how to rehab a pulled chest muscle

How long should it take a pulled muscle to heal?

Jan 30, 2018 · First-line treatment for mild chest muscle strains involves rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE): Rest. Stop activity as soon as you notice pain. You may resume light activity two days after injury, but stop if pain... Ice. Apply ice or a cold pack to the affected area for 20 minutes up to ...

Should I put Heat on a pulled muscle?

May 17, 2017 · Rehabilitation: Seeing a physical therapist during the healing process can speed up the restoration of the chest muscle functions. These sessions are commonly set up by your family physician and ...

What exercises can cause a pulled chest muscle?

Aug 31, 2019 · To prevent future muscle strains, be sure to warm up before exercise or strenuous activity, be careful when lifting heavy objects, climbing or descending stairs, or lifting weights, and above all listen to your body when it twinges or aches.

How to properly rest and recover strained chest muscles?

Ice. Apply ice to the injury for 20 minutes each hour you’re awake. Ice can help reduce inflammation. Never apply ice directly to bare skin; instead, wrap the ice pack in a towel first. Compression. Wrapping the muscle with an elastic bandage can help bring down swelling.

How to treat a chest muscle strain?

The usual treatment for a chest muscle strain is to reduce pain and swelling by following the “RICE” method: Rest: Avoid strenuous activities, especially those that caused or contributed to the muscle strain. Ice: Wrap an ice pack in a towel and apply it to the affected area for up to 20 minutes.

How long does it take for a strained chest muscle to heal?

Although uncomfortable, a strained chest muscle is usually a minor injury that tends to heal within days or weeks. In this article, we outline the causes of a strained chest muscle, along with possible treatments. We also explain how to differentiate the ...

What is the most common cause of chest pain?

Intercostal muscle strains are the most common cause of musculoskeletal chest pain, which people often refer to as a pulled muscle. The intercostal muscles are a muscle group that sits between the ribs and makes up the chest wall. This muscle group comprises three layers: the external, internal, and innermost intercostal muscles.

What does it mean when you pull a muscle in your chest?

Pulled muscle in chest: Symptoms and treatment. The terms pulled muscle and muscle strain refer to an injury that involves an overstretched or torn muscle. A person with a muscle strain in the chest may experience sudden, sharp pain in this area.

What causes chest wall strain?

Possible causes of chest wall strains include: sports injuries from overstretching, muscle fatigue, or performing repetitive and forceful motions.

What causes a sharp pain in the chest?

Pneumonia. Pneumonia is an infection that causes the air sacs within the lungs to fill with fluid or pus. Viruses, bacteria, and fungi can all cause pneumonia. A person with pneumonia may experience a sharp or stabbing pain in the chest, which worsens when coughing or breathing deeply.

How long does it take for a muscle to heal?

Recovery generally takes between 2 and 3 weeks. Grade 2 (more extensive damage): The injury has affected more of the individual muscle fibers, but the muscle is not completely ruptured. There is a significant loss of strength and motion. The injury may take between 2 and 3 months to heal fully.

How to heal a chest muscle?

Rest: By avoiding physical activity, you decrease the chances of reinjuring your chest muscles, allowing them to heal. Pain relief: The use of ice packs is a great way to help reduce pain levels, as is the use of mild analgesic medication such as ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol).

What is the best treatment for chest muscle injury?

Surgical repair: Reserved for more severe forms of chest muscle injury. Rehabilitation: Seeing a physical therapist during the healing process can speed up the restoration of the chest muscle functions. These sessions are commonly set up by your family physician and can be highly beneficial to overall recovery.

What are the two muscles that make up the chest?

The human chest is comprised primarily of two muscles: the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor , which can both be pulled. The pectoralis major muscle is the thickest and largest of the chest muscles, with the pectoralis minor muscle being smaller and lying beneath it.

What sports can cause chest muscles to be pulled?

Athletes playing certain sports are at a high risk of developing pulled chest muscles often, including ones that require full arm extensions or flexions like baseball, tennis, and hockey. Young children and the elderly are also at an increased risk for pulled chest muscles, as both groups have an increased tendency for falls.

Is a pulled chest muscle life threatening?

What is a pulled chest muscle? Generally speaking, having a pulled chest muscle is not life-threatening, but it may be perceived as such. Chest pain is a common symptom of a heart attack, and it may present similarly to a pulled chest muscle. This injury can occur during excessive stretching or pressure on the muscle.

Can a chest injury cause weakness?

Minor injuries often yield no weakness, while moderate to severe injuries often lead to tears in the chest tendons and muscles, leading to significant pain and weakness. Pain can often be felt when stretching, lifting, reaching, or exerting the affected chest muscle.

Can a pulled chest muscle cause swelling?

Muscle spasms and swelling: A pulled chest muscle can also lead to swelling in the area. This may also result in muscle spasms, where the muscles contract suddenly. Visual bruising may be appreciated at the injury area.

How to tell if chest muscle is pulled?

The symptoms of a pulled chest muscle may include: Acute muscle pain (a sharp pull) Chronic muscle pain (a dull ache) Pain during breathing. Swelling.

What does it mean when you pull your chest?

Pulled Chest Muscle: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment. Straining a chest muscle can cause a sharp pain in your chest, a sensation that, if it's anywhere near the heart, may well scare people into thinking they're having cardiac issues. While a pulled chest muscle is not as serious as a heart attack, it is nevertheless painful ...

What are the major muscles of the chest?

The Muscles of the Chest. The major muscles of the chest are the appropriately named pectoralis majors, the fan-shaped muscles that go from your armpits to the center of your breast bone (sternum). These muscles help move your shoulders and keep your arms attached to your body. The pectoralis minor muscles are smaller triangular muscles ...

How to prevent muscle strains?

To prevent future muscle strains, be sure to warm up before exercise or strenuous activity, be careful when lifting heavy objects, climbing or descending stairs, or lifting weights, and above all listen to your body when it twinges or aches.

Why do children have the lowest risk of pulling their chest muscles?

Children have the lowest risk of experiencing a pulled chest muscle because of their higher flexibility, which is why it's always important for us non-children to stretch properly not just before sports, but before any strenuous activity.

What does it mean when your muscles are spasming?

Muscle spasms. Difficulty moving the area. If this pain comes about suddenly due to strenuous activity or exercise, it's recommended that you seek medical attention, as it may be more serious than just a strain.

How long does it take for a muscle to heal after surgery?

Heal is a doctor-developed amino acid supplement proven to improve physical strength and function as measured at 6 weeks post surgery. You can learn more about how Heal works here.

How to heal a strained chest muscle?

Perform this ice treatment for the first two days after your injury. Apply heat using a retainer apparatus to your strained chest muscles after the initial soreness subsides. Strap-on heat backs or heat pack pouches may provide suitable heat retainers to help your strained muscles heal.

How to treat muscle strain in chest?

Treatment for a muscle strain in your chest may include sports massage techniques administered by a qualified massage therapist. Sports massage can improve the efficiency of muscles in your chest and help treat strains that result from overuse. This type of massage therapy can also help prevent future injuries.

What does it mean when your chest is straining?

Straining your chest muscles may indicate a rupture in the pectoralis major tendon. A sports injury specialist may perform surgery for total ruptures and prescribe a full rehabilitation program following surgery. Surgery aims to reattach muscle in your chest to the bone.

What is pumping in massage?

Pumping is a sports massage technique for tight or damaged muscle tissue that improves blood circulation to the affected area. Sports massage can help increase the permeability of muscle tissue to allow fluid and nutrients to flow into the tissues and help your strained chest muscles recover quickly. Advertisement.

How does ultrasound help with strained chest muscles?

Ultrasound therapy may provide effective treatment for soft tissue injuries such as strained chest muscles by reducing the healing time of injuries. This type of therapy may increase blood flow your strained chest muscles by attracting mast cells to the area. Ultrasound therapy may help increase collagen production that contributes ...

How long does it take to recover from chest surgery?

You may regain normal physical strength and mobility in your chest muscles in approximately four to six months after surgery.

What is the best medicine for a pulled muscle in the chest?

A physician may prescribe anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen, for a pulled muscle in your chest. These medications are also known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs. Anti-inflammatory drugs help reduce your body's production of prostaglandins, or hormone-like substances that irritate your nerve endings and cause pain.

What is a pulled muscle?

A pulled muscle, or muscle strain , occurs when a muscle or tendon is overstretched or torn. Muscle strains can occur without warning and affect people of all ages and fitness levels. Because these types of injuries can range in severity, you should see your doctor right away if you:

How long does it take to heal a pulled muscle?

However, you should consult with your doctor if you still have pain after 24 hours of at-home treatment.

How to help a muscle sprain?

Ice can help reduce inflammation. Never apply ice directly to bare skin; instead, wrap the ice pack in a towel first. Compression. Wrapping the muscle with an elastic bandage can help bring down swelling.

What are the symptoms of a pulled muscle?

Symptoms of a pulled muscle include: Bruising, swelling or redness at the injury site. Difficulty using the affected muscle. Muscle weakness. Sudden pain when using the affected muscle. Pain when the muscle is at rest.

How to reduce swelling from a muscle injury?

Medication. Your physician may recommend a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication, like ibuprofen, to reduce pain and swelling. Heat. Use a heating pad a few times a day after three days. Never apply heat directly to bare skin; always wrap the heating pad in a towel.

How to prevent pulling muscles?

How to prevent a pulled muscle. “Pulled muscles can be prevented by utilizing proper technique when lifting and carrying,” says Dr. Powell. “For instance, individuals may pull a muscle at the gym due to improper form while exercising or by lifting something heavy and forgetting to bend at the knees.

What causes muscle strains?

Muscle strains can be caused by: 1 Lifting an object that is too heavy 2 Lifting improperly 3 Not warming up before or stretching after a workout 4 Overusing a muscle 5 Poor posture

How to strengthen chest muscles?

Light resistance can gradually and safely increase the strength of your chest muscles. Simply pushing your fist into your hand for five seconds while resisting the tension is an effective exercise that's ideally done 10 times. The plank exercise also strengthens your chest, but before doing a full plank in which you hold your body up on your hands and feet, condition yourself on all fours. Transfer your weight back and forth so your body gets used to the pressure. Shoulder rotations in which you bring your bent arm in toward your body against the resistance of an exercise band can also strengthen your pectorals.

What muscles are used to stretch your chest?

Stretches for Chest Tightness. Pectoral Exercises While Standing. Share on Facebook. Although often considered one of the strongest muscles in the body, the pectoral muscles or pecs are not exempt from strain. These muscles, which run from your upper chest to your shoulders, are used each time you move your arm in front ...

How long does it take for chest pain to heal?

Repetitive activities and excess force on your chest muscles can result in chest strain, which can differ in severity and take days or months to heal. Once the pain subsides, stretching and strengthening exercises can help restore your chest muscles to full functionality.

How to get rid of a swollen chest?

Start with minimal weight to avoid injuries, and only do as many repetitions and sets as you comfortably can. Do chest exercises, such as bench presses in which you lie on a bench and push a barbell or dumbbells up above your chest.

How to improve flexibility of pectoral muscles?

Stretching Exercises. Stretching exercises can improve the flexibility of your pectoral muscles. You can do them standing upright by engaging your arms. Try shoulder rotations in which you bend your elbow 90 degrees and rotate your shoulder, moving your lower arm away from your body as far as you can. Other stretches include raising both extended ...