When you realize you have ruptured your bicep tendon the world of fitness and exercise seems to come to an abrupt stop for the time being. Of the three tendons of the bicep muscle, two attach in the shoulder and one on or around the elbow. The two shoulder tendons seem to be more fragile then the attachment at the elbow and, account for roughly 88-97% of all ruptures. The tendon most effected is the long head.
The biceps muscle is involved in a multitude of functional movements of the upper extremity. The two heads of the biceps tendon that run through our shoulder, have attachments to our scapula which is involved in the timing and coordination of the shoulder movement as well. Needless to say, when one of the tendons in the shoulder rupture it can put undue stress on other areas of the shoulder complex.
Injuring or rupture of the long head of the biceps tendon generally occurs in individuals between 45-65 years of age. When the tendon ruptures the biggest problem becomes ultimately the loss of power in the affected shoulder.
If you are a younger individual involved in athletic activities, you may want to consider getting the tendon repaired and repaired quickly before permanent damage is done. If you are over 40 and you are still able to complete your activities of daily living,then that choice is up to you. Repair would not be mandatory, you can still complete everyday activities with the detached tendon without a problem.
The long head of my biceps tendon was ruptured in 2004 and I chose not to have it repaired. I was in my mid-forties and found it did not effect my activities of daily living. As a bodybuilder however, I lost power in the shoulder and found I had to compensate for it in several ways along with living with a slightly disfigured bicep.
Below are three tips that I have followed with great success and have been able to continue my fitness and bodybuilding regimen.
1. Decrease the amount of weight you use. Again depending on your age there is no need at this point to try and power up large amounts of weight when in fact the shoulder will not handle it. You can use lighter weights to increase the intensity with more reps at this point and still have success.
2. Work and concentrate on strengthening the entire shoulder complex including the rotator cuff muscles. It's imperative now that you strengthen the stabilizers around the affected shoulder to prevent problems later on. Muscle atrophy will set in if you choose not to work on and make good use of the intact muscle attachments. If imbalances occur you may be up against prolonged cases of bursitis in the shoulder in the years ahead.
3. Work unilaterally from time to time to prevent the strong shoulder from wanting to pick up the increased workload and keep the effected shoulder from doing it's part. You will want to isolate the affected shoulder with dumbbell presses for instance to be sure it is worked to it's maximum level. If you do not isolate the effected shoulder it will not get any stronger and you end up with noticeable muscular imbalances.
Follow the three tips that I have discussed with you above and you will have continued success with the injured shoulder if you choose not to have it repaired. It is not the end of your fitness or exercise career. With a little imagination you can learn to work around it and can continue to function at a high level.
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