Torn Pectoral Muscle Causes Treatment Recovery
The pectoral muscle, commonly referred to as ‘pecs’, is located on the front of the chest and is connected via a tendon that attaches to the upper arm/shoulder. A tear in the pectoral muscle is relatively uncommon, however, it can happen during impact sports, weight loading exercises, or as a result of direct trauma.
A torn pectoral muscle will cause a sudden onset of pain in the chest and upper arm/shoulder region and can get worse with movement, deep breathing, or coughing. Following injury the pectoral area may be tender to touch, painful to move, and bruising may present in the subsequent days.
Within this article, we’ll look at common causes, treatment, and recovery for a torn pectoral muscle, as well as recommendations on how you can avoid causing an injury to the pectoral muscle area.
What are the most common causes of torn pectoral muscles?
The most common cause of a torn pectoral muscle is excessive tensile force or loading in a stretched position. This often occurs by a sudden eccentric force which can be from forceful activities, direct trauma, and most commonly, weight training – specifically, weight lifting that involves heavy chest exercises.
For example, during heavy bench press the individual is lying down on their back and the bar is lowered, towards the body and stretching the pectoralis major muscle across the chest. The bar is then lifted, engaging a high level of muscle force. If the weight of the bar puts too much stress while the muscle is outstretched – it can cause the chest pectoral muscle to tear.
What are the most common sports that tear pectoral muscles?
The most common sport that tears pectoral muscles is weight lifting – the injury typically occurs in gym-active men between the ages of 20 and 40.
In saying this, any sport that requires movement of the whole arm, especially in front of the body, will use the pectoral muscle. Pectoral muscles are often used as a secondary support muscle in sports like swimming, baseball, cricket, and basketball. A secondary support muscle means there is a lesser risk of causing a tear. On the other hand, in more forceful activities like football, rugby, wrestling, skiing, gymnastics, martial arts, and weight lifting – the pectoral muscle is often used as the primary muscle, increasing the risk of tearing while playing these sports.
Treatment for a torn pectoral muscle?
Treatment for a torn pectoral muscle will depend on whether it is a partial or full tear.
Partial Tear: Treatment for a partial tear in the pectoral muscle may include the use of a sling and complete rest of the affected area for a period of time. Applying ice, compression, and over-the-counter pain medications following the initial stages of the injury may help ease the pain and any inflammation in the area.
Full Tear: For a full tear of the pectoral muscle, surgery will most likely be needed, followed by extensive rehabilitation to restore strength to a preinjury level. Having surgery within 3 months of the injury will ensure minimal retraction of the tendons and may help reduce scar tissue buildup. Tendon grafts may be used in chronic injuries to reattach the torn tendon.
Before you can get an idea of whether you’re dealing with a partial or full tear, you’ll need to go and see your physio or GP who can provide an accurate diagnosis or order an MRI scan to confirm the extent of the tear and organize an early referral with an orthopedic surgeon to review.
How long does recovery from a torn pectoral muscle take?
Recovery from a torn pectoral muscle will also depend on the degree of the tear. For a partial tear, you can start working with a physiotherapist two to three weeks after the injury to regain strength and mobilisation in the shoulder and arm. Recovering entirely from a partial tear can take up to six to twelve weeks of rest and rehab.
For a full tear, a sling will be worn for the first four to six weeks after surgery, where active and passive exercises will slowly be introduced as the tear begins to repair. After four months, (pending approval from your surgeon and physio) it should be safe to gradually introduce light strength work exercises.
A fully torn pectoral muscle is usually healed six months post surgery and you’ll be able to return to day-to-day activities.
Tips to avoid pectoral muscle tears and strains
As far as weight lifting and sports injuries go, pectoral muscle tears and strains are not super common. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t happen. To avoid pectoral related injuries, it’s important to:
- Warmup: Prepare the muscle and tendon appropriately for whatever you’re doing – whether it be bench press, chest exercises, or gymnastics. Increasing the body and muscle temperature will ensure the muscles are less likely to strain or tear. For example, when it comes to bench presses, start with an empty bar and do 1 to 3 sets of 5 reps to warm up the pectoral area before adding weight.
- Improve range of motion: Often the importance of mobility is overlooked - having a good range of motion will prevent muscle tears and strains of the pectoral muscle. Add stretching exercises to your routine like the above-the-head stretch, doorway stretch, extended child’s pose, and behind-the-back elbow-to-elbow stretch.
- Gradually buildup strength: If you’re new to an exercise or sport – don’t rush into lifting heavy straight away, instead, steadily increase reps and weight at a slow rate. This will avoid injuries while increasing performance across your other sports and activities.
- Listen to your body: Tired muscles are more susceptible to a strain and tear. Giving your body the best chance for recovery will prevent overstretching an area that is not adequately prepared.
Wrapping up
There’s no doubt about it - a torn pectoral muscle is going to be extremely painful and will mean taking a break from the gym or your sport. There is no quick and easy treatment - it’s going to take time to heal. However, by seeing a physiotherapist as soon as possible, a torn or partially torn pectoral muscle can be treated both effectively and efficiently.
NQ Physio Solutions is home to Townsville's leading team of sports and general physiotherapists. If you’re having pain or discomfort in the pectoral area, get in touch with the team at NQ Physio today and get back to the activity or sport you love.