Anyone else experience painful muscle flareups after a hard workout?

[cjobson]

I've noticed that about 1-3 days after lifting heavy (chest usually), I experience random muscle flare-ups in my chest that are very very painful. Like I have to stop what I'm doing and just try to breathe to get through it.
For example..I did a pretty hardcore chest/shoulder workout on Sunday, rested Monday, did a heavy arm workout yesterday, and last night I was opening my dog's crate and I felt like a huge wave of pain wash over me in the chest. It kind of radiated up to my jaw and down to my abs (I did a heavy ab workout too). There will be one big painful wave, then it'll subside, and sometimes if I move my arms in a certain way/even bend down/breathe a certain way it'll spike again, and then eventually subside. Last night after it occurred I took an ibuprofen before bed, and then I woke up in the middle of the night not with the chest pain but my abs were extremely sore and crampy. Thankfully I was able to go back to sleep after fidgeting around a bit. But today my abs are just sore, which is expected, but the chest is fine other then some soreness.

What could this be?! I don't think that it is cardiac..but I did speak to a cardiologist about it and she's been putting me through a few precautionary tests (stress test, etc) to be safe. But does anyone else experience these? It's kind of nerve-wrecking when it involves the chest. My HR doesn't speed up or anything so I really think that it is musculoskeletal.

[Britanica]

You could have a minor back injury. Sometimes with back issues, they can be felt on the chest. I get this from my shoulders. When they are tender, swollen, or sore, my breathing actually feels shallow and I get chest pains. I normally only experience cramping or muscle "burning" after a heavy workout. I don't lift much, I just use my own body weight.

[cjobson]

You could have a minor back injury. Sometimes with back issues, they can be felt on the chest. I get this from my shoulders. When they are tender, swollen, or sore, my breathing actually feels shallow and I get chest pains. I normally only experience cramping or muscle "burning" after a heavy workout. I don't lift much, I just use my own body weight.

Interesting....I can't pinpoint where I'd have gotten a back injury, though. And my back doesn't hurt at all, besides the mild soreness after back day that I experience. No crazy muscle spasms back there though.

[Bieke]

Are you sure it's not DOMS? A few years ago I had a very memorable case of DOMS that left me unable to walk for almost a week...these days I get it about once a week in a muscle I've worked particularly hard..right now it's my hammies Luckily my body is used to it these days, heh.

[cjobson]

Are you sure it's not DOMS? A few years ago I had a very memorable case of DOMS that left me unable to walk for almost a week...these days I get it about once a week in a muscle I've worked particularly hard..right now it's my hammies Luckily my body is used to it these days, heh.

I've thought that maybe it could be DOMS, but the thing that gets me is that it is literally a wave of pain, not soreness. I've experienced DOMS numerous times in the chest area where I get this pain and it definitely isn't nearly as painful. Usually it just contributes to it, lol. Interesting thought though.