Why does my bicep still hurt?

[Tommy Gunn]

I went to PT today for my ruptured pec reapir. I've been going for 5 weeks now since my surgery May 9. My bicep whenever I flex it really hard hurts. As a matter a fact the pec itself doesn't hurt that bad. The only thing that does hurt is the bicep. I understand he drilled holes in the bicep bone and had to do some repair and sewing in there, but why does my BICEP hurt? My chest hurting I can understand but my bicep?

How long until this pain goes away? I'm supposed to stop PT and start light llifting in 5 weeks but I don't see this bicep or any other pain I have getting better by than.

[bda2424]

if you hold your arm out to the side of your body you can see that your pecs go out to the humerous bone (if you are defined enough this is visible) so i would say that the muscle is just shorter than it used to be and any use will illicit some pain out at the insertion of the muscle. It doesn't have to be limited strictly to the end of the muscle that was reattached.

[Tommy Gunn]

So basically what you're telling me is that it's always gonna hurt like this and I'm screwed?

Oh boy...

[bda2424]

So basically what you're telling me is that it's always gonna hurt like this and I'm screwed?

Oh boy...

no..........just till the muscle gets conditioned and acclamates to the surgery

[Tommy Gunn]

Yeah but it's been 6 1/2 weeks!

[SwoleCat]

That's nothing with that serious of an injury.

I partially tore mine mid-way between the insertion and the main pec area itself, and it was a good 2 months before I could be back at it lifting like I should. That was just rest and no surgery for a rather small tear, your experience was very very serious and will require a lot of time.

When I ruptured both patellar tendons, I was out for months. I didn't work legs for 25 weeks. It takes a very long time with major surgery.

~SC~

~SC~

[Tommy Gunn]

SwoleCat, in your experiences as a bodybuilder, personal trainer, and weight lifter, have you ever seen someone suffer a complete pec tear, have surgery, do rehab, and one day become as big and strong as they previously were?

I'm a nervous wreck that this injury ruined me for good and I will never be as big or strong again. I also wanted to get back into amateur boxing again. Is it possible that one day I would be able to box again or did this injury crush all posibility of that?

[SwoleCat]

I am sure you can make a complete recovery, it will just take time and rehab. Good thing is you are in PT and quickly, my f*cking doctors totally forgot about that and never said shit. Over a year later, another doctor asked why the F I was not doing that LONG AGO, and well, my uphill battle was just that much
more steep.

But, I made it to the top, and now I'm coastin/toastin/flamboastin all the way down that bitch.

Just stay positive, cortisol is catabolic!

~SC~

[Tommy Gunn]

Hey Swole, according to my doctors protocol, I'm supposed to stop PT in 5 weeks and start lifting again (lightly) Aug. 1. Is there a chance this pain in my bicep will be gone by than for me to start lifting again?

Right now whenever I move my arm in flexion, internal rotation, or abduction the bicep is pretty much pain free. But when I do extension or external rotation, the bicep hurts. I couldn't possibly do seated cable rows right now, my bicep would kill me!

I guess my questions to you are:

1) Is this pain in my bicep ever gonna be gone to the point where I can start lifting again? If so, how long? Will it be gone in 5 weeks? I'm just afraid I will feel like this forever and I will never be able to lift again.

2) I'm glad you think I can make a complete recovery. But what I'm even more concerned about is that I will reinjure the pec one day. In your professional opinion, when this thing is fully healed (doc said it will take about a year) will it be more likely to easily reinjure? So a year from now, do I have to worry that every time I lift weights, wrestle with someone, or punch someone, that this thing will easily retear and I have to go through this misery again? In case it matters, my doctor used strong permanent sutures.

3) As you know, I had a complete tendon rupture in my pec. However because I waited 7 weeks to get it repaired post injury, my doctor only reattached 80% of the tendon. He said the other 20% was too scarred and retracted to repair. He said not to worry though, 80% is a good repair and a year from now when this is healed and I'm at full strength I won't even know he didn't get the other 20%. My question to you is, is my doctor telling the truth? A year from now when this is healed, could I return to previous size and strength even though he only reattached 80%? Being that I want to amateur box again, will this affect my punching power?

4) And lastly, if you could please look at my timeline for rehab and recovery and tell me what you think:

http://forums.steroid.com/showthread.php?t=244810

Thanks Swole. I appreciate your help and encouragement.

[SwoleCat]

Best thing is to work with your PT, he knows best and is trained for this, I've no idea as I don't work w/you and I am not a rehab specialist. Don't over-analyze it all, you are worrying when all you should do is just take it day by day. You can't fore-see the future, give time-frames, sets/reps/etc., that is not realistic. As well, as to whether the pain will be gone or not, who knows, my knees still are tight and I have pain at times, it's just how it's gonna be and those are the cards I was dealt.

Make the best hand.

Good luck,

~SC~

[Tommy Gunn]

What about the fact that he only reattached 80% Swole? If you could, please look at question 3. I don't even know if I should consider this a "successful" surgery.

Also, as I stated in question 2, I am concerned that once this is fully healed, that it will always be more likely to easily tear anytime I lift weights, wrestle, box, fight, etc.

And the other day at my doctors office I asked my doctor if he thought my thing was healing and he felt my chest, shoulders, and bicep by digging his fingers into me and said "I definitly feel a tendon. Your'e intact!". Is he telling the truth? Could he tell my tendon was now intact just by feeling?

Do you know anyone personally who has had this injury and surgery and had successfully came back?

And one last thing, in your professional opinion, do you think one day this pain in my bicep will be gone and I can resume weightlifting once again?

Thanks again for all your help bro.

[Tommy Gunn]

Also, what if I had my PT use ultrasound on the area of the bicep that is swollen and hurts? Would that be a good idea? I was thinking it would be good seeing that ultrasound increases blood flow and reduces inflammation.

So next time I go to PT should I ask the therapist to do ultrasound on my bicep where it's swollen and hurts?