Biceps contracture: what can you do to treat it?

A biceps contracture is excessive, involuntary and lasting muscle tension in several fibres of the biceps muscle. It is a common muscle condition that mainly affects athletes or workers after intense physical exertion.

Find out everything you need to know about biceps contracture, from the main observable symptoms to the best treatments.

How to recognise a biceps contracture?

It is important to be able to recognise a biceps contracture in order to follow a suitable and effective treatment plan.

Observable symptoms of a biceps contracture

Observable symptoms may include:

• Pain of varying intensity located in the upper arm (biceps), which appears gradually,
• Difficulty bending the arm because of the pain,
• Slight swelling of the biceps,
• Loss of muscle strength in the affected arm.

How to tell a contracture apart from other common conditions?

Other conditions can affect the biceps and cause pain. Cramps, muscle soreness and tendinitis are three relatively common arm conditions.

Cramp

Like a contracture, a cramp is excessive, involuntary and sustained tension in a muscle. However, these two types of muscle pain are easy to tell apart. A cramp causes sharp, very intense pain and only lasts a few minutes.

Muscle soreness

The pain felt with biceps soreness is very similar to that felt with a contracture.

The main difference between these two muscle conditions is when the pain appears:

• With a contracture, the pain appears during exertion or a few hours afterwards
• With muscle soreness, the pain only appears 24 to 72 hours after intense physical activity.

Tendinitis

Biceps tendinitis is a condition that causes inflammation of the tendons attached to the biceps. The pain is felt when bending the elbow against resistance, when the tendon is palpated or when the muscle is stretched.

Arm contracture: what should you do?

A contracture can appear during intense physical exertion or a few hours afterwards. When an arm contracture is detected, it is important to stop the physical effort as soon as possible, whether it is a sporting or work activity.

Forcing a muscle that shows signs of contracture can increase the pain and worsen the muscle tension. More serious conditions, such as a muscle strain or tear, can also result from putting too much strain on tense muscles.

It is important to allow a period of rest to give the muscle time to recover fully. This means stopping any sporting or work activity that puts significant strain on the biceps.

4 treatments for an arm muscle contracture

An arm muscle contracture is generally harmless and resolves spontaneously after five to ten days of rest. However, it is useful to know a few treatments that help relieve its main symptoms.

1- Taking painkillers for the pain

If an arm contracture is particularly painful, it may be wise to follow a medical treatment with painkillers. These are effective in relieving pain quickly and lastingly, which improves the quality of life of people with a biceps contracture.

It is important to get a doctor’s advice before starting any new medication.

2- Gentle stretching exercises

Gentle stretching exercises help the muscle recover. Note that stretches should only be done once the pain of the first few days starts to fade.

Here are two simple exercises to stretch your biceps. It is important to stretch your muscle gently and gradually to avoid any injury.

Biceps stretching exercise 1

Standing, place both arms behind your back and interlace your fingers. Your palms should face downwards. Then very slowly raise your arms until you feel a stretch in your biceps. 

Hold the position for 20 to 30 seconds. You can repeat this exercise two to three times.

Biceps stretching exercise 2

Standing next to a wall, extend your arm horizontally and place your hand against the wall with your fingers pointing towards the floor. Hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds, then repeat the exercise with your other arm.

3- Applying heat and cold

Applying heat and cold in the case of a muscle contracture has many benefits.

Cold is particularly effective for quickly relieving pain and reducing inflammation and swelling. Heat, on the other hand, relaxes the muscles and improves blood circulation.

4- Electrostimulation

Electrostimulation is a natural process that uses low-intensity electrical impulses to stimulate certain muscle groups in the body. These electrical currents are transmitted to the muscles via electrodes placed on the skin.

Electrostimulation for a contracture first and foremost helps relieve pain by blocking the transmission of pain signals to the brain and stimulating the production of endorphins. It also gently massages the biceps to release muscle tension and optimise the recovery process.

To get the full benefits of electrostimulation, it is recommended to combine it with the other treatment methods mentioned above.

Relieving the symptoms of an arm muscle contracture with Bluetens

Bluetens has developed an intuitive app that gives users access to a wide range of electrostimulation programmes. These have all been designed by healthcare professionals to treat certain specific conditions, such as contractures.

Here are two Bluetens electrostimulation programmes to use to relieve pain and muscle tension in the case of an arm contracture.

The “Sports massage” programme

The “Sports massage” programme is ideal for relieving pain and muscle tension in the case of a biceps contracture. The electrical stimulation has a mechanical effect and a direct action on blood circulation. Each session lasts 24 minutes and you can do up to three a day.

To access it, go to the “Single session” section from the home page of the app, then choose the “Relax” option and the body part “Arm”. Then select the “Sports massage” programme in the “Sports activities” section.

The “Decontracting” programme

The “Decontracting” programme is specially designed to relieve muscle tension located in the arms. Lasting 30 minutes, it can be used up to three times a day depending on how you feel.

To access it, go to the “Single session” section. Then select the “Cure” option and “Arm”, and choose the “Decontracting” programme in the “Muscle care” section.

Note that if your contracture is still painful, it is best to use the “Endorphin” programme in the “Pain relief” section.

DISCOVER BLUETENS CLASSIC 2

DISCOVER DUO SPORT 2