Bicep Tendinitis: A Game Changer For Overhead Athletes and How You Can Prevent This From Sidelining You!

Bicep tendinitis, an inflammation or irritation of the long head of the biceps tendon, can be a particularly debilitating injury for athletes, especially those whose sports demand repetitive overhead arm movements. For baseball pitchers and football quarterbacks, this condition doesn't just cause pain; it can significantly impact their performance, potentially sidelining them from the game they love. Let’s take a closer look into what bicep tendinitis is and the impact it can have.

What is Bicep Tendinitis?

Jorge Chahla, MD

The biceps muscle has two heads: a short head and a long head. The long head's tendon runs through a groove in the humerus (upper arm bone) and attaches to the top of the shoulder socket. When this tendon becomes inflamed, it's typically due to overuse, repetitive stress, or sometimes an acute injury. Symptoms often include:

• Pain in the front of the shoulder, which may worsen with overhead activities.

• Tenderness to the touch along the front of the shoulder.

• Aching pain that can radiate down the arm, usually in the front of the arm or along the bicep

• Weakness or a dull ache after activity.

• A snapping or clicking sensation in the shoulder.

Impact on Baseball Pitchers

The Salt Lake Tribune

For a baseball pitcher, the shoulder is the engine of their delivery. The forceful and repetitive motion of pitching puts immense strain on the biceps tendon. This can affect pitching performance by causing a loss of velocity, reduced control and accuracy, difficulty with certain pitches, and increased risk of developing other injuries due to compensatory patterns.  The bicep plays a crucial role in decelerating the arm after the ball release and stabilizing the shoulder joint. If there is pain in the front of the shoulder this may cause altered mechanics leading to further injury of the bicep tendon or other structures around the shoulder like the rotator cuff or posterior capsule.  

Impact on Football Quarterbacks

Quarterbacks, much like pitchers, rely heavily on their throwing arm for success. The explosive and precise motion of throwing a football from various arm angles makes them highly susceptible to bicep tendinitis. This could present as decreased arm strength, inaccurate passes, compensatory throwing motions, and increased risk of developing pain in other structures. 

Treatment and Prevention

Treatment for bicep tendinitis often involves rest, ice, anti-inflammatory medication, and physical therapy to strengthen the surrounding muscles and improve mechanics. In some cases, corticosteroid injections or surgery may be necessary.

Prevention is key for these high-performance athletes. This includes: Proper warm-up and cool-down routines, Maintaining good throwing mechanics, gradual increase in throwing intensity and volume, strength and conditioning programs focusing on shoulder stability and rotator cuff health, listening to their bodies and seeking medical attention at the first sign of pain. When bicep tendinitis begins to develop this could be a sign that the body is developing a compensatory pattern somewhere and the long head of the bicep tendon is taking the brunt of this pattern.  A good arm care screen is important in preventing arm pain, especially one that looks at multiple key value areas that could influence shoulder pain.  

Bicep tendinitis is more than just an ache; it's a critical injury that can sideline players for weeks to months. Understanding its impact and prioritizing proper treatment and prevention are essential for these athletes to stay in the game and perform at their peak.

If you think you have bicep tendinitis check out our video here to see some other symptoms you could be experiencing and how you can narrow it down or schedule an in-person or virtual session with us at Ignite Physical Therapy so we can help you stay in the game! All screens in person or virtually are free and allow you to have the piece of mind knowing you are speaking to a professional in the field who knows exactly what you are dealing with.