Biceps Pain

[brettmainer]

I've been slalom skiing for a long time and am used to the normal aches and pains. Biceps near elbow, traps, lower back, etc. Since last August, I have been dealing with disproportionate biceps pain. The worst was probably when I skied w @dave2ball and didn't warm up the biceps because we were out on a boat w no pull-up bar around prior to skiing.

I know of several skiers my approximate age and ability, including @Horton, who tore their biceps. I am specifically directing my post at those with that unfortunate experience.

Did you have warning signs, or did it tear without warning? What would you have done differently? I warm my biceps up before skiing and I ice after, but I am still worried. A torn biceps would ruin the year, not only for skiing but work and life in general.

[jjackkrash]

A blown bicep sucks balls, big time.

 

Me, I had no warning, I tore it at least partially (I heard it tear) when I hyper extended my elbow moving a big sheet of 3/4 plywood. Then, despite the fact I knew I was hurt, I tried to finish the project I was working on after icing for a few days, and really f***ed myself up jerking on a heavy plate compactor that was being difficult (I heard it rip again, only worse, and this time my whole forearm and bicep turned black in about 5 seconds). Then I waited to get surgery because I am stubborn and did not really want to know how f'd I was. When I finally saw the doc, the radiologist interpreting the MRI said I was fine, but the surgeon fortunately did not believe the radiologist based on the physical exam and he got me cleared for surgery. He ended up having to rebuild several tendons from other "spare" tendons in my forearm and the surgery ended up taking almost 5 hours. He said I was one of the worst he was actually able to fix.

 

What would I have done differently? Probably nothing, because I am stupid, hard headed and don't like paying people to work on my home projects. Maybe now I would think about hiring a college kid to help lift some of the heavy, awkward crap on my projects.

 

My advice? Avoid a bicep tear at all costs, only I don't have any great advice on how to do that.

 

[Horton]

Zero warning

[gstrom]

Tore mine arrm through handle I think just the muscle ...not fun

[tjm]

x

[gstrom]

I did it falling forward ... I would avoid that at all cost...and use an arm guard

[ScottScott]

What ever you do.....don't fall forward......

[ReallyGottaSki]

Point us to some video of a set Brett

[ScottScott]

I think about tearing a bicep a lot. No where near ya'lls ability, and skiing at those line lengths, but I have seen/heard about a few people that did it. I think warming up the bicep, and pretty much full body, is a good thing.....tho I rarely do. I'm guessing a lot of the tears come from pulling in on the handle in an attempt to tighten the line and lessen a hit from slack line....? I'm guilty of pulling the handle in on my crosses too, in an attempt to keep the handle close, instead of straight arms down around waist. I'm working on keeping arms straight out of a turn, even if the rope gets slack.

[east tx skier]

Ruptured my distal biceps tendon lifting a heavy table backstage at my kid's elementary school musical---macho theater injury. Surgery in December. Finally worked my way back up to full strength slowly. Would like to get a set in before the temperature dips below 90 in Texas.

[ReallyGottaSki]

If one does a bicep curl after the apex, it does two things when the rope tightens...induce bicep tendentious, and the high leverage drops the hips and folds the hip joint.

If instead, relax the biceps and row the shoulder, pull the elbows back, it keeps the handle low, eliminates shock to the bicep, and absorbing the re-loading naturally pulls the hips up where they should be for acceleration phase, instead of working against what you want the hips to do.