Weightlifters have to watch out for injuring their pectoral muscles
Q. I was working out last week and felt a painful tearing sensation in my right shoulder and upper chest. I went to urgent care and X-rays were negative. I was told I had a strain and I was given a sling.
The pain has improved, but I still have a lot of bruising and swelling in the front of my shoulder and upper chest. Other then the swelling, I don’t notice any deformity. How long should I rest and when will I be able to do my normal workout routine?
A. A common injury that occurs while lifting heavy weights is an injury to the pectoralis major muscle. The muscle originates across your chest and then becomes a tendon that attaches to the bone in the upper part of shoulder.
The muscle is important for the strength to bring your arm across your body. If the tendon is torn from the bone, surgery is usually necessary to restore normal function and appearance.
If the tear only involves the muscle, surgery is not usually effective. In that case, physical therapy aimed at restoring normal shoulder motion and a gradual strengthening program is the recommended treatment.
With some muscle injuries, there may be a permanent deformity that remains.
I recommend you see an orthopedic surgeon to establish the extent of your injury and determine what treatment is best for you now. An MRI scan of the shoulder and chest may be helpful in establishing the severity and site of this injury.
Dr. Harlan Selesnick is team physician of the Miami Heat and director of Miami Sports Medicine Fellowship, Doctors Hospital. Send your questions to HarlanS@baptisthealth.net
