Biceps Tendinitis

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Symptoms of Biceps Tendon Injuries

If you have biceps brachii tendonitis or tenosynovitis you may experience:

• Pain and tenderness at the front of the shoulder that may move down the upper arm.
• Pain that increases when lifting your arm out front or above the shoulder.
• Pain that often gets worse at night or upon awakening in the morning.
• Redness, swelling, and a sensation of heat in the area of the biceps tendon.
• Limited range of motion in the shoulder and the elbow.

With tenosynovitis in the biceps tendons you may also experience:

• A sticking feeling in the upper arm/shoulder.
• A crackling noise (crepitation) in the shoulder when the arm is moved as the tendon tries to move through the sheath.

If you have experienced a biceps tendon rupture:

• You may hear or feel a snap at the top of the shoulder with sharp pain. When this occurs, pain in the shoulder may quickly disappear as the pull causing strain in the head of the biceps is reduced.
• Bruising midway down the arm to the elbow may be evident.
• A bulge at the bottom of the biceps is usually noticeable.
• There will be weakness when you try to lift your arm or bend the elbow.
• If not torn completely, there may only be pain at the front of the shoulder.

Due to the biceps muscle's connection to the shoulder joint, other problems that may occur in conjunction with biceps tendonitis include injuries such as shoulder impingement, shoulder instability, tears in the glenoid labrum that can lead to frozen shoulder, arthritis, and rotator cuff tendon tears.

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Causes of Biceps Tendon Injuries

In the majority of cases, wear and tear of the biceps tendon is what causes the damage. This wear and tear is often due to overuse of the shoulder during many overhead activities that we perform in our daily lives, hobbies, and sports. With overuse, tendons can weaken with microtears that cause irritation, eventually leading to inflammation (tendinitis). When tendonitis develops over a long period of time from overuse, it is referred to as chronic tendinitis.

Biceps tendinitis often occurs with other shoulder conditions or injuries, usually with damage to the biceps tendons. A fall on an outstretched hand or a direct blow to the shoulder can cause acute tendonitis (tendinitis that comes on quickly) if the biceps tendon is damaged. If left untreated, both types of tendinitis may develop into tenosynovitis or a complete tear (rupture).

Specific causes of biceps tendonitis, tenosynovitis, and tears in the biceps tendon include:

• Sports that involve repetitive throwing, lifting or forceful contact such as swimming, baseball, tennis, gymnastics, and weightlifting.
• A torn transverse humeral ligament. This ligament usually holds the biceps tendon in the bicipital groove at the top of the humerus, but if torn, the tendon can slip out of the groove and become irritated.
• Work that requires repetitive overhead movements such as painting, hammering, and overhead lifting.
• Straining the biceps muscle or tendon due to overuse or unusual use.
• Having an ongoing or previous shoulder injury that may have not healed properly.
• Infection in the shoulder, sometimes following surgery, although this is a less common cause.

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Do You Really have Biceps Tendonitis?

Your shoulder and arm connect into one ball-and-socket joint, involving 3 bones, and a large number of muscles, tendons, ligaments, connective tissues and synovial fluid. Biceps tendonitis usually occurs along with other shoulder related problems:

• Biceps tendon tear, then deformity of the arm (a "Popeye" bulge in the upper arm)
• Chronic shoulder instability
• Biceps Tenosynovitis, inflammation of the tendon sheath
• Arthritis of the shoulder joint, Osteoarthritis or Rheumatoid arthritis
• Tendinosis of the biceps tendon, caused by degeneration of the tendon from athletics requiring overhead motion or from the normal aging process
• Rotator cuff tear, a group of 4 tendons located at the shoulder acting as a 'cuff' to connect your humerus bone to the rotator cuff muscles. Acute trauma results from a sudden injury such as falling onto an outstretched arm, which can bruise, strain or tear your rotator cuff tendon(s) or muscle(s) at any age. Excessive force exerted by lifting or pulling something too heavy, pushing off an object vigorously with your arm, or making a forceful and abrupt forward throwing or overhead action, can also severely damage and tear your rotator cuff.
• Tears in the shoulder joint (Slap tear or glenoid labrum tear). There are 3 bones in the shoulder blade (scapula), the collarbone (clavicle), and the upper arm bone (humerus). Injuries to the tissue rim surrounding the shoulder socket(s) can occur from acute trauma or repetitive shoulder motion or injury. Falling on an outstretched arm, a direct blow to the shoulder, a sudden pull (ie. trying to lift a heavy object), or a violent overhead reach (ie. trying to stop a fall or slide) can cause a slap tear or labrum tear injury.
• Shoulder Bursitis is often due to overuse or overhead repetitive actions. It can also be a result of something as simple as an awkward fall or trying to lift something up high with a weakened shoulder. When pressure or friction is too great, excess fluid can build up in the bursa sac causing swelling and inflammation. Moving the shoulder becomes very painful and movement can be difficult. Any actions that put pressure on the inflamed bursa can increase irritation and cause further inflammation and pain. Symptoms of shoulder bursitis are pain, limited range of motion, weakness, difficulties sleeping, swelling and tenderness, and possibly a fever if the bursa is infected (septic shoulder bursitis).
• Calcific tendinitis A chemical reaction with other tissues in the body and calcium builds-up in the tendons. More common condition with women and the age ranges between 30 and 50. This is not a sport / activity related injury. It is known as a natural process than can occur in some people and not in others. The shoulder and rotator cuff are the typical location of calcific tendinitis - it is also know as calcific tendinopathy. Pain and stiffness that often comes back but usually last one to two months.
• Impingement Syndrome happens when the tendons in your shoulder get caught by the bones in your shoulder. Over time if left untreated impingement syndrome can result in shoulder tendonitis, bursitis and can cause tearing in your rotator cuff tendons. Like shoulder tendonitis, impingement syndrome can happen from repeated overhead activity or movement like painting, lifting, swimming and any other overhead sports. There are generally 3 stages in impingement syndrome: Stage 1 (pain, swelling and inflammation in the rotator cuff tendons), Stage 2 (rotator cuff tendonitis) and Stage 3 (tendon tissue catching under your bone resulting in immobility and loss of function in your shoulder). Each stage will generally affect a different age group, which is why this condition is thought to progress over time. Stage 1 usually affects individuals younger than 25 years old, Stage 2 affects individuals between the ages of 25 and 40, and Stage 3 affects individuals 40+ (reference: 1).
• Frozen shoulder (also known as "adhesive capsulitis") is signified by pain and stiffness in the shoulder joint, limited range of motion and pain while sleeping. This is a condition that commonly occurs in older athletes. Frozen shoulder is 5x more common in people with diabetes, though the reason for this is unknown. It's possible that frozen shoulder will happen as a result of a previous injury (like shoulder tendonitis), but it can also happen for no apparent reason or may be triggered by a mild injury in the shoulder area. There are 3 phases to this condition: "Freezing" (general pain, swelling and inflammation), "Frozen" (stiffness in your shoulder) and "Thawing" (recovery as pain eases and most of the movement returns). This process will take some time to get through, and can sometimes take as long as 2 or more years to complete.
• Diseases that cause inflammation of the shoulder joint lining - like Synovitis, Gout and Pseudo-gout.

Non-Surgical Treatment for Biceps (Shoulder) Tendonitis

In most cases, your Doctor will start with non-surgical treatments options. Some of the options your doctor may recommend include drugs or medications like NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to manage pain and inflammation. Steroid injections are advised with caution for any type of tendon condition as there is increased risk of tendon rupture.
(reference: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)

The good news is that most cases of bicipital tendinitis will heal with simple home conservative treatments and surgery is often not needed. You will find that conservative treatment for tendon strain is very similar to treatments recommended for a muscle strain.

When There is Swelling, Use a Cold Compress or Ice Pack on the Injury:

• for 24 to 72 hours after your initial injury or when you first notice pain and swelling in your shoulder/arm/elbow to stop tissue damage, relieve pain, and decrease swelling.
• After exercise, workouts or activity of any kind to reduce risk of worsening your injury.
• Before and after surgery during rehabilitation to control pre and post-surgery pain and swelling.
• Anytime you feel your shoulder/arm has been over-extended, over-worked, twisted, strained or sprained causing pain and swelling.
• Anytime you have swelling, sharp throbbing pain or inflammation in the tendons or muscles in your arm, elbow or shoulder.
• Any other situation where you need to draw the pain and inflammation out of the area.

An injury that often leads to straining in other areas (as is the case with biceps tendonitis) will make an overall recovery hard to initiate. People tend to "chase the pain", meaning they only focus on treating an area that is actively painful, while not taking into account the fact that other areas of the body will be overcompensating...eventually leading to issues in those areas as well. With injuries such as these, the importance of recovering quickly is often underestimated.

We know that heat increases blood flow in soft tissue in the treatment area. This means ligaments, muscles, and tendons. Increased blood flow, combined with heat results in relaxation of the vessel walls. The vessels then gently expand, allowing for more nutrient rich blood flow along with extra oxygen to reach the damaged tissues. Plus, the enhanced blood flow helps in flushing waste and fluid build-up from the injury site - further enhancing the ability of the body to heal.

Now that the importance of localized enhanced blood flow has been established, we should talk about the TShellz Wrap^®.

The best option we came across in our research to accomplish effective blood flow to soft tissue in the treatment area at home is the TShellz Wrap^®. Use of this device results in an increase of blood flow within the treatment area - all in a non-invasive manner.

With a TShellz Wrap^® application, more blood begins to flow effectively to tissue in the area - for the length of the treatment and a short duration thereafter. Deep tissue needs the extra blood flow to heal as it is through the blood the body carries the oxygen and nutrients needed for proper and long-term healing.

Have you seen what happens when you add water to a flower wilted from drought? In essence, your injured elbow is much like a "wilted" flower; your body wants to heal its injury, but needs lots of nutrients to do it. Blood brings life to your tissue by delivering healing nutrients and oxygen that are vital for their growth and survival. In addition, the blood carries away toxins and waste cleaning the area and healing it faster. Without a good supply of blood, your elbow simply won't heal properly.

Using a TShellz Wrap^® will not expose you to the risk of causing further harm to soft tissue like you can when using rigorous exercise. The Elbow TShellz Wrap^® accomplishes the goal of enhanced blood flow without the need for intensive exercise and as such reduces your risk of re-injury.

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Who Should Use the Shoulder TShellz Wrap^®

We recommend the use of a Shoulder TShellz Wrap^®:

• If you have bursitis, tendinitis or other soft tissue damage in your shoulder, then the Shoulder TShellz Wrap^® will provide the all-important function of boosting blood circulation where it is needed most.
• If you are dealing with soft tissue conditions affecting your range of motion.
• If you have a chronic soft tissue shoulder condition that has lasted for years- this device is intended to kick start the recovery process and help strengthen the surrounding and supporting tissues.
• If you are still working with a shoulder strain or mild tear, the TShellz Wrap^® will help relax tissue in the shoulder prior to work and after a day at the job.
• If you are still trying to enjoy your favorite activities such as gardening, tennis, golf, etc - use the TShellz Wrap^® prior to activity to help reduce risk of re-injuring or re-aggravating those targeted tissues.
• If you are suffering from bursitis and want to treat a major source of it (inflammation and damage to tissue surrounding the bursa sac). Through trauma, overuse or degenerative changes, muscle and tendons surrounding the bursa sacs will tighten and constrict. When they do, they place pressure on the bursa, causing it to become irritated. Applying a TShellz Wrap^® to the area will help relax tissue in the treatment area, taking pressure off the bursa.
• If you are experiencing atrophy in your shoulder and want to reduce the chance of re-injury while stretching - this is a perfect treatment to use every time before you stretch.
• If you have been to a clinic for some form of massage or stretching and your PT or physician has recommended conservative treatments for home.
• If you are experiencing atrophy in your shoulder and want to reduce the chance of re-injury (or further injury) while stretching - this is a perfect treatment to use on a regular basis, by enhancing blood flow and elongating soft tissue.
• If you are experiencing tightness in your muscle(s) and want to reduce the chance of re-injury while stretching - we recommend the use of a TShellz Wrap^® before you stretch.

Use a Shoulder TShellz Wrap^® if the affected bicep tendon is in the shoulder area
Use an Elbow TShellz Wrap^® is the affected tendon is at the elbow joint:

• After swelling and inflammation have been reduced with cold compression.
• Before exercise or workouts to warm up the tendons in your biceps to prevent re-injury.
• Before and after surgery during rehabilitation to warm up your tissues before physical therapy exercising or stretching.
• Anytime you feel the tendons in your arm/shoulder have stiffened up, are tight and your mobility is reduced causing you more pain.
• Anytime you have sore or aching tissue in your arm, elbow and/or shoulder.
• Any other situation where you need to increase blood flow to your biceps tendonitis injury to relax your tendon, relieve pain, prevent re-injury and enhance flexibility of your tissue.

Increased Blood Circulation = Increased Healing Capability

TShellz Wraps^® contain a unique Carbon Fiber Energy Pad which is flexible and will shape to conform to your body. This Energy Pad emits a uniform wave of perfectly safe energy over its entire surface. This energy is absorbed by soft tissue in the bicep treatment area, opening blood vessels, resulting in an increase in blood flow. Increased blood circulation is what your body needs to accelerate the healing of soft tissue and this is why we recommend the TShellz Wrap^®.

The TShellz Wrap^® is an FDA Registered Medical Device and is suitable for use in therapeutic clinics and FROM HOME. It is completely safe for people and patients to use for themselves.

The technology found in a TShellz Wrap^® has been used for decades in the worlds of professional and amateur sports - a contributing factor as to why athletes seem to recover from injuries so quickly.

Have you ever wondered by an athlete can return to activity after 3 or 4 weeks following a soft tissue injury - while your average person takes much longer to return back to normal? The secret isn't really that much of a secret - it involves consistent treatments (meaning multiple times a day) using a treatment like the TShellz Wrap^® to stimulate blood flow to the injured tissues. Most athletes have the luxury of using in-house facilities many times per day.

How many us can afford the time and money to visit a clinic multiple times a day? Very few indeed. This is how you can gain some of the advantages that athletes enjoy in their injury recovery - by using a device like the TShellz Wrap^® two or three times a day on a consistent basis.

Consistent Treatments = Consistent And Long Term Improvement

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If The Tendonitis Pain Is Too Much, Use Our New Fast Acting Pain Relief Cream Called "ARNICA INFUSION"

Dealing with aches and pains affecting the foot, ankle, leg, knee, hamstring, hip, back, arm, shoulder, elbow, wrist, or hand? If so, then applying the Arnica Infusion to any of these targeted areas will bring about fast relief from the pain and sore tissues. Simply apply a small amount of cream to the body and moments later, you will experience a soothing and comforting sensation over the area.

Arnica Infusion is specially designed to relieve pain due to sore muscles and joints associated with arthritis, backaches, sprains, strains, and bruises. No matter if you are dealing with an acute injury, chronic pain, or a general "flare-up" - you will experience fast relief from pain and inflammation.

A lot of our customers asked us for pain cream, so we focused our resources and came up with what we believe to be the most effective, fast acting, topical pain relief cream you can buy without a prescription.

You are likely familiar with some of the standard topical creams on the market as most of our customers use them. They are mass marketed and even found in most department stores... Well, we are here to say that Arnica Infusion goes many steps beyond what they offer.

Made in the USA at an FDA registered manufacturing facility, you can be assured that Arnica Infusion is both safe and effective. We only source top grade ingredients while implementing strict quality control checks during every step of the production process. Expect the same high quality that MendMeShop customers have been accustomed to since we started the company in 2005.

The "Cool Blue" formula is the perfect balance between the smooth application of a cream and the effective absorbing factor of a gel. It is not too thick and not too thin - just the right texture. Best of all, it feels very nice on the skin!

Each application of Arnica Infusion is comforting yes, but a couple minutes after you apply it.. well, then you will likely come to the realization that "yes, this really is the best pain cream I have ever used".

We strongly believe that we can help you, and we have thousands of happy clients to back this claim. You are welcome to try our products for a 60 day period.. If you are committed to following the treatments outlined in the product instructions we are very confident that our TShellz Wraps will aid you immensely. If you do not receive the benefits that countless of our other customers have experienced from our products, call us, mail the product back to us and we will provide you with a full product refund.

Our online shop accepts Visa & Mastercard as well as a Paypal Payment option.
We also encourage your to Call Our Office at 1-866-237-9608 (toll free continental NA) where we can answer any questions you have and/or take your order via phone.

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A Note On OverCompensation

The longer your injury endures, the greater the risk of running into serious overcompensation injuries.

To Stop Re-Injury & Reduce the Risk of a More Serious Overcompensation Injury, You Need to Heal Quickly & Completely!

Anyone in need of rapid recovery and complete healing must consider a comprehensive treatment plan that includes an effective means to minimize swelling and inflammation yet also stimulate healing and tissue elasticity. We have found no better set of tools that can be used at home than this:

Conservative Treatment Tools Our Clients Have Used to Help Limit Damage & Boost The Body's Soft Tissue Repair Process to Soft Tissue in the Shoulder:

• A Cold Compress or Ice Pack to reduce inflammation wherever there is pain and/or swelling (as soon as possible).
• A Shoulder TShellz Wrap^® to increase blood-flow to the targeted treatment area on the shoulder and upper arm (a Localized Enhanced Circulatory Response^® Treatment).
• MendMeShop Arnica Pain Cream for powerful, temporary relief of pain due to sore muscles and joints.
• A Shoulder Support Brace for light joint compression and support for joint instability.
• An Exercise & Stretching Plan to prevent muscle atrophy and shortened tendons in the shoulder joint. A proper plan will increase elasticity and strengthen the muscles and tendons in the wrist, forearm, elbow, upper arm and shoulder.

Conservative treatment tools just like these have been used successfully by thousands of shoulder injury sufferers - just like you.

The TShellz Wrap^®: Intended to Enhance Blood Flow in the Treatment Area

We believe the use of TShellz Wraps^® for boosting blood flow to soft tissue in the area of application is one of the most under-utilized home treatment options available on the market today. We have client after client that have tried many options out there and have been amazed at how effective and fast the TShellz Wrap treatment can relieve pain and increase blood flow in the shoulder.

Increased Blood Flow Stimulates the Bodys' Ability to Heal

With regular use of the Shoulder TShellz Wrap:

• Your pain will be reduced*.
• Due to increased blood flow, soft tissue in the treatment area on the shoulder will be expected to recover at an accelerated rate with reduced potential for re-injury*.
• Tissue in the treated area should experience a larger range of motion and increased extensibility of collagen tissue* due to the heat effect on soft tissue. This should translate into a reduced rate of re-injury occurrence as soft tissue is known to lengthen and become more flexible when exposed to warm temperature. (*Chapter 9 of "Therapeutic Heat and Cold", 4th edition. (amazon.com link - Ed. Justus F. Lehmann, M.D., Williams, and Wilkin)

*Know that every personal soft tissue injury is unique and the TShellz Wrap may not work for everyone. This is why we offer a 60-day money back return on all our TShellz Wrap devices.

Conservative treatment tools just like these have been used successfully by thousands of soft tissue injury sufferers - just like you.

We believe the use of TShellz Wraps^® for boosting blood flow to in the area of application is one of the most under-utilized home treatment options available on the market today. We have client after client that have tried many options out there and have been amazed at how effective and fast the TShellz Wrap treatment can relieve pain and increase blood flow in the treatment area.

The intent of TShellz Wraps are to significantly increase bloodflow to tissue in the treatment area - period. With regular use of the TShellz Wrap:

• Your pain will be reduced.
• With increased blood flow, soft tissue in the area will most likely recover at an accelerated rate*.
• Due to increased warmth, soft tissue in the treatment area will have an enhanced range of motion and increased extensibility*. This should translate into a reduced rate of injury occurrance as soft tissue becomes more flexible.
  (*Chapter 9 of "Therapeutic Heat and Cold", 4th edition. Ed. Justus F. Lehmann, M.D., Williams, and Wilkin)

Attach the TShellz Wrap^®, plug it in and let the Energy Pad do the work!

*Know that every personal soft tissue injury is unique and the TShellz Wrap may not work for everyone. This is why we offer a 60-day money back return on all our TShellz Wrap devices. Our high quality wraps are registered with the FDA as medical devices which meet high manufacturing standards.

During your recovery, you may have to modify and/or eliminate any activities that cause pain or discomfort in your quadriceps until your pain and inflammation settle. The more dedicated you are with your treatment and rehabilitation, the faster you will see successful results!

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