A strained chest muscle may produce intense pain in your chest. A muscle strain issues when your muscle is pulled or ripped.
Intercostal muscle strain is the main cause of 50 per cent of chest pain. There are three layers of intercostal muscles in your chest. These muscles are effective for healing your breath and for maintaining your upper body.
Symptoms of muscle strain in chest
Symptoms of strain in the chest muscle include:
- pain, which may be sharp and intense pull or chronic pain
- swelling
- muscle contractions
- trouble moving the injured area
- pain while breathing
- bruising
Seek medical care if your pain occurs suddenly while you’re involved in vigorous exercise.
Go to the emergency room if the pain increases and it is followed by:
- fainting
- dizziness
- sweating
- racing pulse
- difficulty breathing
- fever
- sleepiness
Some can be lead to serious issues, like a heart attack.
Causes of muscle strain in chest
Chest pain is caused by a strained or pulled muscle usually occurs as a consequence of overuse. When you have lifted something heavy or hurt yourself during physical activities like exercise, playing sports etc.
Activities that may cause strain are:
- Gymnastics
- Playing tennis
- Injuries from sports, car accidents, or other situations
- lifting weights
- falling
- skipping warm-ups
- poor flexibility or athletic conditioning
- muscle weakness
Illness which cause muscle strain in the chest
Certain illnesses also cause muscle strain in the chest. If you’ve recently had a chest cold or bronchitis, you may have strained a muscle while coughing.
Diagnosis
If you’re concerned regarding your chest pain and unsure if it’s a pulled muscle or something else, consult your doctor. Considering your medical history, signs, and activities that may have added to your pain. The doctor will diagnose or treat you better.
The doctor may request tests to find the cause of the strains. These tests may include:
Muscle strain is classified as either acute or chronic:
- Acute strains occur from injuries provided shortly after direct trauma, such as a fall or car accident.
- Chronic strains occur from longer-term activities, such as repeated motions used in sports or certain job tasks.
Strains are classified according to severity:
- Grade 1 represents mild damage to fewer than five percent of muscle fibers.
- Grade 2 means more damage and the muscle isn’t fully torn, but there is a lack of strength and mobility.
- Grade 3 represents a full muscle rupture, which needs surgery.
Muscle Pain in Chest Left Side
If you have pain on the left side of your chest, It can indeed indicate a sign of heart disease or heart attack but for a few situations that not always be the case of heart conditions.
Causes of Muscle Pain in Chest Left Side
Myocarditis
Chest pain can be a sign that your heart muscle is inflamed. Other symptoms include:
- shortness of breath
- abnormal heart beat (arrhythmia)
- fatigue
Myocarditis can harm your heart’s electrical system, weakening your heart or producing permanent damage to the heart muscle.
Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy is a condition of the heart muscle or enlarged heart. It’s likely to have cardiomyopathy without signs, but one of the signs is chest pain. Other signs are:
- shortness of breath
- dizziness
- heart palpitations
- swelling of ankles, feet, legs, hands abdomen.
- Treatment includes medications, cardiac methods, and surgery.
Pericarditis
The pericardium is the two thin layers of tissue that surround the heart. When these layers are hurt, it can produce a sharp pain on the left side or middle of the chest. It may be smooth and even clear up on its own.
Hiatal hernia
A hiatal hernia is when the top part of your stomach pushes through the large muscle between your abdomen and chest (diaphragm). Symptoms include:
- chest pain
- abdominal pain
- heartburn
Pulled muscles and chest wall injuries
Chest pain can be the outcome of pulled, strained, or sprained muscles in the chest or between the ribs. Any damage to your chest can cause chest pain. This includes:
- bruising of the chest wall
- fractured breastbone (sternum)
- fractured ribs
This sort of injury may also produce pain when you take a deep breath or cough.
If you think you’ve broken a bone, visit us for the best treatment Angleton ER.
Muscle pain in the chest and back
When upper back and chest pain happens, the signs can range depending on the cause or severity. For some, they might experience mild distress while others may have sharp or severe pain. This pain may be one-sided (left or right) or on both sides.
Muscle Pain
Several muscles in the chest and upper back are used collectively while performing actions related to the upper body, for example throwing a ball, lifting weights, painting walls, etc. Muscles in both the chest and upper back can be strained by overuse and heavy lifting at the same time
It is also potential for a muscle strain in the chest to associate pain to the upper back and vice versa.
Muscle Pain in Chest Right Side
Pain in the right side of your chest can occur for several causes, Chest pain on your right side normally isn’t the effect of a heart attack. The chest consists of other organs and muscles that may be hurt or damaged, producing you to feel pain. Any pains you feel are mostly related to muscle strain, infection, stress or anxiety, or other conditions irrelevant to your heart.
Seek immediate medical attention and contact us at Angleton ER.
If you have
- unexpected sharp and difficult chest pain
- feel stress, squeezing, or fullness in your chest
- break out into a cold sweat
- feel weak, dizzy, or nauseous
- have difficulty breathing
Muscle strain in chest treatment
Treatment for mild chest muscle strains requires rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE):
- Rest. Stop activity and rest.
- Ice. Apply ice or a cold pack to the injured area for 20 minutes up to three times a day.
- Compression. Consider wrapping any areas of pain with an elastic bandage but don’t wrap too tightly as it may reduce circulation.
- Elevation. Keep your chest elevated.
Mostly with the home treatment, milf symptoms should subside in a few weeks. You may need pain relievers to reduce your discomfort and pain.
If you have a constant strain, physical therapy and exercises can help you heal or set muscle imbalances.
If still pain is severe, surgery may be required to repair torn muscles.
If your pain or other signs aren’t going away with home treatment, Visit us at Angleton ER.