Mariano Rivera is probably the greatest reliever to ever play baseball, but he isn’t immune to injury, especially as he grows older. He’s now 41 years old and has 17 seasons of professional baseball under his belt. Selected to play in the 2011 all star game, Rivera had to bow out due to triceps issues.
As he said about missing the game:
The reason why is because I want to make sure I’m 100 percent. I won’t be able to give what the team will ask me.
The interesting thing is that the Yankees have attributed the soreness in his triceps to inflammation as opposed to a strain. The difference being that with a strain you’ll have tearing of the muscle fibers whereas inflammation could just be irritation of the muscle fibers.
Yeah, I know, it is a small distinction, but an important one:
- With a strain you may have to shut down pitching, because you don’t want to make the tear worse.
- With a strain you’ll need to ensure strength isn’t lost.
- With inflammation you just need to ensure it is treated with ice and rest. No rehab needed.
What causes sore triceps? Overuse. Remember, there is a difference between strain and inflammation. Overuse can cause a strain, but will always cause inflammation. The thing is that it is a normal part of the muscle exertion process. The only difference is that chronic inflammation can cause an ongoing concern.
What are the symptoms of sore triceps? Well, soreness, obviously. The soreness will occur if you flex your arm outwards from your body. The triceps will also be sore to touch in most cases. You won’t suffer a loss of strength, jut fatigue.
How do you treat a sore triceps? Ice is an effective method of stopping the inflammation, but you should mix in heat treatment. It seems contradictory, but the heat allows additional blood flow to help the healing process. Anti-inflammatory over the counter medication should also be taken.
How long does it take to recover from sore triceps? A few days at the most if you treat it properly with ice, heat and medicine. Remember, if it is only sore you can still participate in sports.