VLog Week 1: Recovery Following Distal Bicep Tendon Rupture Surgery
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- čas přidán 25. 08. 2024
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Hi there,
This is the first in a mini video series showing my recovery
following the surgery from my left distal bicep tendon rupture.
I was 56 yrs old when it happened.
I'm hoping that it will be a useful and reassuring resource for anyone who has suffered from a distal bicep tendon rupture and wants to see how long it takes to recover movement, functionality muscle size and strength.
If you've any questions on distal bicep tendon ruptures please feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer.
Why not visit my website to see some of the services I offer and find out a bit more about me: fitnessgeezer.com
Here's a link to the second in my series for weeks 2-3
• VLog Week 2-3: Recover...
Here's a link to the third in my series for weeks 6-8
• VLog Week 6-8: Recover...
Here's a link to the fourth in my series for weeks 10-12
• VLog Week 10-12: Recov...
Here's a link to the fifth in my series at 18 months
• Vlog 18 Months on : Re...
You're Never Too Old to Train.
Enjoy your journey 😊💪
Cheers,
Mark
This is so inspiring! I just recently discovered your 2017 calisthenics progression video which led me to this, and I have to say that I’m super impressed with not only your work ethic, but your ability to remain in a positive mindset to overcome a setback. Keep trucking, brother.
Subscribed.
Thank you Avery Balakovit! It's kinda of what I do for a living. For years I was glass half empty about me and my life. Then at my lowest point I decided to turn it around and understand what was really important and what wasn't. That allowed me to see that the journey was the thing not the achievement and that lessons could be learned for everything that happens to you. No setbacks just opportunities. Keep trucking yourself bro :) and thanks for the sub!
I just ruptured my distal bicep tendon on the 5th of October while at work. I can admit I had mixed emotions at first about the surgery since it is my first surgery ever. Watching this video has put my mind at ease. Thanks for the content and motivation.
Glad you found the video reassuring Joe. Good luck with the surgery and recovery!
@@MarkLidsterfitnessgeezer thank you!
My girlfriend was mega impressed with your planche progressions She s at the beginning of her planche journey Big spanner in the works injury but hope you recuperate super quickly and keep churning out mega impressive vids
Thanks Terrenc
How are you doing Mark? Haven’t seen much from you recently. Five years gone by. You were one of my early inspirations. I ended up with R distal bicep tendon rupture. Slipped on rings doing skin the cat. Super grateful for this video. It’s been a week and surgery is happening today.
I’ve come back from an 18 months rehab after a paraglider accident dislocated shoulder T 9 crushed and shattered talas. Back flying and running. Here I go again. Life goes on. I’m inspired Thanks
Hey im 29 and this happened to me the left arm as well, i found ur recovery videos and its nice to kinda see what my recovery will be like, its been 4 days so far, thanks for the videos
Glad you found them useful Kris Brown 👍
I just had this done three weeks ago. My experience was very similar, with essentially no pain. Three weeks on, I've had to sit myself down and have a chat about keeping the sling on. I accidentally overdid it a couple of times when I forgot not to grab things or help the left arm lift. Looking forward to seeing how things go for you in the next videos.
Adam Watson good luck with your recovery and hope you find the other videos useful
My surgery is in 5 days. I appreciate you posting this series.
Thanks watsondana and good luck for your surgery!
Thanks for this. I have surgery in a couple days and this really helps.
@@Augmentersabode Hope the surgery goes weel for you.
@@Augmentersabode Hey Joe, I am about 7 weeks out now and doing quite well. The best piece of advice I could give you would be take it easy for the first 4 weeks and do you PT. That has made all the difference for me. I am still sore when it is cold out but improving every day. Good Luck.
@@MarkLidsterfitnessgeezer Thanks for the great info Mark. I tore my distal bicep 12 days ago and headed to my console with the orthopedic surgeon in 2 days. I live a very active life style and now I know what to expect recovery wise. You're an inspiration. Thanks.
I was watching your planche progression which looks impressive, and I thought it's amazing you had no injury, then I saw this vid...good luck in your rehab journey, It's all gonna be fine it seems
Thanks Youri Yimmek. My original Planche journey at 54yrs went without injury because I was patient and didn't rush. My current injury is totally my own fault as I was trying to hurry things up when to returning to the planche after a two year lay off. Lesson learned and I will be back soon😊
Thank you for this videos! I have this surgery in 2 weeks and this helped me feel a lot better
I’m really glad it’s helped you. Good luck with your surgery and rehab
How’s the recovery going?
Hello how are you u doing 6 months post op? I have the surgery this Thursday.
I just tore mine. Surgery in 2 weeks. Scared to death. Been bodybuilding or lifting for 18 years so just really affecting me mentally. But 🤷🏻♂️. Hope your recovery is going well!
Thanks for the videos!!
Im having my surgery done tomorrow and needed info about recovery.
Your explaining has being excellent. Well done.
Thank you bro, I'm glad you found them helpful. Good luck with your surgery and recovery 😊👍
I had my operation 2 days ago, fitness is my life too so looking forward to come back soon. Really inspiring, thanks mate
Thank you Arturo Gonzalez Oliva. Good luck with your recovery and as long as you are consistent with the rehab and don't train past the point of pain there's no reason why you can't get back to fitness activities you love doing real soon
How long did you keep the cast for ?
How’s the recovery going?
Thanks for this Mark. My bicep surgery is tomorrow, and hearing you tell your experience has really helped with my mindset. Three years later your video is still helping folks, it's much appreciated.
I’m glad it’s helped put your mind at ease Rob. Good luck with the surgery 👍
how has your recovery been? I'm day 3.
@@beckeda1 on a day to day basis I’m operating totally as before the accident. In fact my strength levels if anything in the injured arm are stronger than before. There is a little difference in the biceps aesthetic but nothing that bothers me. Good luck with your recovery 😊
I have surgery in a week and this was reassuring.
Scary first moments .. So good NHS came through!
Very uplifting thank you! Happened to me a few weeks back.
Thank you and good luck with your recovery 😊🙏
I just saw your Planche progression video this morning, and was extremely inspired. Then I saw this video…yikes!! Speedy recovery.
I’m going to be 50 in August. I am working to cross Planche off the skill list in my calisthenics journey. Once again speedy recovery. Looking forward to see you back on the bars again.
Thank you for your kind comments movingtar. This was totally my fault. I tried a new hand position that I wasn't ready for. Instead of using parallettes I used my hands on the floor facing backwards exposing my elbow joint and putting it under extreme pressure as I tried to increase my forward lean. I should have known better, but I was in too much of a hurry to a get a result. Lesson now learned. On the whole calisthenics training is very safe if it is done in a structured and progressive way, like I did the first time I achieved the planche you can see in the video.
Speedy recovery!
Appreciate that powertompa 👍
I removed the sling the day after surgery. By moving my arm right away I never had muscle atrophy. It's been 3 weeks since the surgery now and I am already doing dumbels curls at home without any pain.
Thank you so much man for making these videos, I’m having this surgery on Monday, it’s made me feel a lot better about it
Thank you buddy I hope your surgery goes well 😊👍
@@MarkLidsterfitnessgeezer thank you, I appreciate it
I'm 58 just tore mine 2 days ago and going to orthopedics tomorrow. Felt the pop and saw the void at bottom of bicep.Hope they reattach and start the rehab process
Sorry to hear that Jerry. Hope the op and recovery go well
Nice vids. Surgery for mine tomorrow. At 66, I get a good sense of what to expect. No problem. Six months I'll be fit and have some size and strength back. No more chasing numbers though!
@@281Boss Good luck with the surgery and your rehab buddy 💪😊
You're a legend bro. An inspiration to a lot of people!
Thank you Jeremy John I appreciate those words
I had mine last week and everything you said is true. Keep positive mindset and the recovery will be good. I also recommend the surgery if you wanna recover 100% of your strengh/ability.
Glad it’s working out well for you 😊
Man that sounded so hectic... Trusting for a good and rapid recovery, sir!
Thanks man. Appreciate your support
Thank you so much for posting this VLog series. When I tore my bicep, I was scared and concerned about the future, but your videos gave me a ton of hope and confidence. I got surgery about 10 days after the tear and it was repaired with an endobutton. I've torn ACLs in both legs playing football, and compared to those recoveries, this one was much easier. The worst part, by far, was the first two weeks immediately after surgery. The hard splint you have to wear, juggling pain meds, keeping inflamation down, trying to find a comportable way to sleep ... it's a rough time, but it got better pretty quickly after that. I had a Dr that was aggressive with range of motion and movement, so I had full mobility fairly quick. The first 8 weeks for me was mostly just following a 1lb (then 2lb) lifting restriction, and waiting for the bone to heal around the tendon. Physical Therapy was cautious once I started, and the therapist didn't want to do much until about week 12. PT lasted about 6 months total. I went once a week, or once every other week, initially, then ramped up to twice a week around week 16 or 18. I also did some light work on my own in-between the sessions. Most of the PT focused on building shoulder, back and other arm muscles (stuff that got weak while I wasn't using the arm as much). Somewhere around 7 months after the tear, I was cleared by the Dr for everything except Raquetball/Tennis. He wanted me to wait another two months since those sports put massive stress on the arm. Strength-wise, I'm probably 10% weaker than I was pre-injury, but that's more on me than anything else. If I hit the weights hard, I believe I could get it back. Looks-wise, the bicep is a little shorter than it was pre-injury, but it's close enough that only I can notice (and the Dr said it would likely continue to extend as I build muscle mass). Overall, I'm very happy with the surgery and recovery. When I tore it, the bicep was almost in my shoulder and I ended up having to get a second incision (on my bicep itself) so the Dr could find the tendon. Both scars are exactly 1.5" and when I flex my bicep, I can bring the two scars togther in a way that they form a rough cross. When I look at it, it reminds me that the Lord healed me, and awesome people like you helped me get through it. God bless!
Thank you for your encouraging story of how you coped with your injury. It just shows what can be achieved if you take a proactive approach to your recovery. 😊👍
I just thought of two other things that might be helpful.
1. You'll probably be in a sling after surgery and it's supposed to help hold the weight of your arm, which will likely be in a heavy splint that will put too much strain on your shoulder muscles if your arm isn't supported. My sling was pretty cheap and around day 3, I was trusting it like it was perfectly reliable - which it wasn't. While I was out for a walk, the velcro separated and the sling came undone. That caused my heavy arm to drop, and I instinctively flexed by bicep to stop my arm from dropping. It hurt enough that it caused me to worry that I damaged the repair. After another Dr visit and X-ray, everything was confirmed to be fine, but just in case, make sure your slings are stable.
2. I was one of the unlucky ones who developed a blood clot after surgery. It was in a small vein towards the middle of my forearm. I had never had a blood clot ever so I was concerned. I saw multiple Dr's to get a couple opinions and they all said it was no big deal, and that it would likely resolve on its own in about a month - which it did. I noticed it about 4 or 5 weeks after the surgery. It's apparently rare for this surgery, but it is possible. There was no pain or problem with it other than my own worries.
@@hopefromabove777 Thank you for your additional comments 😊
I am sad that happened, but, you are just a great inspiration!
Cheers!
Thanks artrainger, but don't worry I'm already well on the way to recovery and will back training planche and other moves real soon!! 😊💪
@@MarkLidsterfitnessgeezer as an older American that is not eligible for the Medicare system yet, injuring myself is something that's always on my mind when I'm doing my warmup routine and exercises in the morning.
Great videos thank you I am one week postop and seeing my doctor tomorrow. You are doing so well and that has really given me encouragement. I thought it would be a tougher rehab. I am a lifelong lifter 79 years old and not ready to stop. I just don’t want to rip it again! Yikes anyway thank you again I will follow your videos
You are so welcome David! Glad you've found my videos useful and best of luck for your recovery and training going forward
This happened to me three weeks ago and I'm having the surgery tomorrow! I can't believe how similar your situation was too mine! I literally described it to people as "I felt and heard like bubble wrap going off in my arm!" Thanks for making this video! I was somewhat nervous about the surgery and the day after. I feel much more calm now!👍
Great to hear it helped you feel better. And yes that bubble wrap story is one I retell quite a bit. Hope your recovery goes well 👍
Thanks for this video. My husband is going to have this operation soon and it’s great to know that it’s not that bad at all!
Thanks you K. Best wishes to you and your husband. I’m sure it will be fine. Just make sure he’s consistent with the rehab 😊👍
so inspiring ! my bf just got his distal biceps tendon torn too, and was freaking out. Thanks for sharing and hope you are feeling better now.
Thank you Wellness with Yan and best of luck to your boyfriend on his recovery
Good speedy recovery
Thank you Yoan Michael :)
I wish you a speedy recovery.
Another Look thank you 😊
Same here. No pain. Left distal bicep tendon repair. No pain at the time, no pain post surgery.
Thanks for posting this! I recently suffered the same injury (trying to pick up my motorcycle the wrong way), and I’m about to have surgery soon. This really helped put my mind at ease. You’re right about the popping bubble-wrap sound, btw.
I’m really glad you found the video helpful. Good luck with your surgery and recovery
3 days post op. My hand looks a freshly baked uncut loaf. Also numbness on back of hand.
Thanks for the vid. Good luck to all going through the same.
Good luck with your recovery Dave 👍
I’m 2weeks just got my cast off. Swollen and have numbness in my forearm
When I saw your videos my mind changed to much
No limits
Well done Mahmoud! If you believe you can nothing can stop you. Good luck on your own personal journey 🙏
This was a good watch.
I'm just about to have the same surgery and was pretty concerned about recovery.
Thanks for sharing your experience
Thanks Steven. Glad you found it reassuring. Good luck with your recovery
@@MarkLidsterfitnessgeezer Thanks.
Operation went well. I'm 3 weeks into recovery.
I saw my surgeon today for the post op consultation....he said It will be about a year before I would be back exercising like I was pre accident. That timescale surprised me.
How long were you out?
@@stevenoliver8360 Great to hear the op went well. To answer your question I was training muscle ups again by 7 months. I didn't test any max weight lifts for about 12 months though. In my case I was on the rehab every single day constantly and I had a very progressive surgeon and sports physio.
Thank you. I'm getting this surgery in 6 days. Very helpful info here!
Glad you found it useful 😊
Sorry to hear it. Glad you are on the mend. I'll never think of the sound of "bubble wrap" the same again. Awee geeez.
Thanks for your kind comments Timothy Smith. Well on the mend now and already back to mild training after 10 weeks so all good. Yes bubble wrap is totally what it felt and sounded like. Actually thought at the time it had shattered into a 1000 pieces and was expecting excruciating pain, but none and full functionality. Very Odd
Great vlog, and great inspiration. Had my left bicep re attach this morning after waiting 13wks 🙈, the op went very well and I was a little anxious, but woke up and my arm was still there lol , I need to see how it is in the next few days, but I do recommend you get the surgery and repair the bicep as soon as possible and not wait too long like me but I had no choice but to wait that long . Thank you. 🙏🏼
Thank you and I hope your recovery goes well 😊
Hi Mark, so glad I’ve come across this. The gym is my life and I fully ruptured my right stronger bicep tendon . Just had the surgery two days ago and now I’m all slinged up and starting my recovery . Going to be determined and positive and your video blog will definitely help me with this . It’s surprising how many people have had this same injury . I did mine on a preacher curl bench and I barely started the first rep when I heard like a tearing/ ripping sound , one sound I’ll never forget! I knew straight away it was serious and like yourself I couldn’t look at my arm at first. A couple of days later i could see blood under the skin followed by bruising. That’s when I took myself to the ane . Thanks for posting your blog , it’s going to help me a lot . Hope your well , regards 👍
I wrecked my left arm doing pelican curls off my gymnastic rings.
How much did the surgery cost you?
Nobody seems to mention that
@@CursedWheelieBin mine was workers comp related. If I used My insurance $250 Co-pay.
Happened to me 4 days ago, waiting for surgery. Im going to check out your experience, cheers!
Thanks for sharing Mark your videos have been very informative as I have just had surgery myself I hope you’re doing well.
Thank you Nick Patten, yes I'm fully recovered now and back to making fitness videos
I am 3 weeks post op. Everything you said in this video is quite accurate. I ruptured mine while bowling. I used to bowl in a league, I didn't bowl for 6 years, but went and I put hook on the ball, and on the 4th ball into the game, while I was supinating when the ball was dropping and had the pop and my bicep was up near the shoulder. My surgery was 3 weeks after the injury and the surgeon told me afterwards that it was very difficult because of scarring on the tendon. He did have to make a second incision in order to retrieve the tendon. He used an arthex bicepsbutton for the repair. Anyone on the fence about this, its not that bad. When I went into pre-op after hooking my IV up they gave me some anti nausea pills and then gave me a sedative through the IV to make me way more comfortable. I did receive a nerve block on my entire arm and didn't experience any discomfort until about 18 hrs after surgery when the nerve block wore off. But I was given general anesthesia and was completely out and woke up what felt like instantly and the surgery was complete and they were taking me to recovery. I was not intubated and did not get a catheter or anything like that. It is an outpatient procedure, the surgery ended up taking slightly over 1 hour and was able to go home after recovery for about 40 minutes. I was not legally allowed to drive home from the hospital. Just wanted to share some facts as well in case someone is curious or are about to get the surgery and are worried. It is not that bad.
Snapped mine last Wednesday boxing sparring,got punched in it, had my op yesterday and im absolute pain. My hand and fingers are swelled,im glad i got it done but cant wait for the pain to go.
Sorry to hear that. I do hope the pain subsides soon and your recovery goes well. All the best mate
Thanks mate,iv stumbled across your channel looking for ppl who have had a similar injury,ill keep watching. 👍
@@the-gman7797 Thank you I appreciate that
Espero te recuperes pronto,animo,yo tengo mis añltos tambien y me ayuda mucho ver de lo que eres capaz,cuidate.
Jose Antonio Fernandez thank you for your kind words 😊
Thanks very much for the video. Tore my distal bicep tendon Wednesday last week and patiently waiting for the op date. Gave me hope when I saw you could move it about quite well the day after the op. Imagined it being in worse condition than that.
How much does the surgery cost?
Thanks my friend. I tore mine off the bone not even 12 hrs ago
I'm due for day surgery tomorrow so I will have mine done with in less then 2 days . Well with in the 3 week reccomended time period. Even at 48 years old I always worry and over think things and end up stressing myself out so your video helped ease my anxiety some. Thanks
shadlad91 glad it helped you feel more at ease. Good luck with the surgery and recovery
How long did you keep the cast for ?
@@johnnyblue_ thanks for asking. It wasn't a cast just bandages which came off after a week
These surgeries need to be done asap. I waited 3 months for surgery and the Dr was only able to save 50% of the tendon.
Hope you're coming along well. I've seen this injury many times with guys deadlifting. You're Tuff! Wishing you the best from Ohio! Seems like as we get older, we need to put more time into warming up. I know you slipped...My wife had to have a triple fusion in her neck after slipping in a head stand in a yoga class about 18 years ago. She is still dealing with pain, but able to keep working as a Nurse Practitioner helping others dealing with breast cancer. She is a very special person. Sorry to ramble. Peace! 👍🏼👍🏼
chessdude67 thanks! This was totally my fault. I chose the wrong hand position, one I hadn’t trained and extended it too far too fast. Age and warm up weren’t involved, but the good news is I’m pretty much back to full on training 4 months post op. Best wishes to you in Ohio
thanks for this video ,mine happened while boxing and man iv been so stressed about the op as they said all that go wrong etc so got me worried but after seeing your video has settled me alot thank you
Glad it helped you buddy. Just be consistent with the rehab and you’ll regain your strength and even more!! 😊
@@MarkLidsterfitnessgeezer thanks bud oh I will defo , was so worried and glad I found someone who had it done on the nhs and they did a clean job aswell as iv watched your other videos also ,
just couldn’t believe it happened of all sports I thought it would have happened curling weights but no a boxing match , core I’m in sheer agony as we speak though,
happened Sunday and still now the pain killers ain’t helped , just can’t wait for the relief 🥲
@@MarkLidsterfitnessgeezer worse thing it’s happened 18 days before my wedding also
NHS made me wait 5 weeks for operation. When I became concerned after 12 days after waiting for an mri I was told by the Critical Care Unit at Chase Farm Hospital London to get it line with Cancer patients and that my arm wasn’t hanging off. Also that was lucky to get a MRI within 2 weeks as I had to contact them myself to get one but I was trying to get one sooner because of the arm being sore. The doctor’s referral said urgent MRI which apparently to the nurse meant within 6 months. I was refused to see a doctor.
5 weeks should usually be OK. How did it go in the end?
great attitude and perspective. fit and wise!
Thank you omegachen 😊💪
Thank you for sharing! I'm going through issues with elbow, and I wish I have your patient.
Thank you areoh2005 and best of luck with your own recovery
Yay, got my biceps teared on July 26th this year (2022) while dancing Zouk (of all the sports that I do, jiu-jitsu, calisthenics, mountain biking, tracking, rappel, I hurt myself while dancing). Going to get my surgery on the 31st. I hope I can recover 100%!
Great for ypur recovery that your getting your surgery so fast!! Plus if you then follow your rehab program really consistently like I did then there is no reason why you shouldn't be at full strength within 9-12months. I was back to training muscle ups and lifting heavy after 8 months at 56 yrs old purely because I was on it every day. Just don't be in a rush with increasing intensity and never be push through any pain. Good luck
@@MarkLidsterfitnessgeezer Yeah! Now that I understand the injury better I'm glad that everything is going so fast! People can say what they want about Brazil, but the public health care really works. It's the first time I'm using it, and I'm not disappointed. Thank you for your videos about your recovery, they answered many questions I had!
Thanks for this video. I ruptured my left (dominant hand) distal bicep tendon the first of November. I wIll be having the surgery Thursday 12/22/2022. Doctor says it has only pulled back 2cm. He belives he can pull it back down pretty easy. I am 52 years old. I do a lot of yard work and some hiking. I cant afford to loose any strength. I hope I have made the right choice.
I'm day 3 post op. Biggest issue I have is numb feeling in hand. I tried to come off pain meds too soon. Thanks for your videos on this topic.
Thank you David, I’m glad the videos were helpful. Numbness post op is very common and should return to normal in a few weeks as the nerves affected during surgery knit back together
I’m 3 weeks post surgery from same injury. I’m currently doing physical therapy on range of motion. Pronation is the hardest of all of them. Sleeping sucks since I’m a side sleeper. My therapist and surgeon told me to take it easy and not overdo it with my daily activities. I’m hoping to get back to “normal” by the end of summer or fall. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks buddy. I was the opposite and found supination more difficult, but it eventually came with persistence. I also hated the on back sleeping and was so relieved to get back to a side position. Good luck with your ongoing therapy and recovery 👍😊
@@MarkLidsterfitnessgeezer Hey, I appreciate you replying. The incision looks good and healing accordingly. I’m getting more mobility and flexibility as I work on my ROM exercises. Thanks again for the speedy recovery. 🙏🏼
Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm going for surgery tomorrow 5 weeks after the injury.
Good luck with your surgery and recovery 😊
@@MarkLidsterfitnessgeezer your experience gives me extra confidence. Thanks again.
I got this same injury one week ago and am scared of the surgery. But your video is kinda giving me confidence
Thanks Dwayne. I've had few serious surgeries in my time and believe me this was a walk in the park compared to those. Before I knew it i was coming around, not even realising I'd gone under, so great are the anaesthetics these days. Plus I had very little pain afterwards. Good luck with whatever you decide to do
Get the surgery asap. Longer you wait the Dr won't be able to save the tendon
Thanks for doing this. Big help.
I'm glad you found it useful. Hope you get on well, cheers
I'm learning some English too watching your videos... British accent rules..Greetings from Colombia south America.
Vlad Perez thank you 😊 and greetings to you
Thank you! My surgery is on Wednesday. Happened at work so its going on 70 days from injury and they are talking cadaver parts , but this video has eased my anxiety
That's great bro glad it helped you 😊
How much does it cost?
Mine happened at work. Had surgery 12 days later. Surgery went well only thing is I can't feel my palm or fingers.
Just had it done and found you as I'm looking forward to being myself against 55
Good luck with your recovery
Thanks for sharing this. I’m 23 and just tore my distal bicep tendon during a heavy deadlift and will be getting this surgery soon. It wasn’t a clean tear, according to an occupational therapist I work with, she things about 75% of it is detached.
Hi Hunter, sorry to hear about your recent tear. I'm not too sure about the surgical techniques they will use to repair that as mine was a clean break. But the principles of recovery that I outline in my video series here are the same. Above all get someone working with you that has a lot of experience of working and recovering these injuries. Best of luck with the surgery and recovery mate
Mark Lidster #fitnessgeezer today is day 5 days post operation and it went very smoothly. I’m in a cast for the next 2 1/5 weeks and a brace for the next few. Really the pain hasn’t been too bad. I had some dull pain in my forearm and some swelling a couple of days post surgery but now I’m not hurting much at all. I’m a personal trainer and I start back tomorrow, so getting back into my routine will help me mentally. Thanks again for posting these videos! They’re a big help in a time of struggle
Cheers for the vid mate. I ruptured my left distal bicep 8 days ago and the surgery is scheduled for Thursday. I'm hoping there won't be any issues due to the amount of time that's elapsed. I'm having a local anesthetic so hopefully I won't regret that choice. My surgeon explained the procedure and it's virtually the same as how you described it but with the exception that they will drill 2 holes: one from the top at an angle and another also at an angle from the bottom so they meet up in the bone and then thread the tendon. The reason for this is to avoid the tendon being in a location that can touch a specific nerve. Sorry for the lack of detail but my biology knowledge is very limited to say the least.
Thanks buddy. Sounds like you’re in good hands there with the right actions being taken quickly. Good luck with the surgery and your recovery
@@MarkLidsterfitnessgeezer Cheers mate.
Thank u. Going for surgery Friday
Good luck 🤞😊
I just tore mine. Scared to death for surgery and recovery. I am into bodybuilding and haven’t missed this much time away from the gym in 18 years. Just really getting to me mentally. 😔
Totally natural to feel that way especially as fitness is your passion. However check out all my videos and see how with consistency in your rehab you can be back to full strength within 7-9 months. In the mean time you can still build your legs and other body parts and there’s loads of evidence to suggest that building strength in one arm transfers to the other. I also used it as an opportunity to build my cardio and flexibility.
The op itself is so common now that there are very rarely any complications.
I’m sure you’ll be fine.
Check in here afterwards and let me know how you’re getting on.
@@MarkLidsterfitnessgeezer thanks so much for responding. I was wondering about continuing to train the other arm and if that would be beneficial. I like your mindset and idea of continuing to train legs and cardio, etc. and I will definitely be doing that. I’ll watch your other vids and keep you updated. Thanks for the motivation and reply! 🙏🏼
Sorry to hear about the injury Mark, hope you have a full and speedy recovery. Keep working on your exercise do pistol squats and some running will keep the spirts up.
Thanks martin hayward! I'm fully recovered now and back to doing the exercises I did before, cheers
Glad to hear it Mark, look forward to your new posts then. All the best !!.
Sir, you made an inspiring planche video. I hope you will get over it soon and can do more excercise if possible.
Thank you Duc Vu! I am well on my way back to recovery and already doing dips and press-ups
Australian here , oddly 3 months ago a guy at work mentioned his surgery had been delayed in the public hospital by a week making it 3 weeks , you get pushed out of the queue if more serious cases come along , Knowing how time critical it was I told him to make sure it gets done.
Well a week ago I tore mine , I didn't both with the public health system and went private. It cost $ 5500 aud with some government rebates. Our public system is so underfunded I didn't want to risk it not being fixable.
Sorry to hear that David, but sounds like you took the right action which should increase your chances of a full recovery considerably. Good luck with your rehab
@@MarkLidsterfitnessgeezer thanks your video helped me understand what was ahead of me.
I’m day post operation for the exact same injury, constantly in the gym before this and it’s very depressing knowing the long rehab I have ahead of me. I’ve got peptides BPC-157 to use which I’m hoping to speed recovery up.
An ideas which I took up was to use it as an opportunity to improve another aspect of my fitness. My cardio running wise went through the roof as did my mobility.
Very inspiring Mark, thanks for sharing this! For myself it was a strong motivater to get this fixed, as I was a bit reluctand first. Your positive mindset somehow helped me to bite the bullet finally.
Right arm had surgery yesterday after lifting a plate with too much elbow torsion 18days ago.
I had the same endo-button procedure as you but contrary to you I have some pain where the procedure happened, maybe because the tendon was 6cm up and they still managed to retrieve via 5-6cm incision. I do have a numb feeling from upper thumb, ranging up to the complete upper forearm. I really hope this will come back later. Docter subscribed 14days half open cast, so it will be 2weeks before I can somhow start to flex it.
Looking forward to it and meanwhile will dive into your full story and your work outs.
Thanks again!!
Hi Stefan, thank you for your comments. It's not unusual to have some post surgery pain. Everyone is different in terms of the injury they suffer and the surgery they have. Plus there's also the way our own physiology works which again can be be very individual. So it's not surprising that you would not have quite the same outcomes as me. However saying that I'm pretty sure that your pain and numbness will subside over time as your muscles, tendons, and nerves restructure themselves and settle down. Just keep up the rehab and be consistent and you should then gain full or near full functionality like I have. Good luck!! And thanks for watching my videos
Has the numbness gone away mate? I'm 9 weeks post op and I've still got numbness in my thumb and 2 fingers 👎
Hey Terry, I do not know how long ago your surgery happened but I am now approx. 2 years past it and I am very happy with the results. The numbness in the thumb has improved but never fully disappeared. Do not understand me wrong, what is left is a loss of sensation when touching the upper thumb skin part and this runs up my wrist onto lower arm. After surgery the docter told me he irritated a nerve, so I think he injured it which is the root cause. But evaluating it now it is certainly not disturbing anymore. You get used to this loss in sensation. I would certainly still expect progress during the first months.
Besides this I use my arm as before, I lift everything without fear, go to the fitness and do the same exercises as in the past. So keep the fate!
All the best.
@Terry
Already 3 years I just noticed😊
Take care!
@@stefp6948 Thanks for the reply and I'm glad all is good now. I'm hopeful that my numbness will go in time, it's just annoying with it being my thumb and 2 fingers that's all 👎
Just did mine yesterday day in the USA they did a block for pain until it where it off off the oh boy pain pills were needed. Iam hopeful things will work out. Hope yours works out good.
Thanks John. Mines fully recovered now. Hope you get a similar outcome, good luck!
Hey Mark! I'm actually getting surgery, but they told me since the bicep retracted further up., they need to add a suture to wrap around my bone. He told me it's a longer healing time.
Take care another excellent presentation... Trev
Thanks Trev. Good to hear from you 😊👍
Just done mine yesterday playing rugby 🏉, fracture clinic Monday
Good luck with the appointment!
They did a pain block on my arm so the first 30 hours where the worst.
Hopefully things have improved since then Christopher. I had a general anaesthetic so didn’t experience very much pain post surgery. Good luck with your recovery 😊
Do you think this had to do with having a bent arm in the planche? I see all the top gymnasts do it completely straight arm and I noticed you don't. Just a thought that you put all the stress on the muscle alone and not the structure of the joint taking some of the load too.
Thanks for the question. Yes you’re right, my technique at the time was not correct as you point out. However that was not the reason this happened. It happened because I used a hand position that I was unused to and this put excessive strain on the bicep tendon.
Had this surgery yesterday for a full distal bicep tear was 11days after a sparring accident while boxing , i had the surgery awake with blockers and a mild sedative, today is day 1 ive been in alot of pain and fingers are full of pins and needles can't believe how little issues you had on day 1 compared to me
In my experience the first few days are always the worst post op. Remember I had a general anaesthetic which totally knocked me out and even when I came round I felt spaced out til the next day. And obviously that meant I didn’t feel pain during that period. After that I took pain relief as and where needed as things settled down and knitted back together. Very early days for you Paul and hopefully the pain should subside for you real soon.
@@MarkLidsterfitnessgeezer thank you for your reply mate , im regretting the decision to be awake but it was the surgeons preferred method so i went along with it , it was a surreal experience .
@@pauljordan5751 Yes totally get that. Had lens replacement surgery 2 months ago under a local anaesthetic and felt the same.
Wow very inspiring :)
I know this happend 3 years ago for you, but for me it happend to me on March 29th, got surgery on April 6th so today it's 4 days off surgery.
For me I must say i have atleast some pain, i can't say i'm pain free, and have numbness on parts of the arm and hand (how long does it take for it to get normal?). The movement/loading restriction from the surgeon is a bit brutal for me, weeks 0-3 im allowed to flex fully (although its not possible) and not allowed to extend more than 30 degrees from lockout, no arm rotation and maximum 1kg loading, weeks 4-12 free movement training, still only 1kg loading, and weeks 13-24 gradual increased loading, fully loading after 6 months. He wants me to stay off work for 6 months (have a physical kind of job). Was it similar for you? Apparently the stitches will be removed after two weeks and i can ditch the sling after 3 weeks (although i see you without one after 1-2 week?).
Would very much appreciate if you reply to this even after all this time :)
Hey there, what you have described regarding the protocols your surgeon is prescribing you should follow, don’t sound a million miles off what I went through. There are aspects that seem more conservative than mine, but fully loading by 6 months was my end goal which matches yours. I don’t know whether you’ve have seen the other videos related to this first one, but they chart my progress to 18 months so you can check out my physical and mental progress there. Check out the description for the links
And yes I did have some numbness in my hand for at least 2 weeks, but it resolved itself as the arm fully healed.
The secret to a quick recovery is to be consistent with the rehab protocol. I was constantly squeezing grips or flexing my arm. However just take your surgeons advice as they will be placed to understand your particular injury. Good luck buddy 😊👍
Does it really take that long 6 months?
I was so scared as to the point where I didn't want to do surgery was hoping it could be resolved by itself
Was it?
@Dwayne Johnson, did you get the surgery or not? How are you doing? How much recovery did ypu achieve?
I got
My surgery a week ago and still In enormous pain. My surgery was traumatic. Can’t believe this video is real. Wtf
Sorry to hear you're going through that experience . I hope the pain reduces dramatically soon. Good luck
I was told not to move my arm from elbow up. I have a padded sling also. After nerve block wears off…you have pain.
Yes there are quite a few approaches taken by surgeons depending on their experience and whether they have a progressive or conservative attitude to recovery.
I had a full anaesthetic so nerve blocks weren’t used. Apart from the first 2 days of mild pain in the area things after that settled down really quickly.
Best of luck with your recovery Mary 😊👍
Didn't your arm swell after the tear? Did you feel like you were maybe going too far with the stress on the arms in that exercise, or you didn't expect it at all? Even though I don't plan to do calisthenics exercises like those, I am always afraid of tearing a tendon when doing muscle building exercises and wonder how far can i go with the effort while still being safe.
Anyway, good luck with resuming your calisthenics workouts!
Thank you for your kind comments. This was totally my fault. I tried a new hand position that I wasn't ready for. I should have known better, but was in too much of a hurry to a get a result . lesson now learned. On the whole calisthenics training is very safe if it is done in a structured and progressive way. As is any form of resistance exercise. There are no guarantees in life and if we erred on the side of caution in everything we did life would be pretty empty and boring. I'm not saying take risks, but I live by 3 rules. There are no guarantees in life (except death), life isn't fair and everything changes. I accept those and feel pretty chilled about what I do then. Good luck with your journey
Why not. Its not that you tear of muscles easily. When you build it up slowly not much can go wrong except some muscle ache.
Joost Kamphuis exactly 👍
Did not know. Very sorry. Take good care, man! :-)
Thanks edoardo burlini. I'm pretty much recovered now and back to full training so there's a happy end to the story :)
@@MarkLidsterfitnessgeezer Glad to hear this, Mr Highlander!
I just tore mine in an auto accident. I’m really struggling about whether or not to get the surgery. I was all for it, but after reading about some of the complications, I’m having second thoughts. I’m a boxer and worried that if I don’t have the surgery, my left hook will suffer. The surgeon I met with told me that my flexion strength can return to near normal levels without surgery, but supination will suffer. Seeing you doing so well gives me some hope. I’m only 37 hrs old, so I don’t want to make the wrong decision and have it effect me for the rest of my life. In hindsight, are you glad that you had the surgery? I’ve read that you can develop ossification at the site of the repair and this can cause range of motion problems as well as pain
There was never any doubt in my mind about whether to have the surgery or not. After researching and finding out all I could about the surgery and the loss of strength and flexibility, surgery was the only option I wanted. Then it was just a matter of finding a surgeon who had the experience and was very proactive about the rehab. Yes things can wrong just like anything in life, but for me the chances were so small that they caused me no worry. Btw my day job is to help people with anxiety so I'm pretty good at self talking myself :). I'm not going to tell you what to do, but if I was a boxer at your age I'd have the surgery. Good luck with whatever you decide bro
Thanks for taking the time to respond. I really appreciate your input
Hey. Just figured I’d update you. I got the surgery. I’m on day one post op. Surgeon say everything went well. No numbness or nerve damage and I can move my fingers. Surgery was 22 days after the accident So my tendon was 8cm retracted. The surgeon needed to make a larger, s-shaped incision in order to reach the tendon, so he said my pain may be a little worse than usual. But no complications. I’m on pain meds and am having a difficult time sleeping comfortably, but I don’t feel the pain is near as bad as i imagined it would be. I’m pretty confident that I won’t even need to take the pain medicine after a few days. I refused a nerve block so I could verify finger/nerve function and pain level while still in the hospital. Anyway, sorry for the rambling. Your video and comment really helped me make the right decision and I appreciate the encouragement. Just wanted to thank you for that. Im going to keep a positive mindset. If you have any tips, they are welcome. I wish you the best, my friend 🙏🏼
@@1mataleo1 Good for you bro. The ony advice I would give is make sure you get a strutured ehab program from someone who has experience in dealing with this type of injury. Then be very consistent with following it. Never push yourself through pain. That's a sign you're working to hard. Good luck with your recovery.
How’s the bicep after a year?
Hi Mark - I know this video is 4 years old now, but am curious on how long your nerve numbness lasted on your thumb area. The doctor I am seeing for surgery said that this typically can happen when the nerve is stretched for the surgery. He seems to follow the exact same protocol as you went thru - going to splint first with sling and then to an adjustable brace.
3 weeks buddy then feeling returned incrementally to normal
In my case, it was about 3 weeks for the worst discomfort to back off. Then it turned more numb for several months. Somewhere around month 5, it was good enough that I stopped caring about it. I'm 15 months post op and it's 100% back to normal, so sometime between month 5 and 15 it fully healed for me (I suspect it was closer to the 8 or 9 month mark).
@@hopefromabove777 Great to hear you recovered to have normal feeling again 😊👍
Hello! I just had my surgery 3 weeks ago, I was injured in an accident. How long was it until you were able to lift again? I can’t work until October (I’m a machinist) and right now I’m going nuts!
Exiverence at 12 weeks you can see by my later video that I was lifting again, but at a reduced level. If you maintain a good consistent rehab program you should be back to unrestricted lifting by 6 months though this will vary from person to person depending on their age, fitness level and state of injury. Good luck with your recovery 😊👍
Hi Mark ,
Never commented on a video before . Gym and fitness is my life , I’ve done exactly the same as yourself .
Your video’s have helped reassure me that I can make it back . I’ve such amazing progress with my PT who helped me through lockdown to keep my mental health as well as physical health in top form .
My question is . Post surgery did you find driving was a issue ? . The reason I ask I have my fourth child due in 4-5 weeks and my concern is not being able to get them home .
Many thanks
Tim
Glad you’ve found the videos reassuring. And I had no issues driving a few weeks post surgery, though it was my non dominant arm that was injured.
Thanks for this video, I've just done mine and am in for surgery on Tuesday, hoping I come out pain free as well but I'm sure we're all different. Hope it's all going well for you 👍
Thanks Andrew Oatley and sorry to heat of your injury. Most recoveries of this injury are pain free after initial surgery wounds heal. Just be consistent in your rehab and no reason why you can't be back to where you were.
DO you think you could have avoid it some how. Any advice about that?
Absolutely Jose. This was totally my fault. I tried a new hand position that I wasn't ready for. Instead of using parallettes I used my hands on the floor facing backwards exposing my elbow joint and putting it under extreme pressure as I tried to increase my forward lean. I should have known better, but was in too much of a hurry to a get a result. Lesson now learned. On the whole calisthenics training is very safe if it is done in a structured and progressive way, like I did the first time I achieved the planche you can see in the video.
I'm having this surgery done on Monday and I'm getting very nervous and I'm not looking forward to it. This is my 1st surgery as well. Am I overreacting with how I feel? Any advice would be super helpful
Hi Jeff it’s perfectly natural and normal to feel anxious about having an operation. But I can tell you, I’ve had quite a few in my time, everything from a broken neck to a bust ankle and this operation on my biceps was by far the most comfortable and easiest of them all. The anaesthetics they use these days are so good you dint even realise you’re having one and you the next thing you know you’re waking up from a really good sleep. Their was no pain afterwards and any small discomfort I did have was easily handled by the pain killers provided. Obviously there are risks with everything we do in life but this procedure is very low on that scale. I’m sure you’ll be absolutely fine. Just keep up the rehab and you’ll be back to pretty much normal before you know it.
just had mine and i got this big ass cast! i want your doctor
Just had surgery two weeks ago, 5 weeks after my accident, ended up staying the night due to the sheer amount of pain i was in. Fingers and thumb are still painful and lacking feeling two weeks later, but hopefully it'll get better soon.
I'm sure things will improve as the injury heals and the nerves reconnect and settle down. Keep up with the rehab and good luck
@@MarkLidsterfitnessgeezer thanks, its getting there slowly.
How do you feel now. I had this injury last week and am so worried I can hardly sleep
@@dwaynejohnson7499 pretty much back to normal, back to the gym and able to do what i used tp be able to do, although scared to do dead lifts, as that is what caused the damage. You just have to take it slowly.
@@RashidRaja I'm 1 week out post surgery. Palm, ring, middle, index and thumb are numb and tingly all the time. As if they fell asleep
Thank you for sharing your experience. I experienced this about 1 and a half years ago. I’ve regained most of the lost size in the left arm now and regained strength but I notice the insertion of the biceps isn’t like how it was before surgery. It’s slightly higher than before. Is this normal? Thank you.
vikash74 great question. My own bicep is exactly the same as you describe. It has ridden up a bit more that it did giving it more separation and a bunched looked. Honestly I prefer the look 😊. I think this is quite a common after effect of this type of injury.
Had my surgery 1 February but my arm is set in soft cast at about 60 degrees. Doctor told me before going under I would come out at 90 degrees in a sling. My pain level was off the charts two days post op and the swelling is still super awful at 6 days post op... follow up the 11th so maybe I will get some answer then.
Sorry to hear that bro, I hope things settle down and improve soon
Was a nerve block used? If so, that wears off in 24 hours or so.
No, full anaesthesia
Just had my surgery last Tuesday. The pain isn’t bad but the muscle twitches and firing in that arm is horrible. I feel like my tricep is going to rip off when it happens. 😬 any advise? They didn’t prescribe muscle relaxers, just pain meds.
I’m sorry to hear that Callahan. I honestly didn’t experience that symptom with my surgery, but I do remember a similar thing happening after I had surgery when I broke my neck. Very uncomfortable and distressing and yi obviously fear that something is going to rip or tear. I’m sure it won’t but I would definitely get back in touch with your surgeon or medical professional to seek their advice and reassure. I suspect it’s a side effect of the tissues healing back together so should hopefully pass soon. Good luck
I was supposed to have my surgery tomorrow which will be the 14th day and they screwed up and they didn’t get my EKG done in time so now it’s gonna be next week which is gonna be like the 20th day and I’m worried that that’s too late, your thoughts? It doesn’t seem like you’re in that much pain they gave me Percocet and everything to use afterwards so I was expecting to be in a lot of pain so hopefully my result of pain is like yours
Hi Pedro, i'm not medically qualified, but from my understanding the ideal time to get the repair done is within 2-3 weeks. Then there shouldn't be any serious deterioration of the tendon. However longer periods up to 6 weeks have still produced good results. So your 20 days should be fine. As for pain I took meds for the first week, but much of that time it was purely precautionary. However everyone is different some get more some less, depending on the injury, surgery and your ability to heal etc. Pain is normal post surgery. but should subside within 1-2 weeks.
Thankyou
You’re welcome 😊
Watched this well waiting in the pre op room for the same surgery on the same arm.took the pre op jitters away. Thank you
Glad it helped you