Pectoral Muscle Tear/Most Common Muscle Injury Part 6 of 7
By: Marylin Salgado
July 14, 2019
Chest muscle injuries were once rare. Within the past 20 years, these injuries have become more common, ranging from muscle bruising, to inflammation, to complete tears. These are accompanied by pain, weakness, deformity, and eventually, and overall decline in overall muscle function. These injuries can be caused by individuals who work in heavy labor or from chronic overuse. Football players have also been known to tear their pecs during a tackle.
This is part 6 of a 7-part series blog. The focus will be injuries based on common lifts geared towards this muscle group:
- Bench Press
- Dead Lifts
Each blog will explain the part of the body affected, how each lift affects that muscle group and recovery time. Each blog will be written in its simplest form so you, the reader, can fully understand the material. This week I will be discussing injury caused to Pectoral Muscle.
What is the structure and function of the Pectoral Muscle?
The pectoralis major muscle is a large muscle that spreads across the chest from the shoulder to the breast bone. Its primary function is flexion, adduction and rotation of the long bone of the arm, or the Humerus. The “pecs”, especially for men, help to bulk up the chest.
Why do injuries occur?
- Improper technique
- Not enough training time
- Not stretching before an exercise
- Ignoring pain or discomfort during a movement or lift
- Not stopping immediately during discomfort or feeling sharp pain
- Changing directions rapidly
- Lifting beyond your weight limit
Most common lifts and Pectoral Muscle Injury
1.Bench Press – There is really not much difference between a barbell bench press and a dumbbell bench press to cause pec muscle injury. If you lose control of either weight, you can cause overstretching of the pec muscle. Each weight holds its own set of rules; as far as mechanics, techniques and tempo, the rhythm you move a weight, from the lift to its ending or resting position.
“The most common cause of PM injury during a bench press is the result from too much tension on the muscle belly or tendon in combination with a forceful eccentric contraction or stretch reflex. It’s more common to have muscle belly injuries than tendon injuries because tendons resist tensile force better than muscle bellies,” says Petrizzo. – Mark Barroso, Starting Strength
- Dead Lifts – Although some lifters might say pec injuries during dead lifts don’t happen or are highly unlikely, they do happen. If you have a weak upper body, as you initiate that pull, while your shoulders are moving forward and the rest of your chest is moving up and back, you can certainly cause injury or tear to the pec muscle. When your shoulders block, you put the extra strain on the chest muscles.
- Sudden severe pain
- Sensation of tearing in the chest
- Pain in the upper arm
- Dimpling or pocket forming above the arm pit
Recovering from Injury
Besides the usual icing and resting for home treatment, surgery is usually required to repair a torn pec muscle. When there is a partial tear, surgery is not considered. During surgery, the torn muscle is re-attached to the bone. When the injury is chronic, then a tendon transplant is required. Immobilization is required for three to six weeks and full recovery usually happened within 6 months, at which point the athlete can return to weight lifting or competition.
Things to consider before and after a pec muscle injury
- ICE – while being the most inexpensive treatment, it also may prove to be quite effective with both pain and swelling.
- REST – more of this before an after a workout is great to prevent muscle overuse and injury.
- AFTER RESTING – workout your chest just once per week, this is usually recommended after recovery from sprain or injury.
- PUSHUPS – will help with different hand positions and full range of muscle contractions to rehab from a chest injury.
- INCREASE THE VOLUME OF ROWING AND ROTATOR CUFF WORK – helps balance the strength across the joint as well as upper back strength.
- ADDRESS THE TISSUE – regular massage of the muscle and tissue will help with injury recovery as well.
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