Bicep and Armpit Pain

Look into trigger point massage therapy. You can do it at home and it’s free. Check for trigger points in your subscapularis, pectoral, and biceps muscles first. If that doesn’t work I’d recommend checking your trapezius, infraspinatus, and scalene muscles. It’s not gonna fix your problem entirely but it might make it a hell of a lot better because injuries often set up gnarly trigger points around the injury site. The Trigger Point Workbook by Davies is a good resource.

Thanks, Mark.  I'll check that out.  Ice massages and vitamins/diet give some relief, but it's a really weird tightness that doesn't seem to be too common.  I have full range of motion it's just tight and dull in the upper inner arms area all the time.  The Indian clubs are good exercise but time will tell if that loosens things up.

That dull tightness is super common with trigger points in my experience. Just yesterday I had a painful shoulder from a dyno that led me to cut the day of climbing short. I went home and did some tennis ball work on my infraspinatus (back of the shoulder blade muscle) and gained back 15 degrees in my shoulder range of motion.

Not saying it’s definitely your issue but just wanted to provide my own recent experience.

Nate Ball wrote:

Here are some videos with various movements.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIEOWh87ahY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIsim9RLp1g&t
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnQrX_NznSY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv8Mb8n0B6U

I usually do 20 reps of each set. My exercises are, in this order:

1.) Internal/external side rotation (or "basic rotation")
2.) Traditional swing, 1-handed (both sides, just not coordinated enough to do both at the same time effectively)
3.) Crescent swing
4.) Overhead circles
5.) Backstroke

Stretch break: chest, deltoids, scapula, forearm, lats, basically every muscle feeling worked. I can give more details on which stretches I do if you'd like. Usually hold for 30 seconds each, focusing on deep breathing and sinking deeper into the stretch with each exhale.

6.) High block
7.) Lock block
8.) Front outward circle
9.) Halo swings
10.) 2-hand overhead swing

And finish with another round of stretching.

I am also a vegetarian and have been taking Vitamin B12 supplements but highly doubt this has much if anything to do with my shoulder recovery.

Hi Nate, 

I have the same problem, only that I'm not an athlete, in any way. Having vitamin D deficiency made me think that it could be related to various other deficiencies in vitamins. Actually, I've been diagnosed with thendinopathy and I read that deficiencies of vitamins and minerals could be a cause of these inflammations. 

I think it  should be the first thing to check up with your doctor, especially if you are a vegan. I had vegan periods in my life and I think I didn't know exactly how to eat a healthy vegan diet. It is very easy to have deficiencies if you don't supplement correctly and I think you know it. 

Hope it helps :)

Brent M wrote: Awesome, Thanks for the video links and details, Nate.  What weight do you use and can you recommend a pair to buy? I'm having trouble deciding what Indian clubs to get and not sure how heavy they should be.  

Brent did you ever find a solution? I am having the same problem as you but only on my left side. I am desperate! 

Elaine Peck wrote: Thanks for sending pictures. Very helpful!  I hope you are recovering by now. I began having the same pain shown in the first picture yesterday. Minor Bruising  in area and on inside forearm. Swelling and warm inside elbow. Can feel a tight cord running up inside of upper arm in the area shown on first picture. Pain when press on the cord. Sharper pain when stretching arm overhead. Nodule enlarged on inside of upper arm on the cord. Burning nerve pain when pressed on the nodule. Sprained ring finger about six months ago. Still swollen and healing. Any updates?

Did you ever find a solution Elaine? I’m having similar problems! 

Lauren Smith wrote:

Brent did you ever find a solution? I am having the same problem as you but only on my left side. I am desperate! 

Not totally  - this is a very weird and frustrating condition, but have been doing a routine which seems to be maybe keeping it from getting worse.  

Specific stretching: you pin your upper arm muscles with you fingers or thumb and raise your arms slowly.  Target areas that feel tight, grab it to pin the muscles and stretch, been doing areas under the armpit and where the bicep meets the forearm.

Also I do ice massages regularly, put water in a styrophome cup and freeze it, then tear off the top and rub around the tight areas and shoulder, all around the arm in circles.  This gets new blood into the area and pushes out old blood.  Supposed to help with healing.

Also adjusted my keyboard height so arms are naturally extended and at my side.  I got a kinesis advantage keyboard which is ergonomic as well, I think it relieved some strain.

The Indian club routine I haven't been consistent with.  Can't hurt I don't think.

Finally I take vitamins, d3, b12, b6 and magnesium daily.

I have also been taking a collagen supplement daily and drink bone broth.

Still hasn't gotten all better after well over a year but also hasn't gotten worse.  I wish someone who solved this would help us out, most physical therapists are locked into the more common diagnoses

I think calcific tendinitis at the lattisimis dorsi insertion is a common and under diagnosed climbing injury. The first pic in the thread looks like that could be the case. Lattisimjs tendon issues likely better w thumbs up jamming and crack climbing in general assuming good technique 

Top Roper wrote:

I think calcific tendinitis at the lattisimis dorsi insertion is a common and under diagnosed climbing injury. The first pic in the thread looks like that could be the case. Lattisimjs tendon issues likely better w thumbs up jamming and crack climbing in general assuming good technique 

Always interested in diagnoses - do you have any suggestions on how to treat this kind of condition?

Brent M wrote:

Always interested in diagnoses - do you have any suggestions on how to treat this kind of condition?

Prob do lattisimis and triceps specific exercises 3-4 x per week including before each time u climb

Nate Ball wrote:

Here are some videos with various movements.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIEOWh87ahY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIsim9RLp1g&t
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnQrX_NznSY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv8Mb8n0B6U

I usually do 20 reps of each set. My exercises are, in this order:

1.) Internal/external side rotation (or "basic rotation")
2.) Traditional swing, 1-handed (both sides, just not coordinated enough to do both at the same time effectively)
3.) Crescent swing
4.) Overhead circles
5.) Backstroke

Stretch break: chest, deltoids, scapula, forearm, lats, basically every muscle feeling worked. I can give more details on which stretches I do if you'd like. Usually hold for 30 seconds each, focusing on deep breathing and sinking deeper into the stretch with each exhale.

6.) High block
7.) Lock block
8.) Front outward circle
9.) Halo swings
10.) 2-hand overhead swing

And finish with another round of stretching.

I am also a vegetarian and have been taking Vitamin B12 supplements but highly doubt this has much if anything to do with my shoulder recovery.

Great advice, Nate. Thanks!

I'm still trying things and have switched up my routine based on more reading.  I've stopped ice massages as I learned recently that they are really only good for acute inflammation treatment and not a tendinosis (chronic) condition.  

The suggestion I was given was to increase circulation using heat, so every morning I turn the shower as hot as I can stand and run the water over the areas that are tight for a few seconds and then massage the area, repeat this a number if times to get blood flow into the areas.  

This in addition to specific stretching/cross fiber massage mentioned in my previous comments seems to be more effective than the ice massages I was doing.  No one seems to understand exactly what's going on in the body but there is a suspicion that the lingering pain and tightness might be exacerbated by stagnation and the body needs some kind of signal to tell it to work on tendons/muscles that need healing via stimulating circulation to the area and mild exercise/massaging.  

Might be worth trying if other approaches haven't worked.

Hello Brent, i am having the same issue here, 

When i relax my arms next to me i feel something itching and when i feel with my finger on the tendon ( i think bicep) it feels hard not relaxed 

It's under my armpit and it's irritating me for the past months, really depends my mood sometimes.

Ive been to a couple of doctors but they dont see anything bad... So i don't know what i should do?

Ive been stretching everyday my bicep and i think it helps a little but not sure because i read that stretching only helps for short period of time.

What should i do to get it fixed ? Strenghten something?

How is it going with your problem now ?

Thanks in advance Brent, you are not alone !

Another follow-up, as I continue to get emails:

My old condition of inner bicep pain is pretty much gone. I've moved back to Taiwan for the short-term and left my Indian clubs at home, so haven't been using them, but I also haven't been climbing as often as I used to (indoor or out). I did go to Laos and spend several weeks climbing, with fewer routes per day, generally easier routes, and more rest days than I used to do on such trips. I did strain a muscle in my left forearm on the last day of climbing, and this has taken me awhile to recover from, but it's in a spot where I never had pain before (golfer's elbow instead of tennis elbow), so I'm not worried that this is a chronic issue.

My lifestyle has gone from climbing-centric to more hiking, biking, birdwatching, yoga, gym workouts (isometric, lifting, cardio), and skiing (before I moved back to Taiwan). So whether  my issue has been cured by extensive time off, reduction in intensity, cross-training, or all of the above is an open question. I am still vegetarian. I don't take B-complex supplements like I should, but otherwise eat a nutritious, varied, plant-rich diet.

That's good to hear Nate. I still have tightness more than 2+ years later from my last update, but it has not gotten worse, just a constant sort of tight feeling which isn't too painful. I have noticed things seem to feel better after a long hike or day outdoors doing mild exercise. I also have gotten a routine of doing pushups and reversed rows everyday and I think strengthening the muscles around the areas helps (so I've been told by someone else). I've just avoided doctors as I don't want them to push me into injections or drugs which from what I've read only provide short term relief and don't solve the problem and the previous physical therapists had no idea what the underlying issue was since it didn't match the usual checkbox items most people have. So just keeping up with exercise, making sure to get out for a hike regularly seems to have kept it under control on my end. Glad you're feeling better and hope others have made some progress with this weird chronic condition.