Pulled, torn chest during bench, recover help?

[Dale338]

Yesterday when doing flat bench, during my third rep at 275, just as the bar was leaving my chest, my left chest, up near my shoulder tore. I was benching alone and somehow still managed to get the bar up. I was thinking I should have just dropped the weights as I knew instantly something had torn. I immediately iced the area, went home and started googling chest tears. Initially I didn't realize that this can be a potential "career" ending injury as heal time and recovery is not assured and can be ongoing for life it at all. I was seriously fucking freaked. I made an appointment with a sports doctor.

However, this morning I get up and do not feel the injury is as serious as I initially thought. I have full range of motion and have pushing strength and the pain is already subsiding greatly. So I'm thinking this was a minor tear. I aborted the doctor visit as we are likely talking $1500-$2000 in exams, xrays and for sure an MRI.

Anyone else have this injury, where it was maybe not severe and how did you handle it? I'm thinking I will give my chest a few weeks, working other areas that do not require pressure on my chest. I plan to massage the tissue and stretch a lot. I guess I won't know about benching for a while. I'll be nervous as hell once I resume. I have read these things reoccur once they happen very easily. Any tips there?

It really sucks, as I was seriously getting back into cut lean shape again. Feeling really good! Then bam this shit happens.

 

[anonymous84912]

I would consider giving it more like 2 months+. A few weeks is not really very long, unless it truly feels 100% back to normal by that point. You do not want to go in too soon and end up re-tearing it and possibly end up tearing it even worse than before since it was already weakened. My .02.

 

[strongsafety41]

I had a similar experience about 1.6 yrs ago. Was doing bench 365 low reps and felt a slight pinch in my delt/pec. It was enough to know that something was wrong. So I skipped chest the next week to recover. Went back to doing chest the following week at 225 for reps and was not planning on going any heavier. While lowering the weight towards my chest I heard a tear and then felt the pain.
Later that day I saw the bruising starting and couldn't push any weight with my right arm. I couldn't even lift my toddler with that arm.

Went to sports med doc he diagnosed me with a partial pec test (layman version forgot his official). He gave me the option of surgery or rest and recovery with PT rehab. I opted against the knife and 1.6 years later I still will not do flat bench. I'm far from being back to where I was before the injury.

Long story short, take the time to get checked out if you can afford it. If not, take the appropriate time off of chest,shoulders and over head work to allow it to heal some. Additionally, refresh your lifting techniques in your sore time. Good luck man.

 

[super8]

I tore my pec exactly a year ago. The very next day I had full range of motion and it wasn't very painful. A few weeks later I ended up getting an MRI and I had a partial pec tear requiring surgery. Once the surgeon opened me up he realized how bad of a tear it actually was. Was torn in the muscle belly, muscle-tendon junction and also the tendon. It required a donor Achilles' tendon to be used to hold everything together. I'm almost ten months post surgery and I still have to go very light on chest day. I basically use 30 pound Dumbbells and do sets of 25. Before surgery I was working out with 110's on flat bench. My pec is permanently weak and fragile. Case in point- don't judge the severity of your pec tear on pain alone. If you research it you'll hear of other people also claiming the lack of severe pain with their tear. Hopefully it's just minor brother but don't convince yourself it is just because you have full range of motion and it doesn't hurt.

 

[penche]

I also had a muscle junction tear roughly 3 yrs ago in the pec area near inner shoulder area. Was doing 300lbs for 6 reps and the last one just killed me. I felt a sharp pain and then the weights and bar came crashing down on me. I had an X-ray & MRI, the doc was one of the best sports doctors in town. He told me it would be a risk to try and mesh the torn muscles together. I didn't tear the tendon. He said it would be like meshing hamburger meat together.

I had no choice but to let it heal by itself, which I did but it took almost 12 to recover from this injury. It was very bad for me. 3 yrs later I train chest heavy only on dumbbells not flat bench.
I do 225lbs heaviest i go in flat bench. However on Dumbbells I go 110lbs each hand.

Op I would seriously consider getting an MRI. You need to find out the extent of the injury. Did you have any internal bleeding black bruises in the chest or arm area?

 

[ebkallday]

Take a few weeks off and research TB-500. Heal up.

 

[Wiltedrose]

I will try to help you as much as I can from what I'm learning in college.

First there are two types of injuries, a SPRAIN and a STRAIN. I'll explain each below:

SPRAIN:
A sprain involves LIGAMENTS, it has three classifications for severity:

Grade 1: It is a MILD stretching or tearing of the collagen fibers, symptoms include: MILD tenderness and swelling, full range of motion/function of the muscle with MILD pain.
Minimal tenderness and swelling.
TREATMENT: Isometric exercises, stretching, working out in full range of motion, and strength exercises as tolerated.

Grade 2: It is a complete tear of SOME collagen fibers, symptoms include: DECRREASED range of motion, MODERATE tenderness and swelling, POSSIBLE instability. Partial loss of function accompanied with pain.
TREATMENT: IMMOBILIZATION of the affected join, LATER on strength training and physical therapy.

Grade 3: It is a COMPLETE tear of ALL collage fibers, symptoms include: SIGNIFICANT tenderness and swelling, INSTABILITY, SEVERE pain, and complete loss of function.
TREATMENT: IMMOBILIZATION, POSSIBLE surgical reconstruction, and longer periods of physical therapy.


STRAIN:
A strain involves MUSCLE tissue, it also has three severity classifications:


Grade 1: A mild strain, only a FEW muscle fibers are stretched or torn, symptoms include: pain, MILD tenderness, strength MAY remain the same.
TREATMENT: 2 - 3 week rest.

Grade 2: A greater number of torn muscle fibers, symptoms include: SEVERE muscle pain and tenderness, MILD swelling, NOTICEABLE loss of strength and SOMETIMES a bruise.
TREATMENT: 3 - 6 week rest.

Grade 3: A COMPLETE tear of the muscle fibers, symptoms include: initial "pop" sensation as the muscle rips into two separate pieces or shears away from its tendon, COMPLETE loss of muscle function, as well as SEVERE pain, swelling, tenderness and DISCOLOURATION. There MAY be an obvious "dent" or "gap" under the skin of the affected area.
TREATMENT: USUALLY require SURGERY to repair the muscle. The rehabilitation time is around 3 months.

Sources used to refresh my knowledge:

Muscle Strains and their Prevention - PhysioRoom.com. (n.d.). Retrieved September 2, 2015, from http://www.physioroom.com/prevention/muscle_strains.php

Sprained Ankle-OrthoInfo - AAOS. (n.d.). Retrieved September 2, 2015, from http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00150


CHEERS

 

[Xlgx]

Completely tore my right pec minor tendon off the bone back in 2006 flat bb benching. Similar to how the OP described his situation. Was leaving to work abroad and never had it surgically repaired. Wish I did ;(

 

[Ozzy619]

I will try to help you as much as I can from what I'm learning in college.

First there are two types of injuries, a SPRAIN and a STRAIN. I'll explain each below:

SPRAIN:
A sprain involves LIGAMENTS, it has three classifications for severity:

Grade 1: It is a MILD stretching or tearing of the collagen fibers, symptoms include: MILD tenderness and swelling, full range of motion/function of the muscle with MILD pain.
Minimal tenderness and swelling.
TREATMENT: Isometric exercises, stretching, working out in full range of motion, and strength exercises as tolerated.

Grade 2: It is a complete tear of SOME collagen fibers, symptoms include: DECRREASED range of motion, MODERATE tenderness and swelling, POSSIBLE instability. Partial loss of function accompanied with pain.
TREATMENT: IMMOBILIZATION of the affected join, LATER on strength training and physical therapy.

Grade 3: It is a COMPLETE tear of ALL collage fibers, symptoms include: SIGNIFICANT tenderness and swelling, INSTABILITY, SEVERE pain, and complete loss of function.
TREATMENT: IMMOBILIZATION, POSSIBLE surgical reconstruction, and longer periods of physical therapy.


STRAIN:
A strain involves MUSCLE tissue, it also has three severity classifications:


Grade 1: A mild strain, only a FEW muscle fibers are stretched or torn, symptoms include: pain, MILD tenderness, strength MAY remain the same.
TREATMENT: 2 - 3 week rest.

Grade 2: A greater number of torn muscle fibers, symptoms include: SEVERE muscle pain and tenderness, MILD swelling, NOTICEABLE loss of strength and SOMETIMES a bruise.
TREATMENT: 3 - 6 week rest.

Grade 3: A COMPLETE tear of the muscle fibers, symptoms include: initial "pop" sensation as the muscle rips into two separate pieces or shears away from its tendon, COMPLETE loss of muscle function, as well as SEVERE pain, swelling, tenderness and DISCOLOURATION. There MAY be an obvious "dent" or "gap" under the skin of the affected area.
TREATMENT: USUALLY require SURGERY to repair the muscle. The rehabilitation time is around 3 months.

Sources used to refresh my knowledge:

Muscle Strains and their Prevention - PhysioRoom.com. (n.d.). Retrieved September 2, 2015, from http://www.physioroom.com/prevention/muscle_strains.php

Sprained Ankle-OrthoInfo - AAOS. (n.d.). Retrieved September 2, 2015, from http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00150


CHEERS

Nice cobtribution to the topic

 

[Wiltedrose]

Nice cobtribution to the topic

I try

 

[Dale338]

Ok, just an update and need help with a few questions. Went to doctor and he examined. His guy=t tells him it's partial tear with the tendon connecting the shoulder chest. Not fully torn as I have full range of motion, no serious bruising occurred etc. but DEFINATELY something amiss in there. Sometimes just pushing up to roll over in bed and I feel the strain, or even just how I hold my arm. It's been two weeks now, feels better, but I'm truly afraid to test it. It's $4000 for the MRI and I have a $7000 K deductible, so that is not an option for me!!

So my question is this, lets say it's a partial tear The tendon is not completed broke away, will it heal over time? Does tendon regrow and attach from the particle tear? Or will it just remain fragile until I have surgery. I have to wait until next year and change my insurance to a lower deductible if that's the case. In the meantime, I'm trying best as I can to workout around it. I can still do some shoulder exercises, arms are ok, no back, can work my core and legs, bumped up cardio. No chance for doing chest. I feel like if I did, it would just blow out all the way. This sucks man, just sucks!!

 

[Wiltedrose]

Ok, just an update and need help with a few questions. Went to doctor and he examined. His guy=t tells him it's partial tear with the tendon connecting the shoulder chest. Not fully torn as I have full range of motion, no serious bruising occurred etc. but DEFINATELY something amiss in there. Sometimes just pushing up to roll over in bed and I feel the strain, or even just how I hold my arm. It's been two weeks now, feels better, but I'm truly afraid to test it. It's $4000 for the MRI and I have a $7000 K deductible, so that is not an option for me!!

So my question is this, lets say it's a partial tear The tendon is not completed broke away, will it heal over time? Does tendon regrow and attach from the particle tear? Or will it just remain fragile until I have surgery. I have to wait until next year and change my insurance to a lower deductible if that's the case. In the meantime, I'm trying best as I can to workout around it. I can still do some shoulder exercises, arms are ok, no back, can work my core and legs, bumped up cardio. No chance for doing chest. I feel like if I did, it would just blow out all the way. This sucks man, just sucks!!

No need for surgery if it's only partially torn (unless it's a special case). My guess is that they'll give you/prescribe you a physical therapy program to help speed up the healing process and strength the tendon.

Cheers and best of luck!