Excercises for pulled chest muscles

• By SaraMeeks
• Posted August 26, 2008 at 7:38 pm
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How did you do this?
First of all, when you have an injury, please do not do exercise or movement that aggravates the pain. REST is the first principle of healing. Next, icing the area with an ice pack or ice massage will help reduce inflammation and pain. For an ice pack, nothing (for me) beats a plastic bag with ice cubes wrapped in a wet kitchen towel. Keep ice on for 10 mins or so. After the first 3 days, switch to MOIST heat if that feels good; otherwise, stick to ice.
I'd need more details to say more.

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• By Tricia2
• Posted August 26, 2008 at 9:47 pm
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Sara, thanks for the reply. Of course I've been fighting sore muscles ever since I have had the compression fractures in my back. How I did the chest muscles - I had picked up one of my display shelves(not heavy) at a show a couple weeks ago and pulled a muscle in my right side and then did alot of reaching up all weekend. I think it just aggravated all the muscles that I haven't used for quite awhile. My back has started feeling better and then I did this, so it feels like I'm back at square one. I did rest for a few days and used the ice packs for a couple days and then changed to heat. My chest still hurts, but I'm not having the spasms like before. So I guess time and rest is probably the best thing. Tricia

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• By Lynn_Smit
• Posted August 27, 2008 at 5:05 am
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hello Tricia
Sara and you are absolutely right on the rest period and ice/heat method. now that the spasms are subsiding, you can try the Pilates - "open arms and chest" exercise to get the chest muscles functional and flexible again. it is slow movements and take your time. time is the operative word here. wish you well.

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• By MotherGoose
• Posted August 27, 2008 at 8:08 am
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How long has this been going on?
When was your "injury"?
Did you see a doctor? Have you had Xrays? Including lateral views?
Use your best posture and be especially careful about safe movements -- such as no bending or rotation of the spine -- avoid actions that aggravate or bring on the pain. Lie down in a comfortable position with as flat a back as possible -- knees and hips bent -- several times a day. be careful about keeping a straight back when actually lying down or getting up by log rolling.
Good luck!
Lucy Buckley PT

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• By Tricia2
• Posted August 27, 2008 at 11:20 am
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Thanks everyone!!! I rested alot yesterday and went to bed early last nite and actually woke up feeling alot better today. Still a little sore, but at least I can function now. Just talking before was a strain on those muscles.
My injury started a year ago when I seen a chiropracter and not knowing that I had brittle bones, he broke 4 verterbraes in my back. Then our ER misdiagnosed me and doctors didn't know what to do with me. (Our medical community isn't the greatest here, all the good docs have left this area because our hospital won't work with them.) After those first 4 verterbrae, alot more ended up having compression fractures in them.
Finally one doc recommended the Reclast IV, and I've been getting better day by day, but of course the muscles need to work out to where they were before. I did have PT alot, but of course my insurance covered only so much. I do walk alot, which helps tremendously and I still do some of my PT excercises with small weights. I guess maybe I should do them a little more to get these muscles working better.
I want to be able to get off of my narcotics and muscle relaxers as soon as I can(I have cut way back on them). I have my own business of quilting, so I need to work too. When I injure a muscle, it really throws me off cause I hate just sitting or laying or trying to relax. I'm a busy person and hate down time.
I'm trying to work more on my posture and I do the log rolling when getting up and down. I'll start trying the Pilates excercise today since I'm feeling a bit better and try to rest when I need it. Again thanks to everyone who replied. I love this message board for info.

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• By SaraMeeks
• Posted August 28, 2008 at 5:14 am
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If you like, you could contact me privately at sara@sarameekspt.com and I'll send you instructions for my Re-Alignment Routine, the "Fab Four" exercises for resting, re-aligning and strengthening the back--good especially when injured.

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• By nobonesaboutit
• Posted August 29, 2008 at 9:08 am
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I know your pain. I have had trouble with the chest muscles after unknowingly breaking ribs (after coughing or sneezing). The pain also happens with compression fractures. One of the worst chest pains I have had was when I broke my breast bone in a fall-it felt like I could not breathe. Is it possible you also broke ribs with the reaching you did all weekend? As someone suggested above-maybe you should have x-rays to know what you are really dealing with for sure. It's hard to distinguish on your own where the injury is as we get a lot of referred pain to other areas. Good luck

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• By MamaMarks
• Posted August 31, 2009 at 11:15 am
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Tricia2~

Hey girlfriend,

Rest and ice! I know it's really hard to just sit around and do nothing but rest, but your body needs it right now. Find a good sitting position in a reclining chair and knit or crochet without having to put strain on your chest muscles. When you get up out of that chair, be careful of not straining the chest muscles. You also have your fractured breast bone that you're dealing with, so you do need to rest that area and give it some time. Try to think consciously on how you are moving your upper torso while you are doing things which can cause more injury or inflame those muscles that are having issues. Sometimes muscles just need some rest then once they start healing you can start with small exercises and build up.

You are like me, you try to do too much at one time and it drives us nuts just sitting around idle! When I broke my pelvis 3 years ago I was down for 6 days and I thought I would go bonkers. Once PT got me up out of bed, I was off, rather gimpy, but off none-the-less then I made a mistake of walking down to my bottom property with my walker and proceeded to drag a water hose behind me to water my plants. I felt my pelvis re-fracture! Because I was on Dilaudid at the time, it numbed the pain, so I thought I could do more. Needless to say, it set me back another week. So please, just rest. Get some good books, watch movies, knit or crochet, email me, whatever! :)

Take care,

I hope everyone's advice is helpful. The resources here are phenomenal.

Cyn

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