Distal Biceps Tendon Tear

[7mm-08]

I have a distal biceps tendon tear (not a rupture), which was confirmed with an MRI last week. The injury occurred in May and I went to my sports medicine doctor early last week because I couldn't tame it with ice (4X a day) and Aleve for a few months. The MRI disclosed substantial edema in the tendon and surrounding tissue notwithstanding my early aggressive efforts to self treat. Had I gone to my sports medicine doc the first week after the injury, we would have contemplated a PRP injection. At this delayed date, he suggested rest with no tension on the biceps until I get to see my PT on the 27th. Please don't get on me for not getting into the doctor immediately - when you're 68, you live with constant pain if you train hard, which I do.

Has else anyone had to deal with this little hiccup? What am I looking at time-wise for recovery from this injury? Thanks in advance to anyone who has gone through this injury and has some words of wisdom.

 

[Trr15]

I had a partial bicep tear in July 2022 that nagged me for almost a year. I experimented with BPC157 peptides and my issue was resolved in about 30 days. This was when the injectable peptide was readily available. Haven’t tried it since and have no experience with the oral peptide, but I swear that is what cured me.

 

[307]

How did the tear occur?

 

[bowhuntercoop]

Wolverine stack is gunna work wonders imo.
Pt, rest, and once healed start working the muscle again.

 

[Deeker]

I have a distal biceps tendon tear (not a rupture), which was confirmed with an MRI last week. The injury occurred in May and I went to my sports medicine doctor early last week because I couldn't tame it with ice (4X a day) and Aleve for a few months. The MRI disclosed substantial edema in the tendon and surrounding tissue notwithstanding my early aggressive efforts to self treat. Had I gone to my sports medicine doc the first week after the injury, we would have contemplated a PRP injection. At this delayed date, he suggested rest with no tension on the biceps until I get to see my PT on the 27th. Please don't get on me for not getting into the doctor immediately - when you're 68, you live with constant pain if you train hard, which I do.

Has else anyone had to deal with this little hiccup? What am I looking at time-wise for recovery from this injury? Thanks in advance to anyone who has gone through this injury and has some words of wisdom.

I am going in for an mri in a week for the same thing. My primary doc thinks it’s either a split tendon or muscle. What were your symptoms? I’m sitting on about six weeks now of hardly being able to flex my bicep. More of a nagging injury than something that seems like it needs immediate attention

 

[Gust43]

At 68 and active, you're looking at 3-6 months of solid recovery with conservative care rest PT, depending on how much you push it.

Many in your spot see good improvement with PT starting now edema calms down in weeks, then gradual strengthening. Full return to heavy training often takes 4-6 months or longer some have lingering weakness in supination or fatigue if it doesn't heal perfectly.

PRP earlier might've sped things, but rest PT is the play now. Listen to your PT, stay consistent, and don't rush loads. Plenty of older lifters get back to training hard but accept it won't be 100% overnight. Hang in there smart management beats reinjury.

 

[7mm-08]

How did the tear occur?

To make a long story short, someone collided with me when I was late in a set of pullups. The collision was significant enough that it turned my body and caused a bunch of pressure on that arm. I did not feel a "pop" like some describe with a rupture, but I felt a tweek that I attributed to a pull of some sort. The tendon in the elbow was immediately weakened and there was pain in the top part of the elbow. I was done doing any exercises requiring biceps engagement immdediately.

 

[mtnbound]

I have a distal biceps tendon tear (not a rupture), which was confirmed with an MRI last week. The injury occurred in May and I went to my sports medicine doctor early last week because I couldn't tame it with ice (4X a day) and Aleve for a few months. The MRI disclosed substantial edema in the tendon and surrounding tissue notwithstanding my early aggressive efforts to self treat. Had I gone to my sports medicine doc the first week after the injury, we would have contemplated a PRP injection. At this delayed date, he suggested rest with no tension on the biceps until I get to see my PT on the 27th. Please don't get on me for not getting into the doctor immediately - when you're 68, you live with constant pain if you train hard, which I do.

Has else anyone had to deal with this little hiccup? What am I looking at time-wise for recovery from this injury? Thanks in advance to anyone who has gone through this injury and has some words of wisdom.

I would recommend BP157, but since the injury was in May, its effectiveness at this point may be limited. Laser therapy has been beneficial for me with a variety of injuries.

 

[7mm-08]

I am going in for an mri in a week for the same thing. My primary doc thinks it’s either a split tendon or muscle. What were your symptoms? I’m sitting on about six weeks now of hardly being able to flex my bicep. More of a nagging injury than something that seems like it needs immediate attention

Those were my symptoms exactly - with substantial pain in the top center of the elbow with biceps engagement. I'll bet you have a tear with pockets of edemea throughout the tendon and surrounding muscle (just like I had). I had a friend who told me to treat the affected arm as if it were broken and that rest has helped me a bunch.

 

[doc holiday13]

I had a 100% tear on that a couple years back. I was lifting the biggest stone section we had for the new kitchen countertops. Probably a 350# stone. Massive popping. Kinda like a louder version of cracking your knuckles. It wasn't immediately painful, I simply lost all lifting strength . Had to reattach with surgery. Post surgery I took Vital Proteins Collagen peptides. I feel this 100% aided in recovery. While I can't prove it through some published paper, the added collagen went right to the bodies repair. I can only say that days I didn't take it, I could noticeably tell a difference in rehab and pain improvements. To be more exact, I should say, it felt like regression on days I didn't take it. Had i known about peptides at the time, I would have jumped on to using those as well.

Just understand your body doesn't just "heal on its own" If you aren't consuming something that the body needs for a healing process, the body will take that nutrient from somewhere else in your body. Which that just makes you overall weaker. Your body needs collagen for tendon repair. If you do use peptides, look at the "glow stack" which is BPC157, TB500, and GHK-CU

 

[ScottRK]

This guy tore his arm wrestling in national championship and has some videos about the ordeal starting from when it happened to 2 years later present time.

 

[OsoMountain]

I’ve torn both my left distal bicep, as well as my right. BPC157 wasn’t an option with the complete tear and did little to nothing for my partial tear. So I opted for surgery to reattach both. The left was a 100% separation and sounded like a 22 short going off. Felt like someone snapping a pound of dry sphagetti inside my arm. The right arm was about 70% torn when I went under the knife this February. My arm still isn’t one hundred percent, but I’m back to shooting my bow and doing basic activities without being scared of it tearing again.

I now have an eight millimeter toggle/bolt (attached photo) holding my biceps in place. The recovery from surgery is humbling, but very doable. As others have said, do not rush your recovery and listen to your physical therapists. Mine were too far gone and found no relief from PT, but I wish you the best and hope it heals fast. It’s always frustrating to sit on the sidelines for a while.

 

[7mm-08]

I’ve torn both my left distal bicep, as well as my right. BPC157 wasn’t an option with the complete tear and did little to nothing for my partial tear. So I opted for surgery to reattach both. The left was a 100% separation and sounded like a 22 short going off. Felt like someone snapping a pound of dry sphagetti inside my arm. The right arm was about 70% torn when I went under the knife this February. My arm still isn’t one hundred percent, but I’m back to shooting my bow and doing basic activities without being scared of it tearing again.

I now have an eight millimeter toggle/bolt (attached photo) holding my biceps in place. The recovery from surgery is humbling, but very doable. As others have said, do not rush your recovery and listen to your physical therapists. Mine were too far gone and found no relief from PT, but I wish you the best and hope it heals fast. It’s always frustrating to sit on the sidelines for a while.View attachment 1094553

Wow! Glad I didn't suffer a rupture like you had. I'm an absolute believer in following the instructions of PT's - they've fixed me a number of times with really good outcomes. Thanks for posting.