Bicep Injury Question

[scottiebeans]

Rip

I know you're not a doctor but with your lifting experience maybe you can give me an opinion.

I was deadlifting with a trap bar. As I was warming up when I lifted the weight I felt pain in my left arm in the bottom of the bicep and top of the forearm. I put the weight down and flexed my arm and it moved and felt normal with no pain. I decided not to push it deadlifting and just finished with close grip bench pressing. The arm felt normal.

The next day as I was dressing and I noticed my left bicep looked "deflated". When I curl my arm the muscle barely balls up. Also, the insertion at the elbow seems slightly higher up the arm. But again, I feel no pain in the arm and I have complete mobility. I curled a light wieght to check it out and there was no pain but instead a DOMS like soreness.

What do you think I did to my arm and is it serious. I don't want to take time off work and pay the co-pay just to have a doctor tell me to rest it. Thanks.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Can't see it from here. Seems unlikely that you avulsed it with a warmup weight unless you are a CrossFitter.

[Desp]

Hypothetically speaking if this is the problem, how long does someone have to get it reinserted? My book says "immediately" which means right that second... or immediately the next day?

[Mark Rippetoe]

They want to get to it within the week, if it's an avulsion. They won't repair a bicep belly tear.

[sirjerky]

Personal anecdote:

I had a right distal biceps tendon rupture around 7 years ago and I couldn't lift a plate to put on a counter nor could I lift a 5 pound box up on top of a pallet(went to work the next day). There was pretty serious pain and discoloration in my elbow. Got it checked out and had surgery within the week of my injury. I'm not a doctor, nor am I giving advice, just relating my experience.

[tcul1972]

have you tried curling against resistance? I ruptured my distal tendon last year but didn't believe it because I had complete mobility. Then the doctor held my fist and told me to curl. I had absolutely no biceps strength. Your triceps will allow you to curls and rotate your arm.