Chest pain caused by pulled muscles can be extremely intense and cause similar symptoms to that of a heart attack. Most chest wall muscle strains are minor injuries that typically recover with rest, ice compression and elevation.
Mild pulls may heal in just a few weeks with at-home treatment and over-the-counter pain medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Physical therapy may speed recovery by strengthening muscles and correcting any imbalances that led to their injury.
Symptoms of Pulled Chest Muscle
Pain
Pain in the chest may be sharp and intense when muscles have been overstretched, ranging from sharp stabbing pains to constant or dull ache, with symptoms often intensified during activities like breathing or coughing.
First line treatment for mild strains should include RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. Avoid activities that put further strain on your injured chest muscles for two days and take painkillers such as ibuprofen or Acetaminophen (Tylenol). Ice the injury up to three times a day for 20 minutes at least in order to reduce swelling, inflammation and pain.
Your healthcare provider will assess your pain and symptoms, ask about past health and activities, conduct a physical exam, assigning the severity of injury a grade (1 is minor damage affecting less than 5% of muscle fibers while Grade 3 indicates complete rupture that requires surgery). They may suggest physical therapy programs or prescription-strength painkillers as treatments.
Difficulty Breathing
Chest muscles are integral in breathing. If you strain them, breathing becomes harder due to their involvement in inflating and deflating your lungs when you take breaths. The pectoralis major and pectoralis minor muscles (commonly referred to as the “pecs”) responsible for this function when breathing in.
Most chest pain caused by pulled muscles is mild and should go away with rest alone, however if the discomfort continues or increases significantly you may need pain relievers and/or ice packs/compression to reduce pain/swelling/inflammation; physical therapy can also improve range of motion/strength in affected muscles.
Grade 1 tears are among the least serious strains and typically affect less than 5% of muscle fibers. They typically produce a sharp pain that becomes dull after some time has passed; if this pain arises during exercise, seek medical advice immediately as it could indicate heart disease or another serious health problem.
Tightness
A pulled chest muscle can make breathing feel constricting and painful. You may experience an ache, throbbing, or stabbing sensation; this discomfort usually increases with deep breathing or coughing and can spread across the chest wall.
Pectoralis major muscles are fan-shaped muscle groups that span from your armpits to the center of your breast bone (sternum). Pectoralis minor are smaller triangular musculature found beneath pectoralis major and run along your ribs. Intercostal muscles run between each rib to form the chest wall – up to 49% of chest pain is due to strain in these intercostal muscles!
Chest muscle strains are usually less serious than heart attacks. Most will heal within several days to weeks with rest and applying ice as the recommended treatments; massage therapy or over-the-counter pain relievers may also provide relief. If symptoms persist post chest muscle strain, physical therapy could provide significant pain reduction as well as improved mobility and reduce long-term postural issues.
Irritation
An acute chest muscle strain may start as sharp, stabbing pain but usually settles into a dull ache over time. Other symptoms may include bruising, swelling, muscle spasms and difficulty moving the chest muscles. A doctor and physiotherapist will be able to accurately diagnose this injury by conducting tests designed to reproduce pain while checking for visible gaps or lumps in injured muscle fibers.
They will probably advise rest and applying ice to reduce swelling. Anti-inflammatory drugs, like ibuprofen and muscle relaxants may also be prescribed in order to ease painful muscle spasms and ease painful spasms.
They will likely suggest a tailored exercise plan in order to restore strength and flexibility to muscles that have been injured – it is crucial that you follow this advice since returning too quickly will only worsen an injury and extend recovery time.
What Are the Common Causes of a Pulled Chest Muscle in Females?
Females can develop a pulled chest muscle from various activities, including lifting heavy objects, playing sports, or experiencing falls.
Skipping warm-ups before physical activities, using incorrect weights, twisting while lifting (such as moving furniture or heavy boxes off shelves), and forceful coughing or sneezing during illness (like bronchitis or a bad cold) are other common causes of chest muscle strains.
Those with weak chest muscles are prone to injuries when engaging in heavy lifting without proper warm-up. It may come as a surprise for females who experience breast pain to learn that it is actually caused by a strained chest muscle.
Contact sports and athletics involving forceful or repetitive motions like tennis, golf, gymnastics, and rowing also contribute to chest muscle strain.
How Long Does It Take for a Pulled Chest Muscle to Heal in Females?
The recovery time for a pulled chest muscle in females depends on the severity of the injury. In mild cases, categorized as Grade 1, where less than 5% of the muscle fibers are affected, healing typically occurs within two to three weeks.
However, more extensive injuries labeled as Grade 2 can impact a larger number of muscle fibers without fully tearing the muscle.
These injuries usually require two to three months to heal. Should the muscle experience a complete rupture (Grade 3), surgical intervention may be necessary for repair or reattachment. Rest plays a vital role in the healing process and avoiding strenuous activities is highly recommended, especially those that strain your chest muscles.
To alleviate pain, applying ice packs or heat to the injured area can provide relief while wrapping an elastic bandage can help reduce swelling.
Additionally, taking over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen can help ease inflammation and discomfort. With proper care and attention, most mild to moderate chest muscle strains will resolve themselves within a few weeks.
