"Pop" Goes the Shoulder
Pop goes the shoulder!
Happy weekend from Winter Park
Do you have shoulder pain? Is it more often in the front or the back of the shoulder? Do you have elbow pain? Do you play golf or tennis? Did you play golf or tennis in the past? Do you have a tear in the shoulder or elbow? Is it partial or complete? Have you torn a tendon, a labrum, or the rotator cuff? How does one make sense of all this? This is our topic this week. I’ve written about shoulder pain several times. Because it is so common and so convoluted, we are going to tackle the topic once more.
Starting with the most obvious
What are the symptoms of a shoulder tendon tear?
The most obvious symptom of a tendon tear in the shoulder or in the elbow will be a sudden, severe pain in the upper part of your arm or at the elbow, depending on where the tendon is injured.
You may hear or feel a "pop" when a tendon tears.
You may experience:
*Sharp pain at the shoulder or elbow.
*A bruise that appears on the upper arm or forearm near the elbow.
*A feeling of weakness in the shoulder or elbow.
*Trouble rotating your arm from a "palm down" to a "palm up" position.
*A change in the contour of the front of your bicep in the upper arm (“Popeye muscle”).
The "Popeye" Syndrome
Michelle, a Physician Assistant at the Center for Healing and Regenerative Medicine in Austin, TX, first described to me the concept of “Popeye muscle”. Try this. Flex both biceps at the same time, very slowly. Does one look a bit like Popeye just as you begin to flex? If you have the “Popeye” look on one bicep, you may be suffering from a bicep tendon tear.
What are shoulder (proximal) biceps tears?
Two tendons attach the biceps muscle to the shoulder: the "long head" tendon that attaches the muscle to the top of the shoulder's socket and the "short head" that attaches it to the front of the shoulder. Tears almost exclusively occur in the long head. Good news is that even in the case of a complete tear of the long head tendon, the short head tendon may allow you to continue using your biceps muscle.
George S. Athwal, MD, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
While surgery may be needed to fix a torn tendon, in many cases people with a torn tendon can still function normally. Symptoms can be relieved using the same treatments that are used to treat tendonitis. Tears at the level of the elbow more often require operative repair.
Who gets Bicep and Elbow Tendonitis? We do.
Proximal biceps tendon problems are rare in the under 40’s. If young people do get symptoms, it may be due to incorrect sports technique, or shoulder motion problems. ‘Cross-fit’ and other intensive strength training programmes may overload the biceps tendon and cause symptoms. A superior labral (SLAP) tear can also affect the long head of biceps insertion. Degenerative tendinopathy generally occurs in patients aged over 40 years, becoming common as we get older than 65 years. Degenerate proximal biceps problems may co-exist with rotator cuff tears.
Source: Granville-Chapman, MD, a Consultant Upper Limb Surgeon at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust (Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals).
Options if Non-Surgical Treatments Fail
Surgery may be a choice for those who continue to experience symptoms after non-surgical treatments.
Surgery to reattach a long head tendon is quite safe, with few complications. It can return nearly all of your arm strength and function, and a re-tearing of the repaired tendon is uncommon. If you decide to have surgery, you will need to do flexibility and strengthening exercises to rehabilitate your shoulder. This can last for several months. Hiring a PT or Yoga Therapist can help ease your road to recovery.
Monday, September 21st
9:15 am Judy & Andy (8:15 MST) 11:45 am Deep Stretch-VIRTUAL ONLY (10:45 am MST)
Tuesday, September 22
9:00 Christina (8 am MTN) (virtual) 11:15 Mat Pilates- VIRTUAL ONLY
(10:15 MST)
Wednesday, September 23
9:00 Carol & Chris (8 am MTN) virtual
12 pm Judy & Andy (11 am MTN) virtual
Thursday, September 24
No classes. We are traveling back to Austin.
See ya soon!
Friday, September 25
10:45 am Christina (studio) 12 pm Judy & Andy (virtual)
A Special Invitation
Book your private session for half price
New clients are invited to work directly with Dayna. Mention this newsletter to secure 50% off your session. Valid for bookings after September 24, 2026.
September 15, 2026, Mat Pilates 9:15 am has been moved to Wednesday, September 16 at 10:15 a.m.
Class is virtual only; we are traveling.
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