However, an acute pull will likely cause sudden, sharp pain in your chest, whereas a chronic strain is likely to be felt as an ongoing, dull ache. You may have difficulty using the chest muscles and experience sensations often described as throbbing, tightness, and tenderness.
The pain typically starts at the armpit and spreads across your chest muscle. You may notice pain when pressing on the sore muscle and even some pain at rest.
This depends on the severity of the pull. Done with care, a chest massage can speed up the healing process for mild to moderate strains. A massage can improve blood flow to the pulled muscle and help to eliminate any build-up of waste products in the tissue. Common signs of a chest injury include pain in the chest that gets worse when laughing, coughing, or sneezing, tenderness, bruising, swelling, and redness.
Others report a numbness or tingling sensation and discomfort when applying pressure to the area. Sharp, severe pain in the area of the chest injury could be a sign of a bruised or broken rib.
Understandably, many people are avoiding public places like hospitals and clinics to help prevent the spread of COVID A good alternative for care is on-demand physical therapy, like Luna. It offers a safer and easier way to jumpstart your healing process. Luna's therapists offer convenient in-person visits and televisits that fit your schedule perfectly. By Kirk Whetstone, MD. Peer Reviewed. Causes of Upper Back Pain Video. Unusual chest wall pain caused by thoracic disc herniation in a professional baseball player.
Fukushima J Med Sci. Acute chest pain in a top soccer player due to thoracic disc herniation. Spine Phila Pa Angina chest pain.
American Heart Association website. Accessed September 12, Heart attack. Accessed September 10, Symptoms and diagnosis of pericarditis. Pleurisy and other pleural disorders. For example, gymnastics, rowing, tennis, and golf all involve repetitive motion and may cause chronic strains.
Certain illnesses may also cause muscle strain in the chest. Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms, your health history, and any activities that may have contributed to your pain. From there, strains are graded according to severity:. In some cases, your doctor may order tests to rule out heart attack, bone fractures, and other issues.
Tests may include:. Other possible causes of chest pain include:. First-line treatment for mild chest muscle strains involves rest, ice, compression, and elevation RICE :. With home treatment, your symptoms from mild pulls should subside in a few weeks.
While you wait, you may take pain relievers to reduce your discomfort and inflammation, such as ibuprofen Advil, Motrin IB or acetaminophen Tylenol. If you have chronic strain, you may benefit from physical therapy and exercises to correct muscle imbalances that contribute to strain. In more severe cases, surgery may be needed to repair torn muscles. As your pain lessens, you may slowly return to your previous sports and activities.
Pay attention to any discomfort or other symptoms you experience and rest when necessary. Your recovery time depends on the severity of your strain. Morgan urges you to avoid self-diagnosis, especially if the pain is severe. Learn how to alleviate the pain from internal medicine specialist Janet Morgan, MD. Learn more about vaccine availability.
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