Here is my story... I am a LEO and I got a 50-90% distal tendon tear caused by a health professional... (yep I know). MRI said 50% tear.. the surgeon suggested conservative approach.. It took 3 months and a half for the everyday pain to go away. Even when the pain went away, I could barely lift half of what i used to lift. Curling 12 pounds was painful even and I used to be a gym guy fairly fit. Anyways, after 3 months of rehab and physio my bicep, pain and strength didnt came back. The dr suggested I get a talk with the surgeon. Waited 1 more month.. Talked to the surgeon who said I should get surgery but it had a 3-6 months waitlist. Keep in mind I have been off the uniform for 4 months because of this.. Eitherway got a surgery in Calgary and surgeon there said my tendon was 90% torn (MRI 5 months prior said it was at 50%). I am now 6 weeks after surgery. Arm still hurts and can't flex bicep but I can move my arm around a lot more. Hopefully the strength comes back. The recovery is expecting to take 6 to 9 months. All that to say, if you have a partial tear or a tear if you need your arm for your lifestyle and for a living just get the surgery. I had no choice to wait cause i live in Canada and the system is public and because the MRI revealed initially 50% tear which is partial, the surgeon aren't in a rush to operate you since it is not a medical emergency as compared to a full tear. (a full tear needs to be operate ASAP due to the scaring issues). Although the surgeon had to take 2 inches off my tendon due to the advanced scaring... Just dont wait just get it done.
Thank you for making these videos. I'm working through them right now as I popped my bicep deadlifting almost exactly what you did yesterday. Went to the doc and am on a surgery schedule. These vids have really helped me reduce the stress of the unknown, so I can't say thank you enough for putting in the time and effort into making them. Maybe you've done this already and I haven't seen the video yet, but if not can you show your scars and healing progress (yes, it's a vanity thing!)
Hey Drew! You are very welcome! I'm glad you're finding them helpful! Yeah.. I don't think I'll ever go back to the switch grip for deadlifts again.. :( I've since started deadlifting again, using double overhand with straps helps overcome the PTSD of the injury. Were you attempting a weight that you hadn't done before? I wish you a speedy recovery! I just uploaded my most recent video, but I'll make sure to get a close up of the scar in the next one!
@Dr.JayDMD I've now watched all your vids (including today's)... After seeing your hike clip, it looks like we're in the same part of the world (I'm in North Vancouver). I was lifting 455 with a switch grip with my left hand open. Not a PR, but I do only do them for singles. Funny enough this happened on a Sunday and I just so happened to be drinking all day out on the water on Friday so add me to your physio buddy's anecdotal evidence of 48hr post booze dehydration tendon rupture list! Knowing what you know now, would you reconsider your initial decision not to use peptides like BPC157, TB500 and adding in growth hormone as well?
Hey Drew! That's so funny! Small world. Do you already have an orthopedic surgeon lined up? If not, dm me and I can give you the details on mine. Also, I have my ratcheting brace laying around here that you might need. @proboxfitness on IG Ah sorry to hear about your injury! The switch grip will forever give me PTSD.. I've opted to use straps and the conventional double overhand grip when attempting heavy deads now. That's a good question. I can go into more detail on it on my next video, but in short I can definitely say I'm happy with my recovery/rehab without the aid of exogenous hormones/peptides. I was fortunate enough to be able to take my time with the recovery process and from my research, adding those compounds only speed up the recovery timeline and not necessarily strengthen the overall end outcome.
I tore my distal tendon Saturday 6/10 I am former competetive bodybuilder. I tore mine out bear hunting and was coming down a mountain using saplings to slowly lower myself my bicep snapped. I have decided to go no surgery. Im 44 and we have a new baby. I had a discoid meniscus surgery in February. I cant put my family through me not working and not contributing. Heres the mind F. Im use to looking a certain way. My bicep will never look the same. If my arm was cut off outta mind outta sight. But i gotta be ok now with a weird arm. Pretty shallow i know but its where im at. I wish you the best!
Hey @A Snyder How did you injure your arm?? Sounds like you made the right decision for your situation. I mentioned in my video that It's a luxury to have options to heal this injury. That being said, keep your head up, the research is very promising showing the end stage results for the conservative (non-surgical) therapy. There are a lot of people on youtube who have shown what they are capable of doing (physical activity-wise) with a non-surgically healed distal bicep tendon!
@Dr.JayDMD I was scaling down a mountain, as I was lowering myself down my bicep just let go. Mind you I wasn't hanging or anything it was just a steep part. I watched Bobby Maximus videos and he is completely full functioning. I am back lifting lightly. I'm a week past my rupture my arm looks normalish except when I flex. I have short T Rex arms so that may be my saving grace. I am also using a muscle stim.
I'm six weeks post surgery. I'm still using the arm brace but not as often. I can fully straighten my arm and very glad I got the surgery. I was hesitant but now I realize it was the right move for me. I'm 51 years old and in pretty good shape. I believe the only way I would not get this surgery is if I was very old or in poor health. I thought this would be a major ordeal but I don't believe it's that bad. I won't be able to lift anything for a few more weeks but I do start light strength training in a couple weeks. The time's going by quickly it seems and before I know it my arm will be better and certainly 6 to 12 months from now I probably won't even think about it. I get the surgery isn't for everyone, but I think that this is pretty routine these days for any skilled surgeon.
@ericy1005 I'm not too worried about the surgery or the rehab. It's just the amount of time off work. I'm a maintenance tech and it's my dominant arm. It's probably the worst timing if that's possible. I have 3 months of short term disability left after my knee surgery I had earlier. So possibly I'd go a month without a paycheck which sucks but not the end of my life. I just don't want an F'd up odd arm.
@@Bucky5068 If there's any way you can figure out how to do it, I'd recommend it. My surgeon said you should get it done within 4 weeks of injury. Best of luck to you. You're young, so think wisely about this.
That's an interesting take on dehydration. As for me, I used to workout moderately, but I had a period for almost half a year without training. This year I finally resumed my training routine. But, literally after my second workout later that day I ruptured my bicep tendon, when trying to catch a fridge (don't ask me why). Part of me thinks that I could have avoided this injury if I didn't have such a big gap in workouts. On the other hand, while I was waiting for my surgery, I had a roommate at the hospital who was a proper bodybuilder. He wanted to hang on the bar a little after a workout. The bar was high, so that he had to jump. And his left arm slipped, so his total body weight transferred to his right arm.
I would not be doing any sort of heavy, open palm facing deadlifts until I was many months past surgery, because if you weren't already aware, open palms facing up deadlifts are one of the very most common excercise that people tear the bicep tendon as it puts the elongated bicep already in a vulnerable position under heavy load, most people assume bicep tears come from a bicep curl but often times it's the heavy momentum used during the deadlift where the bicep is pulled off the insertion tendon from a heavy load and knee jerk momentum that many people use when trying to perform a heavy deadlift. People need to better understand how the bicep muscle works and contracts under load, and where the muscle is the weakest vs the load being applied, this is also common when people fully extend their arms doing a deep seated barbell preacher curl and they hyper extend at the bottom of the movement which also can easily tear the bicep.
Good to see your rehab has progressed so well. I'm in my week 6 now and it's been so hard to refrain from using my injured arm. It feels fully functional so I keep finding myself using it more and more. I hope I am not preventing it from healing or am weakening the tendon at all. My PT and ortho have both said I need to refrain from using that arm at all. I had a meeting with Dr. John Petrizzo a couple weeks ago and have another meeting next week to start working on rehab with him since I'll be at six weeks then. I'm always so worried about re-injuring it's quite stressful.
Thanks Chris! I remember that stage.. I would constantly have to remind myself to opt out and use my left arm, since my dominant arm was still “injured”. Dr. John Petrizzo is the man! Love that guy. So helpful and generous. The thought of re-rupture is very hard to get over. I realized around week 8 that the physical aspect of rehabbing this injury is easy. It’s the mental aspect of loading the bicep with heavy weight again that is hard. I’m at week 16 and I still haven’t attempted a pull-up. 😂
@@samsawyer2145 I only took a couple days off from the gym. I did cardio daily and did lifts I could do without that arm. I was back to doing barbell exercises at 6 weeks and back on my mountain bike at 10 weeks. Im at 16 weeks and feeling pretty good. Occasional soreness and some nerve pain that’s gradually been getting better. I hope your recovery goes well!
@@chrisking1483 good to hear, I’m going to try and get back to the gym at week 4 for Cardio and lower body,fingers crossed upper body get back to some sort of normality 12/16 weeks. Cheers
great video bro, so good to see you doing well and almost back to normal. i am now 17 weeks post po and back to doing all gym lifts, it is hard to say if they are back to where they was pre op as i hadn't really lifted weights in years but i could do 15 strict pull ups which i still cannot do/or tried. i am only doing assisted pull ups with a resistant band. otherwise my arm is pretty much back to normal and surgery is a thing of the past, i would say i still need to regain some bicep isolation strength and size but that is about it i think. i won't be boxing again until i feel ready, i am in no rush. i know i mentioned last time i had a suspected partial tear in my other arm that went missed a number of years ago, i am now waiting to have a mri done but that could take another 6 weeks. since then i saw another specialist who didn't rule out a partial tear but also said he has never seen a partial tear like mine where he could psychically hook and feel a strong healthy tendon. either way i am happy it is being investigated none the less.
Whatsup bro!! Happy to hear from you. I haven’t even attempted a pull-up! I’m heavy right now.. 😅 That’s awesome news, I’m happy to hear that you’re doing well! Im sure you’ll get good news after the MRI. I’m in no rush to box either.. but I do miss it.. it’s my favourite form of cardio.
I partially tore mine also, I'm skeptical about getting surgery, but watching several vids and reading comments really helps me make a decision to get the procedure done.
@@midwestmarauder4821 i had a 2cm partial tear on my other arm that i had reattached, the surgeon said the operation was very easy as it never completely came off the bone. he detached it for me and reattached it. the tear was so small that the bicep looks the way it use to. i am over 3 months post op and about 90% back to where i was, already deadlifting etc.
Welcome back man, It's good to see you with full extension, supination and bicep firing. I am 4 weeks post surgery as of tomorrow. I have actually found the whole thing very hard, especially mentally. I have basically done no physical activity since my rupture, and it has really got me down, feeling and seeing my body change. I will however get myself back on track, I have started work again, although only light duties. How long did it take for you to get your full extension back? My arm is still so stiff and I am 5+ degrees short of full extension at my best. I also gave my self a re-rupture scare, one day trying some methods to train the muscles other than my bicep, So for anyone wondering....just don't try, leave it, give it time to heal however frustrating it is.
It seems like recovery time scales can vary massively with this injury, I had full extension back by week 3-4, but still don’t have full pronation back at week 10. My understanding is you normally get full extension back by weeks 6-8 but can be longer depending on how conservative your rehab is. My biggest progress came after doing tricep extensions with a very light resistance band off the top of a door, which I started doing multiple times everyday midway through week 2-3.
@@james-oz1sr Fascinating, yeah I have full pronation already, but not extension. Yes I also have just realised I can isolate the tricep for light resistance training, thank god coz i'm losing it fast, its actually shocking how much smaller my right is now than my left when it was my bigger arm.
@@mars8916 Thanks Mars! I'm happy to be back :) I know exactly how you feel. It was very hard for me to watch my body sit on the sidelines and transform due to inactivity.. I tried to be as active as I could, but in the end I definitely noticed a loss of muscle and a gain of fat. My next series of videos will address how I plan to get back into "pre-injury" shape along with what modifications (if any) need to be done in the gym to accommodate our newly attached tendon! James is spot on! Recovery time scales will vary with each individual. My full extension came back around week 5. I continued to wear the limiting brace just to prevent injury but I can clearly remember a time where, if I took it off to shower I would be able to extend past its set point. Stay positive brother, We'll be back to 100% soon!
Yes people don't mention the depression. My six pack arms ass have gone. Iam a mess after 6 weeks since tear. 3 weeks post op. Still in severe pain with the nerves
@@Peter-sl6mf It gets better mate. I am over a year from the surgery now, and my arm feels totally healed. different but healed. I couldn't keep up any excercise during the recovery, i basically became a hermit. But slowely i managed to emerge again. And i am now climbing at the same level as I was before the injury. More importantly than anything, just don't re-injure your arm. Take it slow. Good luck man, i feel ya.
Great video! One thing I forgot to mention before my last comment, I also got the spike protein the week before which was a game changer. I was feeling so good going into week 2 but that stooped me in my tracks. I'm finally better, my 4th week post op appointment is next week and hopefully will start PT soon. Thanks for sharing your journey, you created a great video series which I will re-watch. Glad to hear that both your health and profession is moving in the right direction!
Hey Art! Thanks for the support!! 😀 I can only imagine having to deal with that during your tendon rehab. Glad you're feeling better! Are you out of the plaster cast now? Yes, once you start PT you'll notice an exponential rate of recovery.
@@Dr.JayDMD yes it was removed post-op day#4 (my 1st post-op appt) that week I felt great and by the end of post-op week 1 I was asking my MD and PA what if any ROM exercises to do. But then I got sick a few days later, every day I had a different symptom, I felt that I re-injured my operative arm but now even my arm feels better. Since I lost 6 pounds I'm will start my intermittent fasting supplemented with homemade cold pressed juices and start cardio and some core. Wishing you nothing but the best!
Sounds like a good plan! I love intermittent fasting. Just be cautious about being in a caloric deficit while healing this injury! (it's a lot easier to forget and eat less than maintenance while intermittent fasting)
I am 6 weeks post ruptured distal bicep tendon injury, I have opted to NOT partake in the surgery, you seem to have done much research on the options of both....I guess I'll never know for about a year if I made the right decision. Any way, my orthopedic surgeon said do not start PT for another 2 weeks, so 8 weeks past Injury does this make sense to you?
I chose not to have surgery because my injury was in my non dominate arm. My supination is back to the strength it was before the tear. My curing strength is still about 30% less then my other bicep. My shoulder strength has been affected as well. Every day activities are not affected.
Those are interesting results. Usually the curling(flexing) strength is the one that comes back close to normal. Whereas the supination strength is the one that gets effected (~60% loss). But this is a great real life example that those statistics are just general numbers and don't necessarily apply to everyone! Happy to hear you recovered well! ps: how did you injure your bicep initially?
I am two months out on my 70% tear repair, I am lifting a 3lb dumbbell currently, the tricep is pretty much all the way back, however the bicep is slow returning, but I am hopeful because I am a mechanic and need to be able to lift tires
@@Dr.JayDMD I was lowering a 36inch door out of the back of my van, it was on top the seats so it was up kinda high, I was lowering it down out of the back and once it got to the fulcrum point of lowering it, that's when I felt the pop! the Dr said it was a 70% tear, so I went with the repair choice, my grip pressure is now at 70% so progressing well
thanks for the video series. i had the same surgery three weeks ago. Not sure what you mean by getting your cardio back after. I hit the road with my running shoes four days post surgery. gotta get the reps in. Anyway. Keep up the good work.
4 days after surgery?.iam. 3 weeks post op. the nerve pay is still terrible hand is numb. Started physio today. Told just do a range of exercises for 6 weeks. I need to get back to work as soon as possible No work no pay. No home
Just had the surgery 2 weeks ago. I'm already scared of injuring it again. Thinking about removing back and bicep exercises completely out of my program.😢
Initially I was thinking of doing the same. It's very hard to return to back and bicep work in the gym.. But trust me when I say, its totally possible. Some exercises are more stressful (mentally) than others. -Pull ups (chin ups) -Deadlifts -Barbell Rows are some to name a few. Start slow and light and work your way back up! Check the progression of the weight I use in my videos and you'll see that I'm close to normal now. I initially started with VERY light weight.
Video helped and I watched it before and after surgery. I’m at the 8 week mark and am looking forward to getting back in the gym in some capacity. Thanks
Bruh my life flipped upside down after i tore mine at work in august 2021. It just will never be the same. Best way to put it is what my surgeon said. It’s not brand new out the plastic/factory.. it’s mended.
Interesting what your friend said about dehydration being a risk factor. When I tore mine, I had been surfing all morning so was pretty dehydrated and specifically remember when I paddled out for my afternoon surf (when I tore it) my triceps were cramping when paddling which is a good indicator of being dehydrated
Interesting right!? Totally makes sense. The weather is starting to pick up out here, I'm very aware of staying hydrated if/when I'm out in the sun all day. ie) if I go for an AM run, I now track my water intake leading up to my PM gym session. How did you feel on you last surf trip? Other than being a little careful with the arm, did your cardio take a hit? Were you able to stay out for as long as you normally do?
I felt surprisingly good on my surf trip cardio wise, however the trip was on a boat in Indonesia which meant there was minimal paddling and warm water compared to surfing on a beach so I feel my paddle strength and cardio is yet to be really tested (I am holding off surfing after my trip until at least week 12+). It was pretty scary surfing at first, especially after I tweaked it, as being in the water adds a level of unpredictability. All the spots I was surfing were over pretty shallow coral too, so I had to really programme my brain to hold my arm in when falling off ha. I would normally surf for 2-3 hours a session pre injury, so for the first few days of the trip I was just surfing for 45 mins to an hour at a time and then coming in, but towards the end of the trip I was probably clocking up 6-8 hours of surfing a day and any pain/ swelling in the arm from using the bicep again had gone. I wore a hyper-extension brace with an X strap over the forearm which prevented my arm from going past 20/30 degrees which I would definitely recommend for anyone with this injury trying out sports early.
Hey Dr Jay, you’ve kept me sane as I recovered from distal bicep surgery following bicep rupture of my dominant arm. I’m 16 weeks post surgery and still not 100% recovered, but I’m back lifting. I’m raising the Gods! And taking it slow and easy. I think I’m holding back because of the mental trauma of the injury, but want to get my bicep length back to before the injury. Any ideas? How did you do this?
I noticed that you were having a little trouble innervating that biceps. I've been having the same issue (4 weeks out from surgery) where when I try to flex it it just kinda twitches around. I don't suppose you've looked into why that happens, or whether it fully recovers? I tried googling it a little bit but couldn't find anything. Great video series btw -- these were very inspiring in my dark days the week before and week after the repair!
Hey @markpoe619 At this point in my rehab that usually only happens following a day of fatiguing the muscle (boxing or weightlifting). Due to the nature of the injury + the fact that we didn't use the bicep for a 1-2 months. The body has shutdown the neural pathways that were used to signal the biceps. Where you are right now (week~6) the nerves responsible for flexing the biceps are still trying to "reconnect" to the muscle. It's totally normal for the biceps to "flicker" on and off while you are trying to flex it. Don't be alarmed, this should return to normal after some time. You can help the process along by continuing to flex the bicep throughout the day and help regain that "mind-muscle connection" Curious, how did you injure your bicep?? I'm so happy to hear that you found my videos helpful! Wishing you a speedy recovery! Thanks for the support!! :)
VERY interesting point you make about the dehydration! Have you come across any medical journals, etc that speak more on this? I recently had a more than 90% tear of my right distal biceps tendon from nothing more than an awkward fall. I'm a very lean and fit 170 lbs and it made no sense to me how this could possibly happen so easily. I don't drink alcohol at all and I wasn't hung over but I had been sweating a ton from working outside in the heat several days in a row and I was definitely very dehydrated. I would love any additional info via medical journals, etc if you know of any. 🙏 🙏
I feel like nobody gets a cool story with this injury😂😂 I was throwing a heavy cardboard box from my pickup to a dumpster overhead😂😂 I lift weights all the time, have a very physical job, I’m in great shape and a dang cardboard box got me… it much just be a certain combination of load and positioning that puts it in a vulnerable spot I guess and gets us when we are least expecting it. Had my surgery yesterday
Bro I am currently 1 n half weeks post surgery. The sleeping like a vampire part cracked me up 😂😂. I know I’ve made the right choice but you’re right I hate it right now this stupid cast it’s so heavy. Does it still hurt?
hahah! Yeah, that time seems so far away already. But I can still remember how uncomfortable it was! nope! no pain as of now. How about you? What stage are you at now?
I just tore mine on Saturday from throwing a left hook during sparring and I'm still on the fence of going the surgery route specifically because of the recover down time. I'm 55 and up until Saturday was an avid kickboxer and training 4 days a week . So far only seen one doctor and he said I could go without and only lose 20% of strength but I never mentioned anything about speed. I'm going to see another one tomorrow then the 3rd one on Thursday before I make my decision.
@@johnholcomb3887 I didn't do it and I'm very happy with my decision. I did 3 weeks of intensive therapy 3 days per week (therapy, ultrasound , red light therapy) + one PRP injection to help heal the trauma faster then week 4 started strengthening with exercise bands. 6 weeks back in the gym training and now I'm 100% as far as what is needed to kick box yet I do feel that my damaged arm is weaker but nothing that prohibits normal daily routine so I if I continue with specific training and occasional physical therapy I'm sure it will just get even better. I could only imagine doing the surgery and still having my arm somewhat immobilized or at best barely functioning. Plus the possibility of nerve damage ... Not worth it at my age, I cherish every day I can still train at a high level and taking a year to recover completely if at all would have been horrible.
Thank you Dr Jay. Iam only 3 weeks post op. Arm and hand are still numb.iam still in a lot of nerve pain. Iam still wondering should I have had the surgery or not. Please god 6 more weeks I will get better. Start physio today. I got depressed last week for two days. Thank god it passed. Let's see how we go. It's good to listen to other people who have had surgery
Thank you for the info bro! I think im going to have to do the surgery i really dont want to but i lost 3/4 of an inch on my bicep from the tear i cant handle that and also it hurts when i work out. Definitely dont have the strength there anymore
Hey! Not too sure about rehabbing a torn shoulder! I would imagine the recovery process be something similar. Active recovery and being followed by a team such as: Phsyio/RMT/Kin would be a good idea!
I noticed initially that you had difficultyflexing the bicep muscle. I'm 4 weeks post surgery and and feel that my "mind-muscle connection" very poor and I struggle to get the bicep to activate. I'm assuming this is normal post surgery, but what did you experience in relation to this?
@Shane Hey Shane! Yes the mind muscle connection is still not 100%. It is pretty close, some days are better than others. I've actually noticed it harder to fire recently but that's because I have been BEATING up my arm. (The day before I filmed this video I played a round of golf and held boxing pads for a friend). I'm also in the gym working it directly or indirectly 4 days a week. So I think its a mixture of the mind muscle connection (not yet at 100%) and a little bit of fatigue from previous workouts. My physio told me that we should be trying to flex it throughout the day. You'll look like a douche if anyone sees you doing it, but it'll help form those neuronal pathways quicker! 😄 Are you able to hold a flex? If I remember correctly, at week 4 I could see "pulses" but nothing constant.
@@Dr.JayDMD I've just gotten to week five and I have now developed a inconsistent mind-muscle connection. On about 60% of attempts I can flex the bicep. Feel much better now. Some shoulder mass returning too
@@Rokoshano I compared that stage to a “diesel engine trying to start in the winter” haha. You can see that the neuromuscular pathways are there, but they just need to be strengthened! Keep the good work up bro!
How is the scar tissue in your arm now/ when did it go? Im 10 weeks post op and it still looks like I have half a golf ball under the scar when I extend and supinate (its not noticeable when in neutral or pronated positions). I do scar massage everyday but still pretty odd looking ha
I had the exact same "ball of tightness" around my medial epicondyle. I noticed it in two different timelines. 1. Initially after the plaster cast was removed. - Prob due to surgery + muscle inactivity | Dissipated after 2 weeks of RMT 2. Around week 6-7 after I started loading the bicep again. - Prob due to overactivity and the forearm muscles being overworked. Its not noticeable visually, but if you were to poke and prod around the area and compare it to my left forearm, you would notice a difference in tightness. Hence me still continuing to go to my weekly RMT/KIN.
Thanks good to know. I need to look into RMT as it doesn’t seems to be going away with the scar massage I have been doing, although I am not too bothered about the aesthetic so may leave it a couple more weeks. Do you have any difference in the gap between your bicep muscle belly and forearm? At first I thought my injured arm bicep was now longer than my normal arm, but now I have begun to gain muscle back it definitely looks a little short than my non injured arm. I think I have read this is common, but in my mind if the tendon is shorter I would expect the gap to be smaller not bigger?
@@james-oz1sr I heard someone else noticing the same thing as you after their surgery. For me, my bicep looks longer (the gap got smaller). I totally agree with your thought process with it: shorter tendon = pulls bicep further into the elbow -> smaller gap. Im not sure why it would be different? The only thing I can think of is that maybe the bicep atrophied a bit in between the injury and the surgery? But again, I haven’t looked into this, so I’m not sure. You’re still pretty early in your rehab process, give it some time, it might change in terms of “how it looks” again.
Life after .. Haha come on.. i rupturted mine a week ago, back at work 2 days later, 2 small kids at home. Can this guy be more dramatic.. what a wuzz..
Here is my story... I am a LEO and I got a 50-90% distal tendon tear caused by a health professional... (yep I know). MRI said 50% tear.. the surgeon suggested conservative approach.. It took 3 months and a half for the everyday pain to go away. Even when the pain went away, I could barely lift half of what i used to lift. Curling 12 pounds was painful even and I used to be a gym guy fairly fit.
Anyways, after 3 months of rehab and physio my bicep, pain and strength didnt came back. The dr suggested I get a talk with the surgeon. Waited 1 more month.. Talked to the surgeon who said I should get surgery but it had a 3-6 months waitlist. Keep in mind I have been off the uniform for 4 months because of this.. Eitherway got a surgery in Calgary and surgeon there said my tendon was 90% torn (MRI 5 months prior said it was at 50%). I am now 6 weeks after surgery. Arm still hurts and can't flex bicep but I can move my arm around a lot more. Hopefully the strength comes back. The recovery is expecting to take 6 to 9 months.
All that to say, if you have a partial tear or a tear if you need your arm for your lifestyle and for a living just get the surgery. I had no choice to wait cause i live in Canada and the system is public and because the MRI revealed initially 50% tear which is partial, the surgeon aren't in a rush to operate you since it is not a medical emergency as compared to a full tear. (a full tear needs to be operate ASAP due to the scaring issues). Although the surgeon had to take 2 inches off my tendon due to the advanced scaring... Just dont wait just get it done.
Thank you for making these videos. I'm working through them right now as I popped my bicep deadlifting almost exactly what you did yesterday. Went to the doc and am on a surgery schedule. These vids have really helped me reduce the stress of the unknown, so I can't say thank you enough for putting in the time and effort into making them.
Maybe you've done this already and I haven't seen the video yet, but if not can you show your scars and healing progress (yes, it's a vanity thing!)
Hey Drew!
You are very welcome! I'm glad you're finding them helpful!
Yeah.. I don't think I'll ever go back to the switch grip for deadlifts again.. :( I've since started deadlifting again, using double overhand with straps helps overcome the PTSD of the injury.
Were you attempting a weight that you hadn't done before?
I wish you a speedy recovery!
I just uploaded my most recent video, but I'll make sure to get a close up of the scar in the next one!
@Dr.JayDMD I've now watched all your vids (including today's)... After seeing your hike clip, it looks like we're in the same part of the world (I'm in North Vancouver).
I was lifting 455 with a switch grip with my left hand open. Not a PR, but I do only do them for singles. Funny enough this happened on a Sunday and I just so happened to be drinking all day out on the water on Friday so add me to your physio buddy's anecdotal evidence of 48hr post booze dehydration tendon rupture list!
Knowing what you know now, would you reconsider your initial decision not to use peptides like BPC157, TB500 and adding in growth hormone as well?
Hey Drew!
That's so funny! Small world. Do you already have an orthopedic surgeon lined up? If not, dm me and I can give you the details on mine. Also, I have my ratcheting brace laying around here that you might need.
@proboxfitness on IG
Ah sorry to hear about your injury! The switch grip will forever give me PTSD.. I've opted to use straps and the conventional double overhand grip when attempting heavy deads now.
That's a good question. I can go into more detail on it on my next video, but in short I can definitely say I'm happy with my recovery/rehab without the aid of exogenous hormones/peptides. I was fortunate enough to be able to take my time with the recovery process and from my research, adding those compounds only speed up the recovery timeline and not necessarily strengthen the overall end outcome.
I tore my distal tendon Saturday 6/10 I am former competetive bodybuilder. I tore mine out bear hunting and was coming down a mountain using saplings to slowly lower myself my bicep snapped. I have decided to go no surgery. Im 44 and we have a new baby. I had a discoid meniscus surgery in February. I cant put my family through me not working and not contributing. Heres the mind F. Im use to looking a certain way. My bicep will never look the same. If my arm was cut off outta mind outta sight. But i gotta be ok now with a weird arm. Pretty shallow i know but its where im at. I wish you the best!
Hey @A Snyder
How did you injure your arm??
Sounds like you made the right decision for your situation. I mentioned in my video that It's a luxury to have options to heal this injury.
That being said, keep your head up, the research is very promising showing the end stage results for the conservative (non-surgical) therapy. There are a lot of people on youtube who have shown what they are capable of doing (physical activity-wise) with a non-surgically healed distal bicep tendon!
@Dr.JayDMD I was scaling down a mountain, as I was lowering myself down my bicep just let go. Mind you I wasn't hanging or anything it was just a steep part. I watched Bobby Maximus videos and he is completely full functioning. I am back lifting lightly. I'm a week past my rupture my arm looks normalish except when I flex. I have short T Rex arms so that may be my saving grace. I am also using a muscle stim.
I'm six weeks post surgery. I'm still using the arm brace but not as often. I can fully straighten my arm and very glad I got the surgery. I was hesitant but now I realize it was the right move for me. I'm 51 years old and in pretty good shape. I believe the only way I would not get this surgery is if I was very old or in poor health. I thought this would be a major ordeal but I don't believe it's that bad. I won't be able to lift anything for a few more weeks but I do start light strength training in a couple weeks. The time's going by quickly it seems and before I know it my arm will be better and certainly 6 to 12 months from now I probably won't even think about it. I get the surgery isn't for everyone, but I think that this is pretty routine these days for any skilled surgeon.
@ericy1005 I'm not too worried about the surgery or the rehab. It's just the amount of time off work. I'm a maintenance tech and it's my dominant arm. It's probably the worst timing if that's possible. I have 3 months of short term disability left after my knee surgery I had earlier. So possibly I'd go a month without a paycheck which sucks but not the end of my life. I just don't want an F'd up odd arm.
@@Bucky5068 If there's any way you can figure out how to do it, I'd recommend it. My surgeon said you should get it done within 4 weeks of injury. Best of luck to you. You're young, so think wisely about this.
That's an interesting take on dehydration. As for me, I used to workout moderately, but I had a period for almost half a year without training. This year I finally resumed my training routine. But, literally after my second workout later that day I ruptured my bicep tendon, when trying to catch a fridge (don't ask me why).
Part of me thinks that I could have avoided this injury if I didn't have such a big gap in workouts. On the other hand, while I was waiting for my surgery, I had a roommate at the hospital who was a proper bodybuilder. He wanted to hang on the bar a little after a workout. The bar was high, so that he had to jump. And his left arm slipped, so his total body weight transferred to his right arm.
I would not be doing any sort of heavy, open palm facing deadlifts until I was many months past surgery, because if you weren't already aware, open palms facing up deadlifts are one of the very most common excercise that people tear the bicep tendon as it puts the elongated bicep already in a vulnerable position under heavy load, most people assume bicep tears come from a bicep curl but often times it's the heavy momentum used during the deadlift where the bicep is pulled off the insertion tendon from a heavy load and knee jerk momentum that many people use when trying to perform a heavy deadlift. People need to better understand how the bicep muscle works and contracts under load, and where the muscle is the weakest vs the load being applied, this is also common when people fully extend their arms doing a deep seated barbell preacher curl and they hyper extend at the bottom of the movement which also can easily tear the bicep.
Very well said!
I tore my bicep during a switch grip deadlift!
Good to see your rehab has progressed so well. I'm in my week 6 now and it's been so hard to refrain from using my injured arm. It feels fully functional so I keep finding myself using it more and more. I hope I am not preventing it from healing or am weakening the tendon at all. My PT and ortho have both said I need to refrain from using that arm at all. I had a meeting with Dr. John Petrizzo a couple weeks ago and have another meeting next week to start working on rehab with him since I'll be at six weeks then. I'm always so worried about re-injuring it's quite stressful.
Thanks Chris!
I remember that stage.. I would constantly have to remind myself to opt out and use my left arm, since my dominant arm was still “injured”.
Dr. John Petrizzo is the man! Love that guy. So helpful and generous.
The thought of re-rupture is very hard to get over. I realized around week 8 that the physical aspect of rehabbing this injury is easy. It’s the mental aspect of loading the bicep with heavy weight again that is hard.
I’m at week 16 and I still haven’t attempted a pull-up. 😂
I’ve done both biceps, mentally and physically it’s hard. I’m 2 weeks in, hoping to be back in the gym at week 12. 🤷♂️
@@samsawyer2145 I only took a couple days off from the gym. I did cardio daily and did lifts I could do without that arm. I was back to doing barbell exercises at 6 weeks and back on my mountain bike at 10 weeks. Im at 16 weeks and feeling pretty good. Occasional soreness and some nerve pain that’s gradually been getting better. I hope your recovery goes well!
@@chrisking1483 good to hear, I’m going to try and get back to the gym at week 4 for Cardio and lower body,fingers crossed upper body get back to some sort of normality 12/16 weeks.
Cheers
great video bro, so good to see you doing well and almost back to normal.
i am now 17 weeks post po and back to doing all gym lifts, it is hard to say if they are back to where they was pre op as i hadn't really lifted weights in years but i could do 15 strict pull ups which i still cannot do/or tried.
i am only doing assisted pull ups with a resistant band.
otherwise my arm is pretty much back to normal and surgery is a thing of the past, i would say i still need to regain some bicep isolation strength and size but that is about it i think.
i won't be boxing again until i feel ready, i am in no rush.
i know i mentioned last time i had a suspected partial tear in my other arm that went missed a number of years ago, i am now waiting to have a mri done but that could take another 6 weeks.
since then i saw another specialist who didn't rule out a partial tear but also said he has never seen a partial tear like mine where he could psychically hook and feel a strong healthy tendon.
either way i am happy it is being investigated none the less.
Whatsup bro!! Happy to hear from you.
I haven’t even attempted a pull-up! I’m heavy right now.. 😅
That’s awesome news, I’m happy to hear that you’re doing well! Im sure you’ll get good news after the MRI.
I’m in no rush to box either.. but I do miss it.. it’s my favourite form of cardio.
I partially tore mine also, I'm skeptical about getting surgery, but watching several vids and reading comments really helps me make a decision to get the procedure done.
@@midwestmarauder4821 i had a 2cm partial tear on my other arm that i had reattached, the surgeon said the operation was very easy as it never completely came off the bone. he detached it for me and reattached it. the tear was so small that the bicep looks the way it use to. i am over 3 months post op and about 90% back to where i was, already deadlifting etc.
Im waiting on MRI. I hope my tendon can be repaired. You're giving me hope.
Welcome back man, It's good to see you with full extension, supination and bicep firing. I am 4 weeks post surgery as of tomorrow. I have actually found the whole thing very hard, especially mentally. I have basically done no physical activity since my rupture, and it has really got me down, feeling and seeing my body change. I will however get myself back on track, I have started work again, although only light duties.
How long did it take for you to get your full extension back? My arm is still so stiff and I am 5+ degrees short of full extension at my best.
I also gave my self a re-rupture scare, one day trying some methods to train the muscles other than my bicep, So for anyone wondering....just don't try, leave it, give it time to heal however frustrating it is.
It seems like recovery time scales can vary massively with this injury, I had full extension back by week 3-4, but still don’t have full pronation back at week 10. My understanding is you normally get full extension back by weeks 6-8 but can be longer depending on how conservative your rehab is.
My biggest progress came after doing tricep extensions with a very light resistance band off the top of a door, which I started doing multiple times everyday midway through week 2-3.
@@james-oz1sr Fascinating, yeah I have full pronation already, but not extension. Yes I also have just realised I can isolate the tricep for light resistance training, thank god coz i'm losing it fast, its actually shocking how much smaller my right is now than my left when it was my bigger arm.
@@mars8916 Thanks Mars! I'm happy to be back :)
I know exactly how you feel. It was very hard for me to watch my body sit on the sidelines and transform due to inactivity.. I tried to be as active as I could, but in the end I definitely noticed a loss of muscle and a gain of fat.
My next series of videos will address how I plan to get back into "pre-injury" shape along with what modifications (if any) need to be done in the gym to accommodate our newly attached tendon!
James is spot on! Recovery time scales will vary with each individual. My full extension came back around week 5. I continued to wear the limiting brace just to prevent injury but I can clearly remember a time where, if I took it off to shower I would be able to extend past its set point.
Stay positive brother, We'll be back to 100% soon!
Yes people don't mention the depression.
My six pack arms ass have gone. Iam a mess after 6 weeks since tear. 3 weeks post op. Still in severe pain with the nerves
@@Peter-sl6mf It gets better mate. I am over a year from the surgery now, and my arm feels totally healed. different but healed.
I couldn't keep up any excercise during the recovery, i basically became a hermit. But slowely i managed to emerge again. And i am now climbing at the same level as I was before the injury.
More importantly than anything, just don't re-injure your arm. Take it slow.
Good luck man, i feel ya.
Great video! One thing I forgot to mention before my last comment, I also got the spike protein the week before which was a game changer. I was feeling so good going into week 2 but that stooped me in my tracks. I'm finally better, my 4th week post op appointment is next week and hopefully will start PT soon. Thanks for sharing your journey, you created a great video series which I will re-watch. Glad to hear that both your health and profession is moving in the right direction!
Hey Art! Thanks for the support!! 😀
I can only imagine having to deal with that during your tendon rehab. Glad you're feeling better!
Are you out of the plaster cast now? Yes, once you start PT you'll notice an exponential rate of recovery.
@@Dr.JayDMD yes it was removed post-op day#4 (my 1st post-op appt) that week I felt great and by the end of post-op week 1 I was asking my MD and PA what if any ROM exercises to do. But then I got sick a few days later, every day I had a different symptom, I felt that I re-injured my operative arm but now even my arm feels better. Since I lost 6 pounds I'm will start my intermittent fasting supplemented with homemade cold pressed juices and start cardio and some core. Wishing you nothing but the best!
Sounds like a good plan! I love intermittent fasting.
Just be cautious about being in a caloric deficit while healing this injury! (it's a lot easier to forget and eat less than maintenance while intermittent fasting)
I am 6 weeks post ruptured distal bicep tendon injury, I have opted to NOT partake in the surgery, you seem to have done much research on the options of both....I guess I'll never know for about a year if I made the right decision. Any way, my orthopedic surgeon said do not start PT for another 2 weeks, so 8 weeks past Injury does this make sense to you?
I chose not to have surgery because my injury was in my non dominate arm. My supination is back to the strength it was before the tear. My curing strength is still about 30% less then my other bicep. My shoulder strength has been affected as well. Every day activities are not affected.
Those are interesting results.
Usually the curling(flexing) strength is the one that comes back close to normal. Whereas the supination strength is the one that gets effected (~60% loss). But this is a great real life example that those statistics are just general numbers and don't necessarily apply to everyone!
Happy to hear you recovered well!
ps: how did you injure your bicep initially?
curious, how are you doing 7 months later? Did your strength come back?
I am two months out on my 70% tear repair, I am lifting a 3lb dumbbell currently, the tricep is pretty much all the way back, however the bicep is slow returning, but I am hopeful because I am a mechanic and need to be able to lift tires
Hey Trevor!
Sounds like your rehabbing the injury well!
How did you injure your Bicep??
Wish you a speedy recovery!
@@Dr.JayDMD I was lowering a 36inch door out of the back of my van, it was on top the seats so it was up kinda high, I was lowering it down out of the back and once it got to the fulcrum point of lowering it, that's when I felt the pop! the Dr said it was a 70% tear, so I went with the repair choice, my grip pressure is now at 70% so progressing well
thanks for the video series. i had the same surgery three weeks ago. Not sure what you mean by getting your cardio back after. I hit the road with my running shoes four days post surgery. gotta get the reps in. Anyway. Keep up the good work.
4 days after surgery?.iam. 3 weeks post op. the nerve pay is still terrible hand is numb. Started physio today. Told just do a range of exercises for 6 weeks.
I need to get back to work as soon as possible No work no pay. No home
Just had the surgery 2 weeks ago. I'm already scared of injuring it again. Thinking about removing back and bicep exercises completely out of my program.😢
Initially I was thinking of doing the same.
It's very hard to return to back and bicep work in the gym.. But trust me when I say, its totally possible. Some exercises are more stressful (mentally) than others.
-Pull ups (chin ups)
-Deadlifts
-Barbell Rows
are some to name a few.
Start slow and light and work your way back up!
Check the progression of the weight I use in my videos and you'll see that I'm close to normal now. I initially started with VERY light weight.
Thank you again
Video helped and I watched it before and after surgery. I’m at the 8 week mark and am looking forward to getting back in the gym in some capacity. Thanks
Bruh my life flipped upside down after i tore mine at work in august 2021. It just will never be the same. Best way to put it is what my surgeon said. It’s not brand new out the plastic/factory.. it’s mended.
Sorry to hear about the injury.
How did it happen?
What limitations do you feel you have compared to your non-injured side?
Interesting what your friend said about dehydration being a risk factor. When I tore mine, I had been surfing all morning so was pretty dehydrated and specifically remember when I paddled out for my afternoon surf (when I tore it) my triceps were cramping when paddling which is a good indicator of being dehydrated
Interesting right!?
Totally makes sense. The weather is starting to pick up out here, I'm very aware of staying hydrated if/when I'm out in the sun all day. ie) if I go for an AM run, I now track my water intake leading up to my PM gym session.
How did you feel on you last surf trip? Other than being a little careful with the arm, did your cardio take a hit? Were you able to stay out for as long as you normally do?
I felt surprisingly good on my surf trip cardio wise, however the trip was on a boat in Indonesia which meant there was minimal paddling and warm water compared to surfing on a beach so I feel my paddle strength and cardio is yet to be really tested (I am holding off surfing after my trip until at least week 12+). It was pretty scary surfing at first, especially after I tweaked it, as being in the water adds a level of unpredictability. All the spots I was surfing were over pretty shallow coral too, so I had to really programme my brain to hold my arm in when falling off ha. I would normally surf for 2-3 hours a session pre injury, so for the first few days of the trip I was just surfing for 45 mins to an hour at a time and then coming in, but towards the end of the trip I was probably clocking up 6-8 hours of surfing a day and any pain/ swelling in the arm from using the bicep again had gone.
I wore a hyper-extension brace with an X strap over the forearm which prevented my arm from going past 20/30 degrees which I would definitely recommend for anyone with this injury trying out sports early.
Hey Dr Jay, you’ve kept me sane as I recovered from distal bicep surgery following bicep rupture of my dominant arm. I’m 16 weeks post surgery and still not 100% recovered, but I’m back lifting. I’m raising the Gods! And taking it slow and easy. I think I’m holding back because of the mental trauma of the injury, but want to get my bicep length back to before the injury. Any ideas? How did you do this?
I noticed that you were having a little trouble innervating that biceps. I've been having the same issue (4 weeks out from surgery) where when I try to flex it it just kinda twitches around. I don't suppose you've looked into why that happens, or whether it fully recovers? I tried googling it a little bit but couldn't find anything. Great video series btw -- these were very inspiring in my dark days the week before and week after the repair!
Hey @markpoe619
At this point in my rehab that usually only happens following a day of fatiguing the muscle (boxing or weightlifting).
Due to the nature of the injury + the fact that we didn't use the bicep for a 1-2 months. The body has shutdown the neural pathways that were used to signal the biceps. Where you are right now (week~6) the nerves responsible for flexing the biceps are still trying to "reconnect" to the muscle. It's totally normal for the biceps to "flicker" on and off while you are trying to flex it.
Don't be alarmed, this should return to normal after some time. You can help the process along by continuing to flex the bicep throughout the day and help regain that "mind-muscle connection"
Curious, how did you injure your bicep??
I'm so happy to hear that you found my videos helpful! Wishing you a speedy recovery! Thanks for the support!! :)
VERY interesting point you make about the dehydration! Have you come across any medical journals, etc that speak more on this? I recently had a more than 90% tear of my right distal biceps tendon from nothing more than an awkward fall. I'm a very lean and fit 170 lbs and it made no sense to me how this could possibly happen so easily. I don't drink alcohol at all and I wasn't hung over but I had been sweating a ton from working outside in the heat several days in a row and I was definitely very dehydrated. I would love any additional info via medical journals, etc if you know of any. 🙏 🙏
Also, this video you put together is much better than most I've seen on distal biceps tendon injuries. Thanks for posting it! 👍👍
What's the cost of the surgery in the United States?
Before insurance I think it was around $12-13,000 for me. I have a $5,000 deductible so after all is said and done, I owed around $3,500
@@husker16 I'm going to do this surgery in Warsaw, Poland in a week. Around 2k USD total private medical service without insurance :D
Pulled an 800lb deadlift, just fine, deadlifted crewcab trucks, good to go....
Mdf sheet at home depo snapped my distal tendon. 😂
I tore mine lifting a sheet of plywood too
I was loading a filing cabinet into my truck
Particle board plywood got my cheap ass...
I feel like nobody gets a cool story with this injury😂😂 I was throwing a heavy cardboard box from my pickup to a dumpster overhead😂😂 I lift weights all the time, have a very physical job, I’m in great shape and a dang cardboard box got me… it much just be a certain combination of load and positioning that puts it in a vulnerable spot I guess and gets us when we are least expecting it. Had my surgery yesterday
Going to have surgery this coming Wednesday
Hey Paul!
Wish you a speedy recovery.
How did the injury happen??
Howd it go
Bro I am currently 1 n half weeks post surgery. The sleeping like a vampire part cracked me up 😂😂. I know I’ve made the right choice but you’re right I hate it right now this stupid cast it’s so heavy.
Does it still hurt?
hahah!
Yeah, that time seems so far away already. But I can still remember how uncomfortable it was!
nope! no pain as of now.
How about you? What stage are you at now?
I just tore mine on Saturday from throwing a left hook during sparring and I'm still on the fence of going the surgery route specifically because of the recover down time. I'm 55 and up until Saturday was an avid kickboxer and training 4 days a week . So far only seen one doctor and he said I could go without and only lose 20% of strength but I never mentioned anything about speed. I'm going to see another one tomorrow then the 3rd one on Thursday before I make my decision.
What did you decide
@@johnholcomb3887 I didn't do it and I'm very happy with my decision. I did 3 weeks of intensive therapy 3 days per week (therapy, ultrasound , red light therapy) + one PRP injection to help heal the trauma faster then week 4 started strengthening with exercise bands. 6 weeks back in the gym training and now I'm 100% as far as what is needed to kick box yet I do feel that my damaged arm is weaker but nothing that prohibits normal daily routine so I if I continue with specific training and occasional physical therapy I'm sure it will just get even better. I could only imagine doing the surgery and still having my arm somewhat immobilized or at best barely functioning. Plus the possibility of nerve damage ... Not worth it at my age, I cherish every day I can still train at a high level and taking a year to recover completely if at all would have been horrible.
Thank you Dr Jay. Iam only 3 weeks post op. Arm and hand are still numb.iam still in a lot of nerve pain. Iam still wondering should I have had the surgery or not. Please god 6 more weeks I will get better.
Start physio today. I got depressed last week for two days. Thank god it passed.
Let's see how we go. It's good to listen to other people who have had surgery
How’s it’s going with the nerve problems?
Thank you for the info bro! I think im going to have to do the surgery i really dont want to but i lost 3/4 of an inch on my bicep from the tear i cant handle that and also it hurts when i work out. Definitely dont have the strength there anymore
OK GREAT BUT WHAT ABOUT A REPAIR FROM SHOULDER DO DR'D STILL I WAS TOLD PLEASE GRTEATLY WOULD APPRECIATE ANSWER .THANK YOU
Hey!
Not too sure about rehabbing a torn shoulder!
I would imagine the recovery process be something similar.
Active recovery and being followed by a team such as: Phsyio/RMT/Kin would be a good idea!
How did you deal with muscle mass reduction due to lack of activity?
I noticed initially that you had difficultyflexing the bicep muscle.
I'm 4 weeks post surgery and and feel that my "mind-muscle connection" very poor and I struggle to get the bicep to activate.
I'm assuming this is normal post surgery, but what did you experience in relation to this?
@Shane Hey Shane!
Yes the mind muscle connection is still not 100%.
It is pretty close, some days are better than others.
I've actually noticed it harder to fire recently but that's because I have been BEATING up my arm. (The day before I filmed this video I played a round of golf and held boxing pads for a friend).
I'm also in the gym working it directly or indirectly 4 days a week.
So I think its a mixture of the mind muscle connection (not yet at 100%) and a little bit of fatigue from previous workouts.
My physio told me that we should be trying to flex it throughout the day. You'll look like a douche if anyone sees you doing it, but it'll help form those neuronal pathways quicker! 😄
Are you able to hold a flex? If I remember correctly, at week 4 I could see "pulses" but nothing constant.
@@Dr.JayDMD I've just gotten to week five and I have now developed a inconsistent mind-muscle connection. On about 60% of attempts I can flex the bicep. Feel much better now.
Some shoulder mass returning too
@@Rokoshano I compared that stage to a “diesel engine trying to start in the winter” haha.
You can see that the neuromuscular pathways are there, but they just need to be strengthened!
Keep the good work up bro!
How is the scar tissue in your arm now/ when did it go? Im 10 weeks post op and it still looks like I have half a golf ball under the scar when I extend and supinate (its not noticeable when in neutral or pronated positions). I do scar massage everyday but still pretty odd looking ha
I had the exact same "ball of tightness" around my medial epicondyle. I noticed it in two different timelines.
1. Initially after the plaster cast was removed.
- Prob due to surgery + muscle inactivity | Dissipated after 2 weeks of RMT
2. Around week 6-7 after I started loading the bicep again.
- Prob due to overactivity and the forearm muscles being overworked.
Its not noticeable visually, but if you were to poke and prod around the area and compare it to my left forearm, you would notice a difference in tightness. Hence me still continuing to go to my weekly RMT/KIN.
Thanks good to know. I need to look into RMT as it doesn’t seems to be going away with the scar massage I have been doing, although I am not too bothered about the aesthetic so may leave it a couple more weeks.
Do you have any difference in the gap between your bicep muscle belly and forearm? At first I thought my injured arm bicep was now longer than my normal arm, but now I have begun to gain muscle back it definitely looks a little short than my non injured arm. I think I have read this is common, but in my mind if the tendon is shorter I would expect the gap to be smaller not bigger?
@@james-oz1sr I heard someone else noticing the same thing as you after their surgery.
For me, my bicep looks longer (the gap got smaller). I totally agree with your thought process with it: shorter tendon = pulls bicep further into the elbow -> smaller gap.
Im not sure why it would be different? The only thing I can think of is that maybe the bicep atrophied a bit in between the injury and the surgery? But again, I haven’t looked into this, so I’m not sure.
You’re still pretty early in your rehab process, give it some time, it might change in terms of “how it looks” again.
Dr. Jay. you got a Dentist Job lined out yet? If not, I work with someone within the industry, I can get them in touch with you. DM me.
That's so kind of you!!
One of my good friends has a position lined up for me at his clinic! But I appreciate the support!
Thank you
I have surgery in 7hrs 😅
Great video..
Life after .. Haha come on.. i rupturted mine a week ago, back at work 2 days later, 2 small kids at home. Can this guy be more dramatic.. what a wuzz..
Not all ruptures are the same. Each rupture can be different and depends whether complete rupture or partial.