How long does a Grade 1 pec tear take to heal?
Note: Grade 1 muscle injuries can expect a full return to function within a week, once symptoms have subsided. With grade 2 strains the return to full activity can be significantly slower, depending on the severity, return can range from 2 – 6 weeks.
Can a pectoral tear heal on its own?
In most cases, a torn pectoral will not heal on its own. Our team will need to perform surgery to reattach the muscle so that you can begin your road to recovery. The operation will involve sewing the muscle back into place on your upper arm.Nov 20, 2021
How do you treat a torn pec tear?
In isolated pectoralis minor tendon tears, however, a conservative treatment approach is typically recommended. Recommend rest, ice, and anti-inflammatory medication for the first two to four weeks following the injury. The athlete may use an arm sling to increase comfort, but complete immobilization isn't necessary.
Does a pec tear always require surgery?
Most pec major tendon ruptures occur in very active people. Without surgery, pectoralis major tears will cause weakness and an obvious deformity. Because of that, most people with a pec tear will choose to have them repaired.Sep 17, 2021
What does a minor pec tear feel like?
Signs and symptoms of a pec strain Most people will report a specific moment in time where they feel a “tearing “or “popping“ sensation in the chest or around the armpit. Immediately they will feel pain in the chest and a loss of strength if they have a grade 2 or 3 tear.
How serious is a torn pectoral muscle?
When the pectoralis muscle ruptures, you will have sudden severe pain and a tearing sensation in the chest. You may also have pain in the upper arm, weakness, bruising, and a dimpling, or pocket formation above the arm pit. Initial treatment includes application of ice and immobilization of the shoulder, arm and chest.
How common is a pec tear?
Tears of the pectoralis major are rare and typically affect otherwise healthy individuals. Most lesions are located at the musculotendinous junction and result from violent, eccentric contraction of the muscle, such as during bench press [3].
How do I know if I tore my pectoral muscle?
Classic symptoms of strain in the chest muscle include:pain, which may be sharp (an acute pull) or dull (a chronic strain)swelling.muscle spasms.difficulty moving the affected area.pain while breathing.bruising.
How to rehab a PEC tear?
Various treatments may be used by your physical therapist during your pec major tear rehab. These may include physical modalities, exercise, or manual techniques. All treatments are designed to help you move better, decrease pain, and improve overall functional use of your arm.
How long does it take to recover from a pectoralis tear?
Surgery involves sewing your pec tear back into place on your upper arm. Three to four weeks after surgery you should be able to do some passive or active assisted range of motion (ROM) exercises, depending on the surgery. It will most likely take around six weeks for you to do active motion without help.
How many grades of muscle tear are there?
There are three grades of muscle and tendon tears. Your pectoralis tear will likely be graded by your physician. The grades are numbered by severity. A grade I tear is simply an overstretching of the pec tendon. A grade II tear is a partial tendon tear; some of the tendon is torn and some is still intact.
What happens when you lift heavy weights?
When you are lifting heavy weights and the pec tendon becomes overloaded, it may tear . Other forceful encounters, such as a fall onto an outstretched arm or a sudden and violent pull on your arm may also tear your pectoralis major tendon.
How to improve muscular endurance?
Exercises to improve muscular endurance may be done during your pec tear rehab. Your physical therapist may have you use an upper body ergometer (UBE) to improve upper extremity muscular endurance. (A UBE is a bicycle that you pedal with your arms.) A rowing machine may also be used.
What is the purpose of ultrasound?
Ultrasound is a therapeutic modality used in physical therapy. The goal of ultrasound application is to improve circulation to the tissues deep in the body. Application of ultrasound is done by your physical therapist, who uses an ultrasound wand and a coupling gel over your injured arm and shoulder. Ultrasonic waves are passed into your body, heating the tissues and increasing circulation. Typically, ultrasound is painless, but if it is not applied properly, it may cause a deep burning sensation. Tell your therapist if you feel any discomfort during ultrasound for your pectoralis major tear.
How do you know if you have a ruptured pectoralis muscle?
These may include: An audible pop in your chest or shoulder during the traumatic event that caused your injury. Pain in the front of your shoulder. Difficulty lifting your shoulder and arm. Difficulty pushing things, like a door.
How long does it take for a pectoralis tear to heal?
However, depending on the severity of the injury, method of treatment used, and diligence with therapy, full recovery can take several months to a year.
Where does the rupture of the pectoralis major tendon occur?
Type 1: With type 1 tears, the pectoralis major tendon pulls away from the humerus. Type 2: With type 2 tears, the rupture occurs at the muscle-tendon junction—the point where the muscle begins to transition to tendon. Type 3: With type 3 tears, the pectoralis major muscle rupture occurs entirely within the muscle belly.
What is the largest muscle in the chest?
The pectoral muscles are made up of four muscles that connect the chest wall with the upper arm bone, or humerus, and shoulder: The largest of these muscles, the pectoralis major muscle, attaches at the breastbone, or sternum; the clavicular head of the collar bone, or clavicle; and the humerus. This large muscle, which most ...
Which muscle is responsible for stabilizing the collarbone during arm movement?
The smallest of the pectoral muscles is the subclavius, which attaches to the clavicle and first rib. This muscle is responsible for stabilizing the collarbone during arm movement and for lowering the clavicle and elevating the first rib during respiration. Of these four muscles, the one most likely to become injured is the pectoralis major muscle.
Which muscle is responsible for scapular movement?
This muscle aids both scapular movement and breathing. Like the pectoralis minor, the serratus anterior attaches to both the ribs and scapula. This muscle helps support breathing and elevation of the arm and allows the arm to rotate and pull the scapula around the rib cage.
How to get a muscle to be more elastic?
Warm up. Before you begin any stretching or strengthening exercises, first apply a hot pack to the injured area for 10 to 15 minutes. This will get blood flowing through the area, which will make the muscle more elastic and responsive to your rehab protocol. Begin range of motion.
What is the most popular exercise for weightlifters?
And not just any weight training, but the bench press —one of the most popular exercises among weight lifters. Because the bench press requires a huge amount of force from the pectoralis major muscles, any tension or weakness in the muscles, or even steroid use, can impact their ability to perform the exercise.
How to treat low grade tears?
Typically, we treat low-grade tears conservatively with physiotherapy. Usually, people wear a sling for a few days to limit swelling and bruising. After that, rehab starts to strengthen the chest and shoulder muscles.
What is a tear in the pectoralis muscle?
These injuries occur almost exclusively in male athletes. Usually, a tear occurs when the pectoralis muscle is contracted while the muscle is lengthened. Examples include weightlifters during a heavy bench press as the barbell is lowered. Sometimes, a tear occurs after trauma such as a fall onto an outstretched hand ...
What is the name of the large fan-shaped muscle on the chest wall?
Anatomy and function. The pec muscle, also known as pectoralis major, is a large fan-shaped muscle on the chest wall. The muscle contains two heads: a clavicular head arising from the collarbone and a sternal head arising from the sternum bone.
What does it mean when you tear a PEC muscle?
A torn pec muscle: what does it mean for you? A torn pec muscle is a relatively common injury in bodybuilders and gym enthusiasts. In addition, we see pec injuries in certain contact sports such as rugby or after a fall while skiing. It is important to find the location of the tear to better treat the injury.
How to tell if you have a tear in your shoulder?
Typically, the most common symptoms include: an audible pop. pain and swelling at the front of the shoulder. bruising extending down the chest wall and arm. difficulty in moving the arm upwards or across the body. Generally, when a tear occurs, you feel sudden sharp pain and possibly a tearing sensation across the chest.
What is the function of the humerus muscle?
Both heads join together to attach to the upper part of the humerus or upper bone. Generally, the main function of the muscle is to move the arm across your body. In addition, it helps rotate the arm inwards. One example of the two muscles working together is a typical bench press movement or push-up.
Can you continue to move your arm with a PEC tear?
Usually, in more severe tears, you can’t continue with your activity. As bleeding progresses, you develop stiffness and swelling of the chest and weakness in moving the arm upwards and across the body. When examining a person with a suspected pec tear, there is a divet in the outside part of the muscle and weakness with moving the arm across ...
How to treat pectoral muscle pain?
Pectoral Muscle Pain Treatment. Physical therapy treatments are used to decrease pain after injury to your pectoral muscle. Moist heat is often used to increase blood flow to the injured area and help your muscles relax. Electrical stimulation — delivered through pads placed on your pectoral muscle — uses electrical current to decrease pain ...
What exercises can be performed during a pectoral restraining session?
Pushups, chest presses, dumbbell flys and bench presses are examples of pectoral-strengthening exercises that may be performed during your therapy session. To help prevent reinjury, begin with light weights, such as 5-pound dumbbells, when resuming bench presses.
What exercises are used to strengthen a PEC strain?
Strengthening exercises are performed during the pec strain recovery time once you have full range of motion without pain. Dumbbells, elastic bands, wrist-cuff weights and exercise machines are all utilized in therapy for strengthening.
Why does my pectoral muscle tighten up?
After injury, your pectoral muscle may tighten up — a condition called muscle guarding — as the body attempts to protect the area from further injury. Perform stretches to gently lengthen the muscle to reduce this tightness.
What are the three types of range of motion exercises?
Three types of range of motion exercises are common in therapy: passive, active assisted and active. Passive range of motion exercises are performed as the therapist moves your arm while you have it in a relaxed position.
What is Bailey's job?
Bailey is also an Anatomy and Physiology professor and has been writing health and fitness articles for over 10 years. Physical therapy interventions help restore range of motion and function as part of pectoral strain treatment. Muscle strains — also known as pulled muscles — cause tiny tears in your muscle fibers.
How does electrical stimulation work?
Electrical stimulation — delivered through pads placed on your pectoral muscle — uses electrical current to decrease pain and increase blood flow to the injured area. Ultrasound may also be performed over the injury to increase blood flow to deeper structures in the muscle.
What is isometric contraction?
Isometric contractions, where a muscle contracts without changing length, are essential to recovery from a muscle strain. In my case, a full range of motion was painful, but I could’ve tried isometric contractions, holding static contractions at various joint angles that were pain free.
Is overhead press a shoulder exercise?
While the overhead press is largely considered a shoulder and tricep exercise, the pectorals are active and contribute to the movement (11,12). You may need to find alternate ways to load your shoulders, even using ‘blasphemous’ isolation based exercises, until heavier compound exercises are possible. 10.
How to heal a pectoralis tear?
Physical Therapy. I recommend seeing a physical therapist who can evaluate your pec strain. It is important to know the extent of the tear, and see if you need surgery. A physical therapist will help heal and rehab the pectoralis muscle quicker. Stem Cell or PRP Injections.
What happens if you tear your pectoralis?
If you have a full tear/rupture you will have immediate severe pain and disability. You may also hear/feel the tear as it occurs. A full pec tear results in complete loss of muscle function. You will be able to feel a defect or mass near the armpit, and will see a distorted pectoralis muscle.
How long does it take for a PEC tear to heal?
The good thing is that a Grade I pec strain should heal fully in 4-6 weeks, and shouldn’t effect your strength. A Grade II partial tear will require more time to heal. Usually 8-12 weeks. A Grade II partial pec tear should really be evaluated by an orthopedic specialist.
What is a grade 3 tear?
Also known as a Grade III tear. A full pec tear also called a pec rupture, is when all muscle fibers are torn/ruptured. This results in a major loss of function. A full pec rupture usually occurs during a one rep max on the bench press. The pectoral muscle can not handle that amount of workload, and tears under the pressure.
What is a PEC strain?
A pec strain is when a small amount of muscle fibers have some micro-tears, resulting in some pain. The main difference from a strain versus a partial or full tear is that you will still have normal function.
What muscle is involved in bench press?
The Pectoralis Major muscle usually tears or ruptures during movements such as the bench press. This is the most common mechanism for a pec tear, but they can also occur during other movements. Pectoralis tears have been becoming more popular due to sports such as Crossfit and MMA.
How do you know if you tore your PEC?
First, I want to say that YOU will know if you fully tore your pec. You will instantly feel and hear the muscle tearing, and then the pec will retract and ball up. This is due to the pectoralis muscle fully ripping from it’s insertion point, your humerus or “upper arm bone”.
What is a grade 1 tear?
Grade 1: a small number of fibers are torn resulting in some pain , but allowing full function. Grade 2: a significant number of fibers are torn with moderate loss of function. Grade 3: all muscle fibers are ruptured resulting in major loss of function. The majority of pectoral strains are grade 2 tears.
What is a tear in the pectoral muscle?
This condition is known as a pectoral strain. Tears to the pectoral muscles can range from a small partial tear whereby there is minimal pain and minimal loss of function, to a complete rupture. Pectoral strains range from a grade 1 to a grade 3 tear and are classified as follows: Grade 1: a small number of fibers are torn resulting in some pain, ...
What muscles do you feel pain when you touch them?
Patients will usually experience pain when firmly touching the affected pectoral muscle and often when attempting to stretch the pectoral muscles or perform activities requiring strong contraction of the pectoral muscles such as pushing activities or taking the arm across the chest against resistance.
What is it called when the pectoral muscles tear?
When this tension is excessive due to too much repetition or high force, one or more of the pectoral muscles can tear. This condition is known as a pectoral strain.
What is a pectoral strain?
A pectoral strain is a condition characterised by partial or complete tearing of one or more of the pectoral (chest) muscles. It typically occurs during a forceful contraction of the pectoral muscles, often when they are in a position of stretch (e.g. performing a heavy bench press).
How to diagnose a pectoral strain?
A thorough subjective and objective examination from a physiotherapist is usually sufficient to diagnose a pectoral strain. Further investigations such as an X-Ray, Ultrasound, CT scan or MRI scan may be required to confirm diagnosis, rule out other conditions and assess the severity of injury.
Why does my pectoral tendon strain?
A pectoral strain often occurs suddenly due to a high force going through the muscle and tendon beyond what it can withstand. This typically occurs during weight training especially when performing a bench press, chest press or pectoral flys (especially with free weights).
How to heal a torn pectoral muscle?
Once the pain and swelling of your injury have been significantly reduced, begin exercises for torn pectoral muscles under the guidance your physical therapist.
How to get back from a PEC tear?
There are several exercises you can do to help get back from a pec tear. A chest muscle tear or pec tear can potentially limit not only your workouts and sporting activities, but also your capacity to perform everyday activities. The good news is, exercises can help.
How to strengthen pectoral muscles after shoulder surgery?
Wrist weights, light dumbbells and low tensioned exercise bands are generally used for shoulder flexion exercises to slowly improve the strength of your pectoral muscles after a tear. Perform three sets of 15 repetitions of strengthening exercises. Slowly increase the resistance depending on your rate of progress.
How to do chest flies?
Chest Presses and Chest Flies 1 Hold a small dumbbell in each hand. 2 Perform chest presses by lying flat on your back on an exercise bench and raising the dumbbells directly above the center of your chest; your palms should be facing away from you. 3 Lower the dumbbells toward your shoulders, keeping your elbows bent out to the side. 4 Press the dumbbells back up for one repetition and repeat for one set. 5 Rest your muscles for one minute then lie back down again; this time, make your palms face each other. 6 Lower the dumbbells by opening your arms and bending your elbows as if to welcome somebody with a hug. 7 Flex your shoulders to bring the dumbbells back over your chest and repeat for one set.
How to reduce swelling in PECs?
Place a cold pack over your pecs after each rehab session of exercises to reduce swelling and inflammation that may result from your routine. Keep the ice pack on the area for 15 minutes. Advertisement.
How to stretch a chest muscle?
To perform a passive chest muscle strain stretch, simply lie flat on your back; then raise the arm with the injured muscle above your head so it is in a straight line with your body. For an active stretch, stand near the hinge of a doorway. Grasp the hinge using the arm of your injured muscle.
How to warm up for PEC?
Warmup for Pec Rehab Exercises. Warm up before your rehab exercises. Begin each session with a hot pack placed over your injury for 10 minutes. Heat increases blood circulation and the temperature of the muscles, tendons and ligaments so they are more elastic and plastic. This means you can stretch and strengthen your tissues with less pain, ...
