Clinical Mastery in the Treatment of Myofascial Pain. 660-665., 6 Ferguson, Lucy Whyte., and Robert Gerwin. Travell & Simons’ Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual. The pain and tenderness in the thumb, and the entrapment symptoms may be caused by trigger points in different areas of the muscle. Since the brachialis is capable of entrapping the superficial sensory branch of the radial nerve, there may be dysesthesia, tingling, and numbness in this area of the thumb. There may also be a diffuse tenderness in the thumb. This pain may be felt at rest or also with use of the thumb. Most of the referred pain from trigger points in the brachialis is in the volar part of the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb (opposite the palm at base of thumb) and also to the web of the thumb in that area. BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science licensed under CC Attribution-Share Alike 2.1 JapanĪlthough most of the same activities that set up trigger points in the biceps brachii can also set up trigger points in the brachialis, the symptoms are quite different. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2003. Surgical Anatomy of the Hand and Upper Extremity. Although the ruptures of the proximal or distal biceps tendon are somewhat common, rupture of a brachialis tendon is rare. Neither the biceps or brachialis is activated when the arm is carrying a load in a fully extended position, and gravity is pulling the load straight down, so strain to the muscle through carrying exercises or deadlift exercises is only likely if unintentional elbow flexion is done, or the forearm is suddenly and violently extended.
Avoid excessive use reverse curls, which are weighed curls with the hand pronated (palms facing down or almost down), so as not to over-burden the brachialis (although it is perfectly okay to do this moderately, just not exclusively). When exercising with elbow flexion, such as with barbell or dumbbell curls or with chinups/pullups, “doing too much too soon” can overwork or strain the muscle. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, 2004. The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-treatment Guide for Pain Relief. Sustained computer work or driving may also aggravate the muscle. Carrying groceries, using handheld power tools for long periods, repeatedly picking up children, carrying a purse or bag hanging on the forearm, fingering a guitar or violin with the forearm supinated, etc.
Brachialis Trigger Point Causes and SymptomsĪnything that requires repeated and/or sustained bending of the elbow, especially under load, and overwork the brachialis. Before reading about trigger points and pain from the brachialis muscle, you may want to find out more basic information about the muscle.Īs a primary elbow flexor along with the familiar biceps, the brachialis can be overworked by the same types of activities that overwork the biceps brachii, and perhaps even more so.