I have this terrible pain in four tendons, all on my left arm; in my medial shoulder tendon connecting to the tricep, in the lateral tricep close to where the shoulder one is, on the outer head of the bicep about 2 inches from the inner elbow, and in the brachialis.
I suspect it to be recurring inflammation, but I’m not sure. I first experienced this three months ago when i first started really working my arms hard. It would get worse and worse each week, until eventually i was forced to rest my arms for a weeks. Well after the rest, it wasn’t AS painful but was still there. Again, progressing more and more each week.
Now here i am at my breaking point again to where I am literally afraid I will tear something if I attempt another set. I use all kinds of restoration methods in keep me in the game as long as possible, but it eventually catches up.
Sorry for the blab, but does anyone have suggestions? Could this be as simple as a cortisone shot, or supplementing with glucosamine? Any advice would be much appreciated.
Chap Manly - I know you have given other posters the “train through it” response to tendon pain.
Now you understand that path of recovery doesn’t work with tendon injuries. Tendon problems aren’t something you can simply “train through”. The pain you are experiencing is your body telling you to cut it out. Icing it and taking any type of anti inflammatory is just going to mask what is going on while you continue to damage it.
What do Benching, Power Cleans, and Pullups have in common? They all heavily recruit tendons in the biceps and shoulders. Then why do you still do them?
The fact that you’re still experiencing this pain means this isn’t inflammation. You’re now experiencing a tendon injury. My advice to you is to drop the exercises that are causing you pain (the above you listed), drop any exercise that heavily recruits these areas, and figure out the extent of the damage (go to ortho). If you don’t have a tear, start working on rehab exercises while you give the heavy stuff a rest.
Yeah it’s just that it has to be something fishy, because origionally (back in april) i was experiencing all of this in the OTHER arm. Took a week’s rest and started back. And now it’s in the left arm with NO pain whasoever in the right arm. So its something fishy. And yes i do advise to still train, but when you reach the point that you are almost positive you will tear something, even I would never advise to keep going. But do you know whats up with it just switching arms like that?
Yes, you have tendon damage in both arms. You’re compensating by using the other arm more which is why it’s now hurting.
Listen, if you continue to keep pushing it when you’re in pain, you’re risking even greater injury. Rest up for now and drop exercises that are causing pain. No pill, ice, or anything else will heal you more than rest and gentle exercise to get blood in the area.