Torn Bicep Muscle

Ruptured or torn bicep muscles are the result of extreme stress and pressure on your biceps. The excessive strain on the arm causes the detachment of the muscles connected to the bone, in the front of the upper arm. Since, these muscles aid in bending your elbows and rotating the arm, an injury caused to it can cause intense pain and weakness in the affected area. Although, there can be other reasons, torn bicep muscles are usually observed in weightlifters who have ruptured the muscles while lifting excessive weights. One of the most common exercises which cause a torn bicep muscle is the "preacher's curve". Also, a failure to warm up before starting on the exercises can increase the chances of the ruptured tendons of the arm. There are basically two types of bicep tendon tears, the partial and the complete tears. While a partial bicep muscle tear will not completely sever the tendon from the bone, complete tear will result in splitting the tendon into two pieces. While initially, the torn tendons begin by fraying, as the damage progresses, the tendon can completely tear, sometimes when lifting a heavy object. Recognizing the muscle injury can help you provide the appropriate treatment option and also prevent such injuries in future.

Causes of Torn Bicep Muscles

Injury: Injuries to the arm are the most common reason for torn bicep muscles. In instances where you fall hard on an outstretched arm or lift something too heavy, you can tear your biceps tendon. Usually an injury that occurs with heavy weight lifting or sports in middle-aged men leads to distal biceps tendon ruptures, which occurs at the elbow joints. In addition, there are many jobs which require heavy overhead lifting and put excess wear and tear on the tendons.

Overuse: Many times the wearing down and fraying of the bicep muscles that occurs slowly over time, can lead to torn bicep muscles. Although, this usually happens with age, overuse or the repetition of the shoulder motions can cause not only the muscles to tear but also other shoulder problems which includes tendonitis, shoulder impingement and rotator cuff injuries. Repetitive overhead sports, such as swimming or tennis can lead to muscle fatigue and increase the chances of the fraying of the bicep muscles.

Age: Age can also be a factor for fraying of the bicep tendon, with older people having put up more years of wear and tear, on their tendons.

Certain medications: Using certain corticosteroid medications can lead to muscle and tendon weakness.

Identifying a Torn Bicep Muscle

The most common symptoms of a muscle tear is a sudden and sharp pain in the upper arm, accompanied by the cramping of the arm when overused. Sometimes, when the muscle detaches itself from the bones, you can hear an audible pop or a snap. There is also muscle pain and tenderness at the shoulders and elbows. Most of the times there is a difficulty in turning the palm up or palm down. Due to the the tearing of the muscles, a bulge or a bruise may appear on the upper arm.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Complete ruptures of the bicep muscles causes deformities of the arm muscle. However, as opposed to that, partial ruptures of the muscles are usually difficult to detect. For diagnosing it, the doctor may ask you to bend your arm and tighten the biceps muscle. Pain while using your biceps muscle may mean there is a partial tear.

Based on the severity of the injury, the treatment options will vary. While some injuries require non steroidal medications and physical therapy to heal and get restored to the original condition, serious bicep tendon injuries might require surgery. For those who suspect torn bicep muscles, the best advice is to see the doctor immediately. Remember, that when you workout while in pain, the injury may only worsen leading to a permanent damage.