4 types of exercises that can help you recover from biceps tendinitis (and 4 to avoid)

When any part of your arm is in pain — especially your shoulder — it can make many small, everyday tasks more difficult. Lifting your arm to wave at a neighbor or carrying a grocery bag can make you wince in pain. There are many injuries and conditions that can damage the tissue in your shoulder, including biceps tendinitis. 

There’s a tendon that connects your elbow and shoulder bones to your biceps muscles. When this tendon becomes inflamed, it’s known as biceps tendinitis. It can develop as a result of repetitive overhead movements, such as swimming, throwing a ball or heavy lifting for a labor-intensive job. The tendon can also become inflamed due to a sudden injury.

Biceps tendinitis can cause a variety of symptoms that interfere with your overall quality of life, such as pain, weakness and a limited range of motion in your shoulder joint. There are a variety of treatment options that can help alleviate these symptoms, from over-the-counter medication to manual therapy from a physical therapist. But one of the first treatments recommended by health care professionals is often exercises.

Of the various exercises that can target the affected tissue in your shoulder, which ones are the safest and most effective for biceps tendinitis? That’s what we’re going to discuss. 

We’ll walk you through exercises that can help reduce your biceps tendinitis symptoms as well as the ones you should avoid to decrease the risk of worsening the damage. We’ll also discuss other physical therapy options used at Armor Physical Therapy that can help your biceps tendinitis. 

4 exercises that can help improve your biceps tendinitis

When you develop a condition like biceps tendinitis, booking an appointment with a physical therapist should be one of your first courses of action. They’ll design a personalized treatment plan to help reduce your symptoms and improve the overall function of your shoulder. A pillar of that plan will be therapeutic exercises.

For biceps tendinitis, your physical therapist will walk you through safe exercises that won’t put excessive strain on the tendon or surrounding muscles and joints. By learning how to perform them during your sessions, you’ll be able to safely perform them between appointments to continue your recovery journey.

Exercises for biceps tendinitis will usually focus on keeping the affected muscles strong and flexible as the tendon heals for the best shoulder mobility and function possible. They can also help to reduce the pain in the area. 

Your therapist will tell you how many times to repeat each exercise. Some of these exercises may require additional equipment, such as an exercise band.

Here are four exercises that can help you recover from biceps tendinitis:

• Biceps curls — Stand with the affected arm by your side with your palm facing out. Gently bend your arm at the elbow until your palm is near your shoulder. Hold the position for up to 30 seconds before lowering your arm back down to the starting position. Repeat as instructed by your physical therapist. As you continue healing, your therapist may add a light weight to hold during the curls. 
• Shoulder external rotation — Take an exercise band and hold it with two hands, one hand on each end. Keep your elbows at your sides while bending them so that your arms are at a 90-degree angle in front of you. While pressing your elbows to your sides, gently pull the band apart. Once you feel a slight stretch in your arms, bring it back together. Repeat this up to 10 times or as directed by your physical therapist. 
• Shoulder flexion — Stand with your arms at your side. Lift your affected arm in front of you until it’s next to your head and pointing straight at the ceiling. Be sure to keep the arm straight at 180 degrees. Hold the raised position for approximately five seconds before bringing your arm back down to your side. Repeat as instructed by your physical therapist. 
• Forearm twists — Bend your affected arm at the elbow so that it’s at a 90-degree angle in front of you. Be sure to keep your elbow pressed to your side. Turn your palm upward so that it’s facing the ceiling. Hold that position for approximately five seconds. Then twist it downward so that it’s facing the floor before holding it for the same length of time. Repeat this twisting motion as directed by your physical therapist.

4 exercises to avoid while trying to heal from biceps tendinitis

The main reason that you should follow a physical therapist’s exercise plan is because you don’t want to accidentally worsen your tendinitis by performing an unsafe exercise. There are several exercises that you should avoid if you’re trying to recover from biceps tendinitis because they’re likely to put excessive strain on the tendon and halt your progress.

Here are four exercises that you should steer clear of until your biceps tendinitis has been completely alleviated:

• Heavy lifting — Since many people develop biceps tendinitis due to heavy lifting, it’s an exercise that should be avoided once symptoms appear. Lifting weights can worsen the pain and put too much stress on an already weakened area. 
• Pectoral stretches — When you stretch your shoulder backward to perform pec stretches, you’re also stretching the tendon that’s already injured. This can lead to further stiffness and pain from the irritation.
• Pushups — Similar to heavy lifting exercises, pushups place excessive strain on the inflamed tendon because you’re applying nearly your entire body weight. Ask your physical therapist about safer alternatives to regular pushups, such as wall pushups.
• Shoulder shrugs — When you raise your shoulders to your ears and drop them back down, you’re putting direct pressure on the inflamed tendon, which could worsen your biceps tendinitis symptoms.

It’s important to note that any exercise that causes pain in the affected area should be immediately stopped, even if they aren’t on this list. Be sure to voice your concerns to your physical therapist so that they can tweak the treatment plan if needed.

How physical therapy can help you heal from biceps tendinitis in addition to exercises

Exercises are often a pillar of every physical therapy treatment plan for biceps tendinitis, but your therapist may explore other options as well. Their goal is to help facilitate your recovery journey by alleviating your symptoms and improving the strength, flexibility and range of motion of the affected area.

Along with exercises for biceps tendinitis, physical therapy treatments like manual therapy can make a significant difference in reducing pain and restoring your shoulder’s range of motion. A common type of manual therapy for injuries in the shoulder area is joint mobilization. This involves the therapist using their hands to manipulate the affected muscles around the joint to reduce restriction and improve the area’s overall mobility. There’s also soft tissue mobilization, which focuses on alleviating any tense muscles that can be contributing to your pain.

A common pain management modality used for biceps tendinitis is dry needling. Dry needling involves inserting thin, unmedicated needles into a muscle to treat musculoskeletal and neuromuscular pain. The goal is to stimulate trigger points, which are areas of muscle dysfunction, to help relax tight muscle bands and ease discomfort. 

At Armor Physical Therapy, we want to make sure that your biceps tendinitis heals in the safest way possible. From exercises to joint mobilization, we’ll work to help you regain full use of your shoulder so that you can return to your everyday activities comfortably. 

Call us or request an appointment today to explore therapy and exercises for your biceps tendinitis.