Though we may not think about it, our biceps help us with a lot of movements throughout our daily routine. Daily movements such as lifting, reaching and pulling are all done with our biceps. So, it is no wonder life can be a lot harder when you get an injury such as bicep tendonitis. An inflammation of the tendons that can really make tasks like opening a door or carrying groceries a lot more difficult. Thankfully, with the help of your doctor, there are several ways to help treat bicep tendonitis. By using ice packs, as well as doing stretches and strengthening exercises, you can speed up your recovery and have less inflammation. Here are some exercises you can do to help treat bicep tendonitis:
Forearm Supination and Pronation
For this exercise, you are going to want to use our CanDo® Pronation/Supination Wrist Exercise Wheel. It is a great therapy aid that will help stretch and exercise the tendons in your biceps. To begin, vertically grip the hand bar in the middle of the wheel and bend your elbow at a 90-degree angle. To do a pronation exercise, slowly roll the wheel toward your opposite shoulder and hold the end position briefly. To do a supination exercise, slowly roll the wheel away from your opposite shoulder and hold the end position briefly. Repeat each movement 10 times to complete the set. With a total of 3 sets each day.
Shoulder Internal Rotation
For this exercise, you are going to want to use our lightest CanDo® Intensity Loop. To begin, hold one end of the intensity loop with your non-injured hand and place it behind your head. Then, with your injured arm, reach behind your lower back and take hold of the other end of the intensity loop. Then, use your non-injured arm to gently lift the hand near your lower back, so that it reaches up towards your shoulder blades. Keep lifting until you feel it stretching and hold it here for about 30 seconds. Return to starting position and do the same movement one more time after resting for a moment.
Shoulder External Rotation
To perform the external shoulder rotation exercise, you just need the same CanDo® Intensity Loop again. This time, you are going to be holding both ends of the intensity loop out in front of you with your elbows at your sides. Making sure your elbows are at a 90-degree angle and that the band is at waist height. Then, gently pull the intensity loop at opposite ends until you feel a gentle stretch in your arm. Then, slowly bring your hands back to the starting position. Do this 10 times to complete the set. With a total of 3 sets each day.
As you recover, you should skip exercises that lift over your head and avoid using heavy weights. It is also important to listen to your body and not to overdo it. Doing this will help prevent further injury. The time it takes to heal from biceps tendonitis varies, so start with gentle exercises and gradually increase intensity as needed. As always, be sure to check with your doctor and physical therapist before doing anything.
To check out the CanDo® Pronation/Supination Wrist Exercise Wheel, click here.
To check out our CanDo® Intensity Loops, click here.
Article written by William Graves.