How to quickly recover from a pectoral muscle strain

Nowadays, most people pay special attention to fitness, especially men, who often go to the gym to exercise in their spare time. However, if the operation is not done correctly, muscle strain may easily occur, which is why it is recommended that everyone should exercise with the accompaniment of a professional. If you accidentally strain your pectoral muscles, you must take timely treatment measures to avoid further deterioration of the situation.

Stop exercising

If you strain your chest muscles during exercise, stop training immediately to avoid further stress or exertion on the strained area to prevent the strain from worsening.

Determining the severity of the injury

After a strain, you can first make a simple injury assessment to confirm the severity. If the pain is not very strong and it is just a mild strain, you can use the following methods to deal with it. However, after the strain, there will be severe pain and tearing sensation, local swelling, deformation, tendon rupture and other serious injuries, so you should seek medical examination and treatment in time.

Cold compress

Apply cold compress immediately after a chest muscle strain to relieve the severe pain. The cold stimulation will reduce local blood circulation, reduce exudation, prevent swelling, and avoid expanding the scope of injury.

Specific method: Rinse the area with cold water or wrap ice cubes in a towel and place them on the sprained area.

Compression bandage

After the cold compress, you can apply pressure bandage to help reduce local swelling. When bandaging, it is best to choose an elastic bandage and bandage it evenly on the injured area. It should also be noted that the local blood circulation should be checked frequently after bandaging. If tingling, numbness or cyanosis of the skin occurs, it means that the bandage is too tight. Loosen it appropriately and bandage it again.

Heat

You cannot apply hot compress within 24 hours of pectoral muscle strain, only cold compress. However, you can switch to hot compress after 24-72 hours, which can promote absorption and recovery. Because the normal blood flow to the strained abdominal muscles is too tense and lacking, the muscles are prone to lack of oxygen and glucose. Hot compress can improve blood flow and promote the healing of long-term tense muscle tissue.

Method: Wrap a hot water bottle with a towel or apply a towel soaked in hot water to the strained muscle for 10 minutes, several times a day.

massage

By massaging the strained area, it helps speed up blood circulation, promote blood coagulation, reduce muscle spasms, improve pain, relax muscles, fight inflammation and relieve discomfort. It should be noted that the massage force should not be too strong, and massage should not be performed within 24 hours of the strain. Immediate massage can easily rupture the capillaries in the strained area and aggravate the injury. Method: When massaging the strained area, it is recommended to mainly push, rub, and gently pinch, or use a foam roller to relax and stretch the muscles.

Apply plaster

There are now some plasters specifically for treating muscle strains, activating blood circulation and reducing swelling, which can be applied to relieve pain. However, it should be noted that it is not advisable to apply a plaster right after a strain, so as to avoid making the swelling and pain after the muscle strain more severe. It is best to apply it after 24 or 48 hours.

Stretch

After the strain has recovered to 80%, you can do some shallow stretching. At this time, a moderate amount of stretching can keep the muscles flexible and prevent cramps. Start two to three times a day and hold the stretch for 15-20 seconds, breathing deeply.

Stretching recommendations:

Method: The stretcher stands on both feet, keeps the forearm of one arm on a fixed object, and then slowly presses the center of gravity of the body forward to stretch the pectoralis major muscle. Hold this position for 15 seconds, and then switch to the other side.

Note: Even the gentlest stretching should be done only after the muscles have almost recovered. The stretching movements should be small and slow, and the time should be short. Do not overdo it to avoid causing greater discomfort to the muscles. When stretching, be sure to pay attention to whether the injured part is painful. If it is painful, stop stretching and continue to rest.

Diet

During the recovery stage of a strain, you can eat more high-protein foods, such as lean meat, eggs, milk, legumes, as well as fresh vegetables and fruits, to help the recovery of strained muscles. It is best not to eat spicy, stimulating, raw or cold food.