# What is wrong with my biceps? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 22, 2014, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-my-biceps/681934 "2014-02-22T03:26:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-my-biceps/681934/1 "2014-02-22T03:26:25Z")
So my right biceps started hurting a couple months ago. It seems to get better then get worse. Oddly, it can feel better after exercise; it can also feel a bit worse. It doesn’t hurt at either end, so it doesn’t seem to be the tendons. I curled 40 lbs. with it today (close to my max), but it did hurt a bit doing that, but not like crazy. It hurts the most just when I flex the muscle, basically. And as I said, one time I worked out and got both biceps about equally sore, and the right one felt great the next day, which was odd. It doesn’t seem to be getting better, so it is worrisome. Any ideas? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-my-biceps/681934/2 "2014-02-22T04:47:00Z")
**Moderator Action** Since this is basically medical advice, let’s move this to IMHO. Moving thread from General Questions to In My Humble Opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-my-biceps/681934/3 "2014-02-22T17:18:26Z")
Any ideas? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-my-biceps/681934/4 "2014-02-22T17:33:17Z")
I am not a doctor, but perhaps it would be better to stop using twenty kilo weights until it’s back to normal? ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-my-biceps/681934/5 "2014-02-22T18:09:57Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > I am not a doctor, but perhaps it would be better to stop using twenty kilo weights until it’s back to normal? These guns will never give up! ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-my-biceps/681934/6 "2014-02-22T21:46:53Z")
Rest it and rub it with ice, every two hours for about ten minutes. If you tolerate it well, ibuprufn or aspirin. Not Tylenol - you want the anti-inflammatory effect that acetaminophen doesn’t give. Then rest it some more. > [@](#): > > These guns will never give up! Then expect it to get worse and become chronic. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-my-biceps/681934/7 "2014-02-22T21:53:36Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > [M]y right biceps started hurting a couple months ago. It seems to get better then get worse. Oddly, it can feel better after exercise; it can also feel a bit worse. Well that’s a good description. I suggest ice (or not) and then a bit of heat (I guess) followed by some chamomile tea (because I like it). ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-my-biceps/681934/8 "2014-02-22T21:58:27Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Rest it and rub it with ice, every two hours for about ten minutes. If you tolerate it well, ibuprufn or aspirin. Not Tylenol - you want the anti-inflammatory effect that acetaminophen doesn’t give. Then rest it some more. Then expect it to get worse and become chronic. First I’d like to know roughly what’s going on. It’s not very painful. Throughout the day, I don’t even notice it. If I flex it hard, then I can feel a twinge of something. If I’m curling 40s, then yeah, it starts to hurt a bit. So the advice about icing it, etc., doesn’t really make sense. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-my-biceps/681934/9 "2014-02-23T02:22:06Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > First I’d like to know roughly what’s going on. > > It’s not very painful. Throughout the day, I don’t even notice it. If I flex it hard, then I can feel a twinge of something. If I’m curling 40s, then yeah, it starts to hurt a bit. > > So the advice about icing it, etc., doesn’t really make sense. If you’re tearing muscle fibers (which is how you build up the muscles-- you tear them with heavy weights, then let them heal), you’re skipping the “let them heal” part. You are experiencing inflammation, i.e. PAIN. The pain is telling you something. It is telling you that you are overdoing it. Ice helps bring down inflammation and swelling. When the muscle fibers are swollen and inflamed, their blood supply is cut off. Blood is necessary for healing, because it carries oxygen to the injured tissues. You need to bring down inflammation/swelling and give the muscle fibers a chance to heal and repair themselves. You’re not working out with weights every day, are you? Are you getting any professional help or advice with this regimen? Sounds like you could use some. You’re headed for permanent damage. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-my-biceps/681934/10 "2014-02-23T03:47:32Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > You’re not working out with weights every day, are you? Are you getting any professional help or advice with this regimen? Sounds like you could use some. You’re headed for permanent damage. I was sick and didn’t work out for two weeks, and the situation didn’t really change. I go to a Pilates studio, so that is “help and advice.” Where is Qado-what’s-his-name… can I get some info from someone who knows something here? No offense. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-my-biceps/681934/11 "2014-02-23T04:04:04Z")
Subtlety AND tact. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2014, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-my-biceps/681934/12 "2014-02-23T22:30:02Z")
Today it feels fine. A hard flex doesn’t even do very much.