Partial tear tricep tendon? Healing time?

[vio]

Ok you crazy kids. I'm new on this forum, and I'm not a physio. Shame on me. However, I'm in dire need of some physio advice. I will walk your dog for 3 days if you give me sound and fruitful advice (Assuming you live or vacate in Norway)!
My problem:
I'm a powerlifter. A week ago I bench pressed, however, this specific bench I was using has a different lift-off height than the usual competition standard, inhibiting my usual movement. Normally I would do the lift-off with straight arms in a pull-over-like motion, that is; rowing it toward my chest using lats and a high back arch. The lower pin setting forced me to do the lift-off with angled elbows and arms flaring instead of tightly tucked along torso, and yes dear readers, now I am fucked up.

The injury was acute, and it felt somewhat like beeing stung by a bee. Not excruisiating pain, but a tender numbness straight away.
My triceps lateral head is now rather bloated, it seems. Some would say even slightly distorted. No severe pain, but absolutely discomfort. My range of motion isn't hampered, but lockout strenght of my left arm is redused by at least 20%. (I'm not using this arm any more, I merely tested it for function). Also, my elbow radiates pain to my lower arms and even posterior delts. On excentric movement, my elbow makes a popping noise, and it feels like a tendon jumps about. Sometimes my little finger falls asleep. That's about it.

Please, anyone, tell me how I should go about to make this thing go away, and how long it takes for something like this to heal. Please, please!

[Canuck Physio]

Originally Posted by vio

Ok you crazy kids. I'm new on this forum, and I'm not a physio. Shame on me. However, I'm in dire need of some physio advice. I will walk your dog for 3 days if you give me sound and fruitful advice (Assuming you live or vacate in Norway)!
Hello, welcome to the friendliest forum on the web
My problem:
I'm a powerlifter.
Ahh, my specialty...
A week ago I bench pressed, however, this specific bench I was using has a different lift-off height than the usual competition standard, inhibiting my usual movement.
GOtcha
Normally I would do the lift-off with straight arms in a pull-over-like motion, that is; rowing it toward my chest using lats and a high back arch. The lower pin setting forced me to do the lift-off with angled elbows and arms flaring instead of tightly tucked along torso, and yes dear readers, now I am **** up.
ok
The injury was acute, and it felt somewhat like beeing stung by a bee. Not excruisiating pain, but a tender numbness straight away.
Is there pain on resistance of the tricep? Or pain on movement?
My triceps lateral head is now rather bloated, it seems. Some would say even slightly distorted.
Sounds like an effusion at the moment, where on the triceps is the pain? Towards the elbow or the shoulder?
No severe pain, but absolutely discomfort. My range of motion isn't hampered, but lockout strenght of my left arm is redused by at least 20%. (I'm not using this arm any more, I merely tested it for function). Also, my elbow radiates pain to my lower arms and even posterior delts.
Ok
On excentric movement, my elbow makes a popping noise, and it feels like a tendon jumps about. Sometimes my little finger falls asleep. That's about it.
Definitely sounds like a triceps issue based on what you have mentioned, it is merely a matter of where on the muscle it has occured, more towards the tendon or on the muscle belly
Please, anyone, tell me how I should go about to make this thing go away, and how long it takes for something like this to heal. Please, please!
This will take a few days to get over the acute swelling phase. Rehab will take much longer, weeks to months based on how motivated you are towards physiotherapy and how smart you are about rehab. THe idea being that you need to get to full function, not just alleviate the pain. By going back to early you risk re-injury and scar formation due to microtearing. The best thing to do is to take it slowly.

Additionally what Have you done so far?

As above regards

[vio]

Is there pain on resistance of the tricep? Or pain on movement?
...
Sounds like an effusion at the moment, where on the triceps is the pain? Towards the elbow or the shoulder?

Thanks for the welcome and an answer! Most appreciated!
Strangely, there is no pain directly from moving or even linear to force production. Just an ever-present irritation in my elbow. It's a rather diffuse pain, not well confined within one specific muscle, but felt throughout the elbow and reaching 5cm or so up the lateral tricep (More toward the tendon). Following any tricep activity, the pain gets worse after 15 minutes or so. A small lump has formed on the lateral tricep, 3-4cm from the elbow. The 'pop' appears while exerting force in an bench-press-like movement at about 100 degrees angle between upper and lower arm, which by coincidence is the exact same angle as that fatal lift-off.

Additionally what Have you done so far?

I've attempted to have an MRI, but I will probably have to wait forever for it.
I was concidering HGH to increase collagen synthesis, but it's too expensive. Yes, I am desperate. In sum, all that has been done thus far is not doing any pushing-motions or triceps training, and putting on an ice pack every day (this seems to help a bit). I haven't used any COX-2 inhib. yet, because I read a study saying it isn't benefitial the first 10 days of an inflammation and makes tendons brittle. I don't know if that's even true .

Oh, and ye, what is an effusion, and can I do anything about it?

[Canuck Physio]

Originally Posted by vio

Thanks for the welcome and an answer! Most appreciated!
Strangely, there is no pain directly from moving or even linear to force production. Just an ever-present irritation in my elbow. It's a rather diffuse pain, not well confined within one specific muscle, but felt throughout the elbow and reaching 5cm or so up the lateral tricep (More toward the tendon). Following any tricep activity, the pain gets worse after 15 minutes or so. A small lump has formed on the lateral tricep, 3-4cm from the elbow. The 'pop' appears while exerting force in an bench-press-like movement at about 100 degrees angle between upper and lower arm, which by coincidence is the exact same angle as that fatal lift-off.
Hmmm, almost sounds like Olecranon Bursitis as opposed to a muscle tear. Sounds like something is amiss with the joint area if there is no pain on muscular contraction. Especially if there is a cyst appearing, but that can also be a micro-effusion.
I've attempted to have an MRI, but I will probably have to wait forever for it.
I was concidering HGH to increase collagen synthesis, but it's too expensive.
Is there any evidence regarding this?
Yes, I am desperate. In sum, all that has been done thus far is not doing any pushing-motions or triceps training, and putting on an ice pack every day (this seems to help a bit). I haven't used any COX-2 inhib. yet, because I read a study saying it isn't benefitial the first 10 days of an inflammation and makes tendons brittle.
There is some debate about this, but ibuprofen has been shown to inhibit muscle protein synthesis in vivo, and inhibition of the natural inflammatory reaction is also a rather un-ending debate.
I don't know if that's even true .
To an extent yes
Oh, and ye, what is an effusion, and can I do anything about it?
Without actually seeing in person what it is it is difficult to say, but it sounds as if there is definitely fluid beginning to build up at the site of injury. You may benefit from elevating your arm, continue with the iceing.

AS above, regards

[vio]

As for HGH, it is a well documented fact that it increases collagen synthesis along with healing of tendons and cartilage. I'm a bit too busy to scan all of pubmed right now (I'll get back to that later), but a quick google offered these hits:

http://grande.nal.usda.gov/ibids/ind...s&therow=66820

Natural HGH | Natural HGH Benefits (I.e.; Tag: Case studies)

Ok, let's get down to business! Here is the exciting update on my injury!
I got the results from my MR today. The doc was unable to make anything of it. It seemed next to normal. Upon inspection of my elbow that diagnose was soon discarded. My tendon still dislocates over the apex of my elbow (epicondyle?), but it has now become apparant that it is in fact my medial triceps tendon, and it's moving about on the inside of my arm (facing torso that is). My lateral triceps is ok.. the lateral bloat was caused by an inflammation in my bicep, which has been damaged along with the triceps. Yes yes.
My arm is hurting 24/7 nowadays, even though I'm not using my triceps. It's not like beeing burned alive or anything, it's just a mild sensation of discomfort. Using my triceps is ok if I do so within the range of motion from fully extended to 80% degrees between upper and lower arm, but if I do a full extention the tendon pops (regardless what weight I'm pushing) and my arm swells and hurts even worse for several days. I tested my lockout strength in bench press yesterday. It is down from 212.5kg to 160kg in 3 weeks, but it is just equally bad on both arms, so I guess that's just from lack of bench pressing the last weeks.

What can I do about this? The doc was boggled and didn't know what to do. No help there. From googling all I can find is scary surgery pics and suggestions that I should cut off my triceps and reattach it somewhere else and so on.


Poor me.

[Canuck Physio]

I haven't heard of HGH, but I know the NFL has successfully used Corticosteroid injections for injured athletes.
If the MRI did not show any anomalies it could be the type of imaging technique used, and area that was examined is not the area or cause of symptom.