@#%#$

[Shibby]

From what I read, it just sounds like a tore muscle. He said the bruising was only about the size of a nickel and sounded localized. Even though a grade 2 is still attatched, most of time the joint area is still useless. Him stopping the workout on his own and not because he couldn't move his arm is a positive sign. Even if it was a grade 1 the swelling usually would be more broad and look a bit yellowish and not so much like a bruise. Again this is just what I have seen to be most common in my expierence. I didn't ask spidey any questions on how it feels during passive and active range of motion. Spidey has the bruise color and any swelling gone down your arm?

[Shibby]

^I think my thoughts sound scattered. I just woke up, so if something dosn't make sense I will try to clarify.

[shortz]

^^^That is pretty generalized. Alot of those signs and symptoms are nonspecific. A clinical exam is the best way to determine the cause of the injury because of this. For instance, a few of those could be from nerve deterioration or damage (Loss of strength, spasms, and pain when moving).

BTW, I didn't take your post like you wished an injury upon someone. LOL I know better than to assume someone has no disregaurd for someone's well being unless proving me severly otherwise. ;)

[shortz]

^^^Oops, I was refering to NYC's post.

[spidey]

Originally posted by Shibby
From what I read, it just sounds like a tore muscle. He said the bruising was only about the size of a nickel and sounded localized. Even though a grade 2 is still attatched, most of time the joint area is still useless. Him stopping the workout on his own and not because he couldn't move his arm is a positive sign. Even if it was a grade 1 the swelling usually would be more broad and look a bit yellowish and not so much like a bruise. Again this is just what I have seen to be most common in my expierence. I didn't ask spidey any questions on how it feels during passive and active range of motion. Spidey has the bruise color and any swelling gone down your arm?

The bruising looks a little yellow/green today and has shrunk somewhat I think (only about the size of a dime now) and the swelling has almost completely gone down. After a long rest period (like when I first get up in the morning), there is no pain during passive motion and almost no pain during active range of motion. If I use the arm for little things like opening doors, carrying my lunch, etc. It starts to throb a bit. I try to not use it as much as I can (helps that it is my left arm and I am right handed). It is hurting quite a bit by the end of the day though. Aleve helps with the pain at night so I can sleep.

The bicep looks normal; no assymetric bunching of the muscle or anything that would indicate a completely ruptured tendon. The bruise is on the shoulder side of the bicep and on top of my arm right next to my arm pit. The pain is more centered on the forearm side of the bicep and below; right next to my elbow and radiates up the inside of my arm and back to the triceps. It is hard to pinpoint really.

My primary care doc advises to avoid using the arm as much as possible (DUH!) and if it isn't better in a week, he will make me an appointment with an ortho.

I took yesterday completely off from the gym and I will start back tomorrow with just cardio and Friday is my normal leg day so I will hit the squat rack hard ( I might have to have someone else actually load the bar for me, LOL). Do you think I can work legs hard twice a week or would that be overtraining them? I was thinking I would work my legs Mondays and Fridays and do cardio the other days until I can resume my normal workout schedule in a couple weeks.

[Shibby]

Well it sounds good. When a tendon is damaged you will usually feel pain even in passive range of motion. I'm not really following where you are saying the discoloration and pain is. Can you use the words proximal, distal, medial, laterall? Either way, when I was asking if the swelling has gone down your arm, I meant more in the sense has the swelling traveled down your arm becuase of gravity? Creating pitting adema. All in all it sounds good. Low pain indication and continued use of the muscle sounds like it is going to be fine.

[spidey]

OK, after consulting Grey's Anatomy, the bruise is at the origin of the biceps where the biceps, deltoids, and pectorals meet and it is on the inside or medial part of the arm. If I hold my arm out like I am flexing my biceps and push on the pectoral where the junction of those three muscle groups is, there is pain. If I move up and press on the deltoids, there is no pain. From the pictorals in Grey's Anatomy, this leads me to conclude I may have a tear in the short head of the biceps (the long head is lateral). I am thinking a tendon tear is less likely. What do you think?

[Shibby]

Sounds the same to me. As I said before, I don't think it is the tendon since the discoloration is so localized.

[imonboardtoo]

What'd the doc say? Don't self-diagnose yourself out of seeing the doc.

[Shibby]

Well, he said it has gotten quite a bit better. There is a test where you have your elbows at 90 degrees and against your sides. You then push them at the same time against a resistance. Usually someone elses hands (up, down, in, out). This tests strenght difference, but more for the shoulders. Other than that all a doc would do is order and MRI

[spidey]

My primary care doc doesn't want to see me and tells me that if it is a problem in a week or two, he will order me an appointment with an ortho. He doesn't think there is anything he can do for me that I am not already doing; i.e., taking time off, taking antiinflammatories and allowing myself to heal.

[BBAddict]

Sounds like you're doing all the right stuff--just make sure you do the right stuff for long enough. It's easy to rush back but that usually ends up setting you back more than it helps. Glad to hear it's not worse than it could've been.
Have you tried a leg workout yet with no arms? Can you do deads with a strained bicep?

[Shibby]

Spidey how does it feel today? How does it feel with shoulder movements and how does it feel when you flex your bicep?

[spidey]

Originally posted by Shibby
Spidey how does it feel today? How does it feel with shoulder movements and how does it feel when you flex your bicep?

If I hold my arm out with my elbow at 90 deg and rotate my shoulder, I can feel a LITTLE pain; maybe a 1 on a scale of 1-10 but I can feel it. If I flex my bicep, there is no pain initially but within a few seconds it starts to hurt and gets worse the longer I hold it. Now if I holod my arm with the elbow at 90 deg and rotate my elbow (my hand going backwards), that hurts pretty good; maybe a 5 out of 10.

No, I definitely can't do deads. The arm extension would kill my arm. I am thinking I will just do squats on the smith for a leg workout. I should be able to go as heavy as I want with that I think.

[Shibby]

lol, I have the toughest time mentally picturing things the same as you. The first one maybe sounds like your abducting and adducting your arm?(like a flapping chicken wing). The other rotation sounds like a forward to back motion? If these are correct which direction hurts more, espeacially on the 5 out of 10 one.