What Is Triceps Tendonitis? Tendonitis is inflammation of a tendon, a strong band of connective tissue that attaches muscle to bone.Your triceps muscle, which acts to straighten your arm,is attaches to the bony bump at the back of your elbow by a large tendon. Triceps tendonitis causes pain in the back of the upper arm near the point of the elbow.
How Does It Occur? Triceps tendonitis occurs from overuse of the upper arm and elbow, especially in activities like throwing and hammering. It may also be caused by a direct blow to the triceps muscle or tendon.
What Are The Symptoms Of Triceps Tendonitis? Symptoms may include:
- 1. Pain when you straighten your elbow or fully bend your elbow.
- 2. Tenderness at the triceps muscle and tendon.
- 3. Swelling near the point of the elbow.
How Is It Diagnosed? Your doctor will review your history and examine your arm and elbow. If the/she thinks there may be a chip off the bone at the point of your elbow, he or she may order an x-ray.
What Is The Treatment For Triceps Tendonitis?
- 1. Use ice packs on the painful area for 20 to 30 minutes 3 to 4 times a day until the pain goes away. you can also do ice massage: Freeze water in a cup and tear back the top of the cup. Rub the injured area with the ice for 5 to 10 minutes, 3 times a day. Be careful when icing your elbow. An important nerve runs just under the skin and can be damaged if you ice more than is recommended.
- 2. Your doctor may recommend an anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen.
- 3. You may be given a strap or an elbow support to wear around the lower part of your triceps during activities that cause discomfort.
- 4. Your doctor will give you rehabilitation exercises to help in your recovery.
When Can I Return To My Sport Or Activity? The goal of rehabilitation is to return you to your sport or activity as soon as is safely possible. If you return too soon you may worsen your injury, which could lead to permanent damage. Everyone recovers from injury at a different rate. Return to your activity will be determined by how soon your arm recovers, not by how many days or weeks it has been since your injury occurred. In general, the longer you have symptoms before you start treatment, the longer it will take to get better. You may return to your sport or activity when
- 1. You no longer have tenderness or swelling at your triceps muscle or tendon.
- 2. You have regained strength in you injured arm so that it is similar to the strength of your uninjured arm.
- 3. You have full range of motion in your injured arm compared to your uninjured arm. The best way to prevent triceps tendonitis is to avoid overuse of your upper arm and elbow. It is important to recognize early symptoms so you do not make your injury worse by over activity.
Triceps Tendonitis Exercises: You may do all of these exercises right away.
- French stretch: Stand with your fingers clasped together and your hands high above your head. Stretch by reaching down behind your head and trying to touch your upper back while keeping your hands clasped. Keep your elbows as close to your ears as possible. Hold this position for 15 to 20 seconds. Repeat 3 to 6 times.
- Towel stretch: Stand with your injured arm over your head and your other arm down behind your back. Hold one end of a towel in each hand. Stretch your injured arm behind your head by pulling the towel down toward the floor with hand of your uninjured arm. Keep the elbow of your injured arm as close to your ea as possible. Hold for 15 to 20 seconds. Repeat 3 to 6 times.
- Towel resistance exercise: Holding the towel as in the towel stretch above, lift the hand of your injured arm toward the ceiling while creating resistance by pulling down on the towel with your other hand. Keep the elbow of your injured arm as close to your ear as possible. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
- French press: Sit grasping a small weight with both hands as if it were a baseball bat. Reach toward the ceiling. Bending your elbows, slowly lower the weight behind your head until the wight touches your upper back. Lift the weight over your head and reach toward the ceiling again. Repeat 10 to 20 times.
- Palm-down curl: Stand with your hands at your side, holding a small weight palm down in the hand of your injured arm. Keeping your palm down and bending your elbow, slowly curl the weight up toward your shoulder as far as possible. For each repetition, move your hand down to the starting position more slowly than you lift your hand up toward your shoulder. Repeat 10 to 20 times.
- Triceps kick back: Lean forward with the hand of your uninjured arm resting on a table or chair for support. Hold a weight in the hand of your injured arm. Keep the elbow of your injured arm against your side. Your arm should be bent at a 90-degree angle with your upper arm parallel to the floor. Move the forearm of your injured arm backward until it is straight. Repeat 10 to 20 times.
All material provided is designed for information purposes only and should not be used to replace the care of a health care professional. Do not rely on any of the information for diagnosis or treatment. It is recommended that you visit a qualified health care professional for individual and personal attention.
