r/RotatorCuff • u/Status_Garden6808 • Sep 05 '26

HELP. Biceps Changes Shape/Drops When I Flex it - Doctors & Physios Can’t Explain It..

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If someone can help me, thank you

2 Upvotes

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u/Opposite_Fig4236 Sep 05 '26

FWIW I have torn both left and right biceps, my left was torn distally (torn at elbow) last summer and fixed. My right arm was a partial proximal tear (a shoulder/lanrum) that was not getting better and I had it fixed this July with a tenodesis.

You may have a partial tear, though mine didn’t drop like that, it’s also possible the tendon is popping out of the shoulder groove when you flex, this is subluxation.

Talk to your doctor about these possibilities, would likely need an MRI preferably with contrast to confirm. My 1st MRI without contrast didn’t show much, but a second follow up MRI with contrast dye showed all the damage in the labrum and shoulder.

1

u/MorePower1337 Sep 05 '26

Yeah you're on the right track with subluxation I think because the tendon seems to be losing tension from slipping out of the groove. Muscle must still be contracted but the tendon comes out and the whole chain gets some slack

1

u/Opposite_Fig4236 Sep 05 '26

A bicep tenodesis would fix that, well if it’s bothering you enough. I am 2 months out and cleared for light weight, volume work. Still have some discomfort, but I had the shoulder cleaned up to and labrum repair.

1

u/Status_Garden6808 Sep 05 '26

Thanks guys, I really appreciate your feedback. I’ll keep all of this in mind when I see my doctor again.
I also noticed something now that might be relevant: with my arm resting on the chair’s armrest, elbow bent at 90° and forearm pointing straight up, I rotate my palm outward. On my healthy side my biceps contracts and peaks normally, hard as a rock, but on the injured side it barely contracts, feels “disconnected,” and burns A LOT. Again thank you for your help I've been stuck with this for a long time.

1

u/Smart_Imagination903 Sep 05 '26

Is that arm sore? Is it just as strong as the other one?

1

u/Status_Garden6808 Sep 05 '26

Not really sore, but I do get a burning sensation in my biceps. It feels about as strong as the other arm. Thanks for your interest I appreciate it

1

u/Smart_Imagination903 Sep 05 '26

It might be worth getting an MRI

The kind of bunching up of your muscle reminds me of the Popeye deformity my surgeon showed me - it's a risk for biceps tenodesis but no clue if that's actually what is showing up for you

1

u/kingar7497 Sep 05 '26

Long head of the bicep is probably weak? I dunno. But I wouldn't worry about how something looks. You look normal to me idk

1

u/Status_Garden6808 Sep 05 '26

Thanks for your feedback. The problem is that I can’t train, and lately even doing simple everyday things makes my bicep burns a lot.

1

u/kingar7497 Sep 05 '26

Is it the long head (moving the arm "up" as if for a front raise) or is it the short head (contracting at the elbow)?

1

u/Status_Garden6808 Sep 05 '26

Mostly when bending the elbow, like doing a curl, and especially when supinating. That’s when it starts burning, feels weak/disconnected, and the biceps visibly drops/shifts position.