Pec strain? 4+ year nagging injury

[endurancell]

Some history: Back in summer of 2012 I got injured to the point of no longer being able to work out. Shoulders were messed up, right hip, etc. Saw a ton of doctors, had a ton of x-rays and MRI's, all that revealed was torn labrums in both shoulders and torn labrum in right hip + a ton of tendonitis/bursitis in each joint.

Had both shoulders fixed with the labral repair surgery which only turned out to be arthroscopies because the tears were so minor. Right now i'm 7 weeks out of surgery on the right shoulder, been doing PT and everything. The shoulder/pec/everything on the right side didn't feel much different post-op so i'm assuming it will get better over the next 5 weeks because after 3 months things should be perfect. Got the green light to do light workouts from my PT so I went to the gym yesterday and in my routine I did only one push movement, machine shoulder press with 30lbs for sets of 12 and up. First time doing any pushing movements in a gym in 4 years, as pulling movements didn't aggravate my shoulder as much. Felt a slight tweak in the gym


When I got home it got a lot worse, it felt like just like it did on the day I had to stop lifting 4 years ago. A very tight pulling feeling with pain and discomfort across the whole right pec, into the shoulder. No idea what it could be. It feels like theres a strand of muscle that is being tugged and is so tight it needs to pop (like that feeling you get in your knuckles). My right sternocleidomastoid (front neck muscle) is even tight when I tilt my head back and left. Sometimes when i turn my torso a certain way or stretch it out, theres a slight crackling where the pec major inserts towards the center of both pecs. I've had an MRI of my brachial plexus before which showed nothing but the report said that there could be a thoracic impingement syndrome if nothing else is noted.


Stretching does nothing but makes it more tender and painful, the feeling is extremely uncomfortable and distracting, no idea what it could be or what kind of scan or DR could diagnose it but Im seeing my PT tomorrow morning for a session so i'll mention it to him. Anyone have any idea or similar experience?

[anonymous]

Some history: Back in summer of 2012 I got injured to the point of no longer being able to work out. Shoulders were messed up, right hip, etc. Saw a ton of doctors, had a ton of x-rays and MRI's, all that revealed was torn labrums in both shoulders and torn labrum in right hip + a ton of tendonitis/bursitis in each joint.

Had both shoulders fixed with the labral repair surgery which only turned out to be arthroscopies because the tears were so minor. Right now i'm 7 weeks out of surgery on the right shoulder, been doing PT and everything. The shoulder/pec/everything on the right side didn't feel much different post-op so i'm assuming it will get better over the next 5 weeks because after 3 months things should be perfect. Got the green light to do light workouts from my PT so I went to the gym yesterday and in my routine I did only one push movement, machine shoulder press with 30lbs for sets of 12 and up. First time doing any pushing movements in a gym in 4 years, as pulling movements didn't aggravate my shoulder as much. Felt a slight tweak in the gym


When I got home it got a lot worse, it felt like just like it did on the day I had to stop lifting 4 years ago. A very tight pulling feeling with pain and discomfort across the whole right pec, into the shoulder. No idea what it could be. It feels like theres a strand of muscle that is being tugged and is so tight it needs to pop (like that feeling you get in your knuckles). My right sternocleidomastoid (front neck muscle) is even tight when I tilt my head back and left. Sometimes when i turn my torso a certain way or stretch it out, theres a slight crackling where the pec major inserts towards the center of both pecs. I've had an MRI of my brachial plexus before which showed nothing but the report said that there could be a thoracic impingement syndrome if nothing else is noted.


Stretching does nothing but makes it more tender and painful, the feeling is extremely uncomfortable and distracting, no idea what it could be or what kind of scan or DR could diagnose it but Im seeing my PT tomorrow morning for a session so i'll mention it to him. Anyone have any idea or similar experience?

May I ask what kind of labrum tear you're dealing with? Seems very early to be returning to the gym at 7 weeks.

[ToPHeR35]

**** brah me too!

Injured both shoulders last year then found out both hip labrums shredded. Microfracture on 1 and 4 anchor tear the other. 12 weeks total of crutches. Now i think i tore both wrist ligaments because of the crutches. Now have to decide do i do shoulders or wrists next?

We gonna make it?

[endurancell]

May I ask what kind of labrum tear you're dealing with? Seems very early to be returning to the gym at 7 weeks.

As i mentioned, it was a very minor tear so there were no sutures or anchors, they just cleaned the frays and pretty much 'cauterized' it.


But even for a full labrum tear PT begins 2-5 days post op..

[endurancell]

**** brah me too!

Injured both shoulders last year then found out both hip labrums shredded. Microfracture on 1 and 4 anchor tear the other. 12 weeks total of crutches. Now i think i tore both wrist ligaments because of the crutches. Now have to decide do i do shoulders or wrists next?

We gonna make it?

**** i remember you from my old injury threads about the shoulders lol. So you did the surgeries for the hips? How was the recovery man, I'm considering mine but just don't have the time to be held up for weeks in bed

[anonymous]

As i mentioned, it was a very minor tear so there were no sutures or anchors, they just cleaned the frays and pretty much 'cauterized' it.


But even for a full labrum tear PT begins 2-5 days post op..

Yes, bankart > 4 months, SLAP > 4-6 months (general guidelines) bankart is usually slow in terms of bench pressing due to anterior stability, SLAP peel back type movements are limited (power clean) in addition to heavy biceps loading

The kind of labrum tear is of the utmost importance when determining when to allow and what to allow (lifting movements) and depending on the zones of labrum resected may have an impact on anterior stability (which may cause pain during pressing movements)

[endurancell]

Yes, bankart > 4 months, SLAP > 4-6 months (general guidelines) bankart is usually slow in terms of bench pressing due to anterior stability, SLAP peel back type movements are limited (power clean) in addition to heavy biceps loading

The kind of labrum tear is of the utmost importance when determining when to allow and what to allow (lifting movements) and depending on the zones of labrum resected may have an impact on anterior stability (which may cause pain during pressing movements)

It was a bankart and the scan that revealed it said it was an "anterior/inferior" tear then the surgeon said once he got in the shoulder it was a VERY minor tear, also its not even the shoulder that is in pain right now after doing those light machine shoulder presses. Its the pec really, but it feels like its coming from where the pec major originates (in the shoulder area) to where it attaches on the center of the sternum. Its only the top portion of the pec that is affected too

I wasn't even doing a chest press, Im guessing whatever the problem is gets irritated by any pushing movement because it may have recruited some upper pec fibers. The shoulder joint isn't in great pain and the joint isn't catching or anything so i don't think I re-tore it

[ToPHeR35]

**** i remember you from my old injury threads about the shoulders lol. So you did the surgeries for the hips? How was the recovery man, I'm considering mine but just don't have the time to be held up for weeks in bed

Originally i was told we could do them 6 weeks apart. But then the right was worse than expected 5 anchor and a microfracture. That meant 8 weeks crutches no weight. Got off crutches dec 1 but messed uo my wrists from relying on them so much to get around. The crutches were the hardest part. Had the 2nd one done feb 1 only a 4 anchor tear LOL but no Mf so only 2 weeks crutches. I felt amazing after I got off them but tweaked it at 4 weeks going uo the stairs. I think its a hip flexor like back side of adductor. Freaked out and got a follow up mri which shows rectus femorus "edema" or swelling and irregularities on the labrum but that could just be the anchors from surgery. Im progressing great in PT but the adductor still acting up. Got a 3 month follow up next week so well see....


Get it sooner than later so you dont cause more damage. Mine was bad for a while and i didnt knownit until it just gave out and thus the MF. MRI is so inaccurate. Problem is you got the shoulders done first so you gotta wait so they can heal before using crutches . That was my dilemma. Wouldn have been fine if it was only 2 weeks but 8 weeks destroyed me since I never used crutches before.

[tom3446]

I experienced years of shoulder pain and injuries until I started doing farmers walks. Just pick up very heavy dumbells and walk. It's unlike any other exercise, even deadlifts. For some reason I think it stimulates the proper stabilizers that wouldn't activate in my shoulders doing other exercises. I've had very messed up shoulders and for some reason if I consistently do them my shoulders feel "fixed". Good luck with the injury, it's worth a shot to try yourself.