Bicep pain when flexed..

[GavC88]

Hi People,

Ever since I can remember , so about ten years (I am now mid twenties), I have had an issue with flexing ( / tensing - ie muscle man pose ) my right arm.

The issue I have is that when I tense it, after about a second delay, I get a cramp like feeling in the muscle of my right bicep (?) . The pain is directly on the top of the muscle it feels, and right inbetween my elbow and shoulder.

Some times the pain gets unbearable so that I can't tense / flex for more than a second or two (not that I make a habit of doing this anyway as there isn't much of me.)

Strange thing is, that when I go to the gym (and this 'injury' pre-dates gym days) and do bicep curls and the like, I get no pain. When I relax my arm, I get no pain. When I tense it, before or after exercise, I get the pain!

I know I'm not going to die from it, and it doesn't bother me that much, I'm just interested in what it is!

Also, if it helps, I get similar pain in my left arm occasionally, but this is only when I tense for about 12 - 15 seconds (and this is only to see if the pain is there!)

Anyone got any idea's on what it is, how it can be fixed etc?

I imagine someone out there will know!

GC

[goldblum]

What makes you think it isn't cramp?

Anyway do some stretching - do you do pull-ups? Just hang at the bottom for a bit longer between reps.

[GavC88]

goldblum said:

What makes you think it isn't cramp?

Anyway do some stretching - do you do pull-ups? Just hang at the bottom for a bit longer between reps.

Not sure why I think it's not cramp.

Could it cramp up every time it's tensed? How would I stop it?

I've tried various stretches over long periods but nothing stops it from happening!

[goldblum]

GavC88 said:

goldblum said:

What makes you think it isn't cramp?

Anyway do some stretching - do you do pull-ups? Just hang at the bottom for a bit longer between reps.

Not sure why I think it's not cramp.

Could it cramp up every time it's tensed? How would I stop it?

I've tried various stretches over long periods but nothing stops it from happening!

Do you normally do your biceps posing after you've been doing curls..pumping them up?

[mattikake]

When you get this pain, does it go away by not tensing the muscle or do you have to physically straighten your arm with your tricep to cancel the pain?

If it's the latter, it's cramp but brought on by a loss of motor-control (over-shortening the muscle), not the usual cramp from lactic acid/fatigue.

[oldguy70]

I have the same problem except it is in both biceps. I've had this for a few years. I can do curls with no issue but cannot flex or do pullups because of the pain. I noticed that if I flex with my elbow at my side, there is no pain but as I move my arm above 90 degrees or higher it comes in and gets worse.

Any ideas what could cause this? I really want to do pullups

[Jayzee]

Does twisting your wrist change things when you flex? What I mean is if you have your palm facing away from your head - and anywhere in between this and facing your head. Does this change things?

[Johnny]

I had pain in my left bicep for some time.

Hurt when training, preacher curls I had to drop weight etc.

On 20th October I suffered Partial Distal Bicep Rupture to that arm... so assume it had been on it's way out for some time.

[popeyewhite]

Johnny said:

I had pain in my left bicep for some time.

Hurt when training, preacher curls I had to drop weight etc.

On 20th October I suffered Partial Distal Bicep Rupture to that arm... so assume it had been on it's way out for some time.

From the date of the original injury.

[Johnny]

popeyewhite said:

Johnny said:

I had pain in my left bicep for some time.

Hurt when training, preacher curls I had to drop weight etc.

On 20th October I suffered Partial Distal Bicep Rupture to that arm... so assume it had been on it's way out for some time.

From the date of the original injury.

No doubt. Just don’t remember doing it