Stabbing bicep pain when I lift my arm

[Nilda]

For the last 3 months (since April 2005), I've developed a stabbing pain in my left bicep when my arm is in certain positions.  The pain is located deep within my arm in the center of my upper arm and is very intense (i.e., level 8-10) as if a knife was plunged into the center of my bicep.  When the pain happens, I have to use my right arm to pick up the left arm and move it into a neutral position down and in front of me.  Depending on how intense the episode was, it can take anywhere from 5-10 seconds for the pain to subside and disappear completely.

The pain happens when I lift my arm into certain positions (i.e., overhead presses especially when my arm lifts next to my head or behind my head).  I am no longer able to put a bar behind my neck and grip it from behind.  The motion of bringing my arm up and back to grasp the bar is excrutiating.  It doesn't matter if I'm lifting weights or not -- I experience the pain in my everyday life too whenever my arm is raised, bent at the elbow, and moved backward.  Note, I am able to do bicep curls or hammer curls with 5# weights without pain so any bicep-related activity in front of my body is pain free.  Tricep kick backs and tricep "push ups" are also pain free.

I have been active, including aerobics, biking, skiing, lifting weights (5# or less), on and off all my life and 3-4 times a week since late last year and consider myself in excellent shape and am of a normal weight for my height and age (45).

Note, I broke my ankle in June so didn't exercise much at all for 2 months but the arm pain is still there.

[dianefay]

I think the cause of my shoulder pain is the same as yours.   It must be a nasty habit.  I feel pain in the inside of the outside left shoulder.  I feel pain if I bend my arm then try to lift it.   pain in the bicep

[merrymenow]

Thank you for your post about the Egoscue Pain Free book.  I got it right after your post and started doing the menu for the shoulder.  That helped my shoulder but didn't do anything for the bicep pain.  I then switched to the elbow and I am finally better.  The pain isn't gone completely.  It still hurts when I do certain things, but I can now do a lot of things it was too painful to do before, like fasten my bra.  Still hurts but not so much that I can't do it.

I bought his Motion book recently and I will begin working on my posture.  After reading the book, I realize how out of whack my whole body is.  I'm hoping that will also help with the bicep pain.

It's taken me 2 months of doing those menus to get to where I'm not miserable trying to do things.  

Thanks again.

[sssammm]

Hello all,
I have had this pain in the bicep for 6 months, I too thought it was a muscle strain, I went to a quality Physiotherapist and osteopath, he told me it is either a torn cartilege or a ligament strain in the shoulder, I said he was mad, but he put me on my back slowly pulled my arm up above my head and pushed down, the pain nealy killed me, it is in fact a shoulder problem not a muscle problem, at the moment i am doing excersises daily to build up the muscle that pulls the head of the arm into the socket, that should help, will report back after mri scans
sam

[buckeye54]

I have experienced the same pain as the rest of you.  It started earlier this year after I retired.  I spend more time on my computer or my Kindle and sleep on my side with my hand tucked under my head/pillow.  Sometimes I wake up and the pain is excrutiating; other times no pain at all.  I told my doctor about this and after Xrays and MRI's showed nothing wrong he recommended I get the book "Pain Free" by Pete Egoscue.  Mr. Egoscue's theory is that all pains of this type come from misalignment of shoulders, hips, back, etc.  He provides numerous exercises that deal with the various parts that are out of alignment.  He tells you how to figure out where your problems are and the exercises that will impact it.  The exercises are not strenuous; mainly getting in a position and staying there to release inappropriate flexion.  I've tried these and gotten considerable relief.  The book is available on Amazon.  BTW I'm not related to Mr. Egoscue and don't get a kick back for recommending his book.  :-)  Anyway it's worth a try and costs you less than $15 for possible relief from your pain.  I'd be interested to hear whether this works or has worked for anyone else.

[Rowan0825]

You may have pinched cervical spine issues. I've had similar problems and a neurologist has helped. pinpointed what was going on.why the cramping and intermittent weakness and offered excersizes and short term light duty ( on workouts). Good luck guys!feel better

[Dee1956]

I wanted to come back to share this article in case anyone else is suffering from this bicep tricep shoulder pain.
It starts out slowly until 6 months later I could not brush my hair, reach behind me, etc.  Severe pain

http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Shoulder_Problems/