises to rehabilitate your tendons and begin to restore motion to the shoulder and elbow. The main goal of physical therapy is to regain the range of motion that was lost due to the tear.
Representation for Bicep Tendon Tear
If you or some you know has suffered a torn biceps injury due to another person’s negligence, contact Maginnis Law’s personal injury attorneys.
Maginnis Howard’s lead personal injury attorney, T. Shawn Howard is experienced in handling biceps tendon tear cases. He will fight to make sure you receive adequate compensation for your injuries.
You can contact the Raleigh personal injury attorneys of Maginnis Howard at (919) 526-0450 or through our contact page.
