pulled muscle

September 2, 2005 6:49 AM

Pulled Muscle, ouch, what do I do?

I am not sure how but I pulled a muscle in my left chest area and now various position shifts (leaning forward) are quite painful. I just tried taking a bath in epsom salts. While it did relax it a bit, it is still quite acute. Any suggestions? Prognosis?

posted by blueyellow to health & fitness (13 comments total)

Rest, don't strain it.

That's about it - possibly ibuprofen gel to help with any swelling but... rest up. Let it heal.
posted by snowgoon at 7:25 AM on September 2, 2005

yeah you gotta wait it out.
posted by alkupe at 7:42 AM on September 2, 2005

Ice. Ice is a natural anti-inflamatory. 20 min on/20 min off.

Bonus it doesn't irritate your stomach.
Don't apply ice directly - put it in some layer of cloth.
posted by filmgeek at 7:46 AM on September 2, 2005

1M strength homeopathic arnica as directed on the tube, also rub arnica cream or oil on the muscle.
posted by brujita at 8:01 AM on September 2, 2005

Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.
posted by ikkyu2 at 8:13 AM on September 2, 2005

More information on homeopathy.
posted by grouse at 8:19 AM on September 2, 2005

I am only speaking for myself, but alternative therapies have helped me more than western medicine. My hay fever would always turn into upper respiratory infections; I was also constantly getting bladder infections because the antibiotic which killed one kind of bacteria would not treat another.

These have become much less frequent since I was treated by a homeopath. Most of the time, the itching in my throat will be relieved by the allergy remedy and the UTI's are nipped in the bud by the cystitis remedy( and do not immediately recur) I also see an acupuncturist.

I agree that there are those who are helped more by Western medical treatment.
posted by brujita at 10:11 AM on September 2, 2005

Two things to think about from an RN with trauma experience...

1) Are you male, under 45, tall and thin? If so, and you're having a little difficulty breathing along with this, you may have suffered a primary spontaneous pneumothorax instead of a pulled muscle. These often occur with no physical activity, and some can heal by themselves while others need treatment. Even if you're not having a lot of respiratory distress, it's possible you have one.

2) If it is indeed a muscle strain, there's not much you can do on your own except take NSAIDs (ibuprofen and naproxen). You can also alternate ice and heat in 20 minute cycles. The chest muscles take a long time to heal because they're constantly in use and never get a chance to completely rest.

It might be a good idea to see a physician if you're in quite a bit of distress. You can get a prescription for muscle relaxants that aren't available over the counter, and he/she can also rule out a spontaneous pneumo if there's any question about that.
posted by lambchop1 at 10:19 AM on September 2, 2005

lambchop1: thanks very much for the info! I am pretty average (height and weight) and my breathing seems the same, so I am guessing (luckily) that it is not some kind of lung collapse.

The pain is very distinctive, in the sense that particular movements activate/exacerbate it, and seems to be localized around my ribcage. You say that chest muscles take a long time to heal, is that days, weeks or months for a pull?
posted by blueyellow at 10:56 AM on September 2, 2005

Does this happen a lot? If it does, maybe incorporating a 5-10 minute stretching regimen in the morning will help prevent these strains in the future.
posted by PurplePorpoise at 1:31 PM on September 2, 2005

Try stretching now, using some of these exercises. It'll hurt while you're doing it but you should feel relief afterwards. Everytime I strain or pull a muscle when I'm working out I just visit my trainer for a good stretch session. My recovery time is cut by half or more...
posted by MeetMegan at 1:43 PM on September 2, 2005

Save the stretching and the heat until the healing is well along. You will likely do more damage than good. Rest, ice, and judicious use of anti-inflammatories as others have said are the way to go.
posted by Manjusri at 3:21 PM on September 2, 2005

Im impressed. The stretch definitely lessened the pain. Any idea why it works?
posted by blueyellow at 4:36 PM on September 2, 2005