Weight training with dumbbells ended in tragedy...the beauty broke her biceps! Be careful and rotate the muscle rupture

Weight training should be done appropriately to avoid rushing, which may cause tendon rupture or muscle strain. In order to maintain her health and figure, a 47-year-old Ms. Chen is keen on yoga and sports and goes to the gym every day. One day, when I was lifting dumbbells, I suddenly felt a severe pain in my right arm, and my arm was swollen as if I had grown Popeye's biceps. After a week of applying ice and taking painkillers, Ms. Chen still felt sore and painful without any improvement. She went to the outpatient clinic of the Orthopedics Department of the Jen Ai Chang Gung Memorial Hospital for a check-up. It was then discovered that she had a ruptured biceps (long head) tendon.

Minister Huang immediately arranged for Dr. Liu Yongchuan from the Sports Medicine Center to perform a minimally invasive arthroscopic tendon suture and fixation surgery on Ms. Chen. She started practicing joint movement training three weeks after the surgery. She has now resumed her normal life and can go to the gym again to resume her usual exercise habits.

Symptoms of biceps tendon rupture

Dr. Huang Zanwen said that the biceps muscle connected to the shoulder is divided into the long head tendon and the short head tendon, and the long head tendon is more likely to rupture. Biceps tendon rupture usually occurs in the dominant hand of middle-aged men around 50 years old. After the biceps rupture, the upper arm will swell like Popeye when the elbow joint is bent. Common risk factors include age, smoking, obesity, steroid use, or overuse of the arm, but other conditions such as quinolone antibiotic use, diabetes, kidney disease, or lupus may also contribute.

Treatment of biceps tendon rupture

Dr. Liu Yongchuan said that if the rupture of the long head of the biceps tendon does not affect daily life functions, conservative treatment can be considered. However, if you need to use arm muscle strength in your work or life, and cannot accept the enlarged biceps on the affected side and the occasional cramps, you can consider surgical treatment.

Dr. Liu Yongchuan said that if the rupture of the long head of the biceps tendon does not affect daily life functions, conservative treatment can be considered. However, if you need to use arm muscle strength in your work or life, and cannot accept the enlarged biceps on the affected side and the occasional cramps, you can consider surgical treatment. (Photo provided by Renai Chang Gung Hospital)

Dr. Liu Yongchuan pointed out that in patients with biceps tendon rupture, special attention should be paid to the fact that they are prone to concurrent injuries to the shoulder rotator muscles. When a rotator cuff problem is confirmed, surgery may be recommended. The surgical method is to fix the biceps tendon to the humeral head, but if the rupture is close to the joint and combined with problems such as rotator cuff rupture, an endoscopic method is used to fix the tendon and repair the rotator cuff.

Dr. Liu Yongchuan suggests that in order to prevent sports injuries, it is best to develop the habit of warming up before exercise and stretching and relaxing after exercise. If swelling and pain in the biceps occur, it is recommended to seek advice from a professional orthopedic physician as soon as possible and conduct further checks to see if there is any injury to the shoulder rotator muscles, so that you can live and exercise into old age.

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