Course Overview

The long head of the biceps, with its predictable stagnation in the bicepital groove, presents with pain in the anterior and anterior-lateral aspect of the shoulder. Pain may radiate down the biceps muscle of the forearm. For the acupuncture practitioner, this is an important injury with which to be acquainted. While not as common as rotator cuff injuries, bicepital lesions are overlooked by the acupuncturist. Diagnosis and assessment are not always definitive, and acupuncture treatment can be complicated. Furthermore, it does not help that there are no acupuncture points located at the site of the injury.

Commonly diagnosed in the category of accident/trauma, biceps tendonitis is usually a repetitive stress disorder due to the accumulation of micro-trauma. However, it may occasionally occur as an acute strain. The injury is at the level of the muscles and tendons, with qi and blood stagnation in the channels and collaterals. Bicepital tendonitis usually presents as Lung meridian pathology and it generally responds to local needling or, in some cases, local cupping. Specific distal points complete the treatment and all of these protocols are thoroughly described in this one-hour webinar by Whitfield Reaves.

This series was introduced in 2011, and is based upon single individual sports injuries. Each course provides simple and direct video for first time viewing as well as to increase precision through repetition. Even if you have taken the newer series, Mastering the Treatment of Injury and Pain, this old series is still an excellent resource for review and is filled with clinical gems.

Course Objectives

• To perform at least one orthopedic test and palpation that assist in the diagnosis of the condition.
• To know two distal points that may be used in the treatment of bicepital pain.
• To be able to describe needle technique on the local zone of the bicepital tendon.
• To be able to describe cupping techniques in the local zone of the bicepital tendon.
• To know 3 complementary muscles that may be treated when the biceps is the primary site of stagnation.

Course Outline

0 hrs - 15 minAnatomy of the biceps muscle.

15 min - 30 minClinical assessment of pathology of the biceps muscle.

30 min - 45 minDemonstration of assessment - Demo of palpation of the area, point location, and palpation of the bicepital groove.

45 min - 1 hrsDemonstration of technique - Needle technique of Lung 3, 4, 2, and technique for the bicepital groove.