Front Shoulder Pain? The Biceps Tendon May Be the Problem
Why does the front of your shoulder hurt? In many cases, the long head of the biceps tendon is a major pain generator. In this episode of The Shoulder Blueprint Podcast, Dr. Caleb Davis and Dr. Justin Givens break down proximal biceps pain, including biceps tendinitis, tendinosis, instability, SLAP-related pain, imaging findings, injections, physical therapy, and when surgery actually makes sense.
They also explain why biceps pain is often not an isolated problem, how it overlaps with rotator cuff tears and labral pathology, why some patients feel popping or subluxation in the groove, and the real differences between tenotomy vs tenodesis.
If you have been told you have biceps tendinitis, biceps tendonitis, a SLAP tear, or unexplained front shoulder pain, this episode will help you understand what may actually be going on.
In this episode:
Why the long head of the biceps is such a common shoulder pain source
The difference between tendinitis vs tendinosis
Why overhead motion often hurts more than curls
How biceps pain overlaps with SLAP tears and rotator cuff pathology
What biceps instability and subluxation feel like
Physical exam tests, MRI, and ultrasound findings
When physical therapy and injections help most
When surgery is reasonable
Tenotomy vs tenodesis explained
What to do about a proximal biceps rupture or “Popeye” deformity
Most biceps pain improves without surgery—but not always. This episode explains how shoulder specialists think through the problem and how treatment decisions are really made.
