Group: Injuries & Rehabilitation

Created: 2012/01/01, Members: 54, Messages: 4465

Dealing with injuries and learning how to avoid them is extremely important!

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Pulled chest muscle?

amyksmith76
amyksmith76
Posts: 601
Joined: 2005/07/26
United States
2008/05/03, 09:00 PM
Me posting in the injury forum? GO FIGURE! Anyway. Thursday I worked my abs and did one arm rows and close grip pull downs with my upper body. I could really feel the burn in my back as I lifted heavier than I normally do. Yesterday I got up though and felt like I was having these muscle spasms that felt like they are in my esophogus? It's directly in the center of my breast bone and hurts all the way through from my chest to my back. It hurts when I talk, when I breathe and after I eat or drink if I get "burpy" it almost feels like I'm having a heart attack although the pain passes very fast. It's not constant, it comes in spasms every 20 or 30 minutes lasting about 10 seconds each. Today it is a little better and less frequent. My back muscles were a little tender yesterday, but nothing abnormal and are fine today. I was researching on google and it said something about pulling a muscle in the chest wall although this didn't make sense to me. Anyone else experience this? I am sure that it is nothing to worry about but would like to know if there is a way to avoid it in the future. The regular regimine of heat, ice, rest and ibuprophen has helped the pain so I am sure that it's muscular. Never had this happen before though! I'm thinking that maybe on the closed grip pull downs since heavier than normal, maybe my form was off without my realizing it pulling an "unrelated" muscle somewhere? Thanks.
wrestler125
wrestler125
Posts: 4,619
Joined: 2004/01/27
United States
2008/05/04, 02:57 PM
Is there any bruising in the area? Sensitive to the touch?

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SQUAT MORE ~Jesse Marunde

Blood Guts Sweat Chalk
amyksmith76
amyksmith76
Posts: 601
Joined: 2005/07/26
United States
2008/05/04, 09:19 PM
No bruising, a little tender in the breastbone area if I put any amount of pressure on it. I imagine that it would have been very sore a couple of days ago when this problem was at it's peak.
wrestler125
wrestler125
Posts: 4,619
Joined: 2004/01/27
United States
2008/05/05, 07:27 AM
It may be a minor tear at the tendon. You can have it looked at, but there isn't much you can do except begin stretching it as soon as it doesn't hurt.

As for why it may have happened, your pectorals are a stabilizer in the pull down, and can sometimes be injured through a faulty movement pattern. I'd look at shoulder and upper back flexibility.

--------------
SQUAT MORE ~Jesse Marunde

Blood Guts Sweat Chalk
amyksmith76
amyksmith76
Posts: 601
Joined: 2005/07/26
United States
2008/05/05, 02:12 PM
Great. That makes perfect sense. I have very bad shoulder and upper back flexibility. Thanks again.