Pulled pectoral muscles can be uncomfortable and extremely painful. The most common cause of this type of injury is from heavy lifting. Something as simple as moving your arm can be painful when you strain the pectoral. You can nurse your pulled pectoral muscles back to health using the a variety of treatments.
Get Plenty of Rest
Rest is one of the most important treatments for a pulled pectoral muscle. In most cases 3 days is plenty of resting time, but it could be more depending on the severity of the strain. Refrain from doing any lifting during the healing process. The pectorals are used in all arm movements, so it is very important that you do not attempt to lift heavy objects.
Use Ice
When you pull a pectoral muscle, it is important that you put ice on it immediately, applying it to the affected area for 10 to 15 minutes. It helps to repeat this process every hour for the first 2 days. Use a towel or washcloth under the ice pack if it feels too cold on your skin.
Gentle Stretching
As long as you don't overdo it, stretching can cut a whole day off of the healing process. To stretch your pectoral muscle, stand in a doorway and place your palms on each side of it. Make sure your arms are at 90-degree angles and slowly start to lean forward. When you feel your muscles starting to stretch, stop and hold for 20 to 30 seconds. Your body will let you know how much stretching is too much. If it becomes painful, then take a break and try again in 5 hours.
Taking Medication
Using an anti-inflammatory medicine will ease the pain and help prevent inflammation. Begin taking this as soon as you pull the muscle. Take one or two tablets every 6 hours until the muscle has made a full recovery.
Use a Heating Pad
Heat is almost as important as ice when it comes to treating a pulled muscle. This step does not need to be started until the day after the injury occurred. Place the heating pad on the affected area for 15 minutes at a time. Do this once every 2 hours. The heating pad should be alternated with the ice packs. Each hour that you are not applying heat, you should apply ice.
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