Strain in back need advice

[wildbillhickok]

Recently got back into working out. I'm always fit and strong but anyways. I think I pulled a muscle in my back. First it hurt in my back then it hurt for sure on the front top of my peck now it's back to being sore in my back. It's been about 10 days. Did some light pull ups yesterday and went to the trampoline park with my nephew and it's back to being sore.

Been icing it everytime I relax and chill out. I was deadlifting and getting a pump in but I also smacked the crap outa a punching bag. It's my left side and I'm right side dominant so I think the bag did it. Anyone know what's going on ???

[wildbillhickok]

I'm 29 too and pretty resilient.

[wildbillhickok]

Would really like some insight from you guys. It's not that bad and it seems like working it helps it out until the next day.

[SuffolkPunch]

Your back is a pretty large area - which part do you mean?

Usually people hurt their lower back - but if it transfers to pec then it could be upper back or even shoulder related.

My first instinct is that it came from (or was exacerbated by) hitting a bag. Fast jerky movements are often the thing that triggers a problem. Smooth full range bodybuilding movements (by and large) help to fix such problems although they need to be balanced out around each joint.

[wildbillhickok]

Your back is a pretty large area - which part do you mean?

Usually people hurt their lower back - but if it transfers to pec then it could be upper back or even shoulder related.

My first instinct is that it came from (or was exacerbated by) hitting a bag. Fast jerky movements are often the thing that triggers a problem. Smooth full range bodybuilding movements (by and large) help to fix such problems although they need to be balanced out around each joint.

Thanks for replying. I have never hurt myself from lifting. But I have also never puncheds anything with my left hand. I was going full force on the bags. All my street fights were right hand wind ups and that's it. As in I don't fight at all.

The pain is right behind the shoulder blade and uptop of the pec in front and I can feel when I breath in. Transferring to the armpit sometimes

Should I stretch it? It's coming up on two weeks. Seems like I can do some push ups and it makes it feel a little better but then doesn't seem to go away. I want to get back into the gym soon.

[SuffolkPunch]

It does sound like one of the small muscles that support the shoulder. This is a tricky area and really, the only sensible answer is to consult a physio.

In the meantime, keep moving, do stuff that doesn't cause shooting pains. If you get soreness (DOMS) after exercising and that 'pulls on' the problem area, it's not necessarily bad, it's just uncomfortable.

You can try some basic shoulder isolations as a kind of scattergun approach to see if that helps the area:
- band pullaparts or reverse DB flys leaning forward on a bench - smooth movement, squeeze and hold at the end
- overhead shrugs (with barbell or DBs) - really focus on moving the scapulae up and down smoothly
- facepulls
- cuban rotations

[wildbillhickok]

It's defiantly not Dom's but I miss bring able to get that pump. The soreness I get after I have tried to move is is kinda like a shooting pain the next day. When I move weird I kinda make a weird noise like a moan and everyone looks at me. Kinda like a tiger moaning but it's not that bad of a pain.

[wildbillhickok]

You think I should take some ibuprofen and keep icing before bed time or just rough it and slowly work into it?

[SuffolkPunch]

ibuprofen will ease the symptoms but doesn't help it heal faster AFAIK.