Pectoralis Major Tears/Repairs - Manhattan Physical Therapy

If a pectoralis major tear has become a steady ache and a restricted schedule in your life, there is hope. You are the first step to regaining a life free from pain and other health-related complications. Our clinic provides optimized management for traumatic and/ or pathological lesions of the pectoralis major muscle, offered by our professional teams and achieving high outcomes.

Ever think you could jump, pull, or work out without any holds barred? Let’s keep up with these lines and make a significant improvement in our lives, getting back to the normal routine. If only we shed tears over sports, weightlifting, or an accident; then our writers are here to assist you. Don’t delay your opportunity to take the first step towards relief!

Get to us on the phone on the number (680)-208-3884 or through the usual business days and hours. Get ready to brighten your life with wellness-focused movement to regain mobility and freedom.

What is the Pectoralis Major?

The pectoralis major is a large, fan-shaped muscle located in the chest. It spans from the sternum and clavicle to the humerus, playing a crucial role in movements such as pushing, lifting, and rotating the arm. Given its extensive use in various physical activities, the pectoralis major is susceptible to injuries, especially tears.

Causes and Symptoms of Pectoralis Major Tears

• Weightlifting: While lifting weight during bench pressing or with the wrong posture, the muscle can get overloaded.

• Sports Injuries: Tears are likely to occur in contact sports such as football or involve forceful movements such as a sports activity.

• Accidents: It can also be directly traumatized by a direct blow or fall on the area or receive falls, which can also significantly harm the muscle.

The symptoms of a pectoralis major tear are often immediate and include:

• Sharp Pain: Unpredictable severe sharp stress pain in the thorax or the upper arm.

• Swelling and Bruising: Skin changes that can be observed, namely, edema and hematomas in the chest and arm areas.

• Weakness: Inability to do push or lift actions/copying motions that are difficult or impossible to make.

• Deformity: Fullness, protuberance, indentation, bulge, or any unusual contour that deviates from the norm in the chest muscle.

Diagnosis of Pectoralis Major Tears

Diagnosing pectoralis major tears involves a combination of physical examination and advanced imaging techniques to accurately assess the extent of the injury. Here's a detailed look at how these injuries are diagnosed:

Physical Examination

The following are the recommended procedures for diagnosing a pectoralis major tear through a general physician: During this examination, several key indicators are assessed:

• Change in Shape and Muscle Bulk: Those wounds of the chest wall are accompanied by definite alterations in the shape and mass of the injured side when compared to the average mass of the opposite side. This asymmetry is a sure pointer to injured muscles, more so if it points to a torn or ruptured muscle.

• Bruising: External signs of hematomas or rapture inside the muscle tissue can be easily stated by the presence of bruises on the chest wall.

• Pain and Discomfort: This procedure causes the pectoralis major muscle to contract, and most patients report feeling extreme pain and discomfort whenever they attempt to rotate their arm or make any other movement associated with this muscle.

• Visible Decrease in Muscle Mass: An openness to smaller differences in muscle density or a shift in adjacent muscles can be identified, especially when there are more severe cases of tears or total splits.

Advanced Imaging Techniques

Physical examination is an essential first-step process, but advanced imaging is even more critical as a confirmatory as well as an extensive assessment of the injury. The following imaging modalities are commonly used:

• X-rays: Although X-rays are not the diagnostic tool of choice for muscle tears, one can exclude bone avulsion or a fracture that often accompanies severe tears of muscles in athletes.

• MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging): The use of MRI in diagnosing pectoralis major tears is highly recommendable due to its accuracy. Muscle tear imaging offers specific information about the muscle tissue, how exactly the tear happened, its severity, and the sort of tear. MRI is a beneficial tool in determining whether the tear is partial or complete so that proper treatment strategies can be initiated.

• Ultrasound: Ultrasound is a non-intrusive imaging technique used in real-time to visualize contractile muscle tissue. It's ideal for dynamic movements, differentiating between various conditions, and detecting partial tears. Ultrasound scans are also relatively cheaper and more accessible than MRI, making them a preferred option.

Electromyography (EMG) and Nerve Conduction Studies

Sometimes the doctor may recommend electromyography as well as nerve conduction studies to evaluate any related nerve or muscle dysfunction due to the tear. These tests assist in determining muscle electrical activity and identifying whether or not the nerves innervating the pectoralis major are intact.

Comprehensive Evaluation

Diagnostic techniques utilized at Manhattan Physical Therapy are extensive to make sure there is detailed focus in diagnosing their clients. The evaluation typically includes:

• Patient History: Knowing the patient’s history such as physical ill-health- history, previous injuries, participation in activities, and events leading to the injury.

• Functional Assessment: The medical evaluation of the patient’s physical and mental functionality, the patient’s pain day/night, and how his/her injury affects simple activities/projects or sports competitively.

Treatment Options

Because different degrees of pectoralis major tears are observed, various treatment methods are used to manage the injuries. Manhattan physical therapy is flexible and tends to include several treatments depending on the case of each client.

Non-Surgical Treatments

In some cases, the damage is only partial or the dog is not a surgical candidate for some reason; in such instances, some procedures can be administered without surgery. These include:

• Rest and Immobilization: Avoiding the use of the muscle in other exercises or activities that would push it to its limit and cause it to have more work than it can handle to heal the muscle.

• Physical Therapy: Specific strength and flexibility workouts for fitness and movement, tailored to individual or group needs.

• Pain Management: Prescribing drugs or other therapeutic tools such as applying an ice pack and a heating pad on affected areas for pain relief and for reducing inflammation.

Surgical Repair

In cases of complete tears or significant damage, surgical intervention may be necessary. Our skilled therapists at Manhattan Physical Therapy provide comprehensive care before and after surgery to ensure optimal recovery.

• Pre-Surgical Preparation: Specific exercises to loosen and shape a muscle and the surrounding tissues as part of preparation for surgery.

• Surgical Procedure: The process of suturing the severed fibers back to the initial point where it was connected to the shaft of the bone.

• Post-Surgical Rehabilitation: An organized university recovery trail designed to steadily regain muscular tone and mobility.

Rehabilitation and Recovery for Pectoralis Major Tears

Recovery from a pectoralis major tear, especially after surgical repair, necessitates a structured and comprehensive rehabilitation program. At our practice, a holistic approach is adopted, integrating physical therapy with advanced rehabilitation techniques to promote healing, restore function, and prevent re-injury.

Early Rehabilitation Phase

The early rehabilitation phase focuses on protecting the surgical repair and allowing the initial healing process to occur without undue stress on the muscle.

• Immobilization: Post-surgery, the affected arm is typically immobilized using a sling or brace. This immobilization period, usually lasting a few weeks, ensures that the muscle and tendon heal correctly without being overstressed.

• Passive Range of Motion: During immobilization, a therapist will guide the patient through passive range of motion (PROM) exercises. These gentle movements help maintain joint flexibility and prevent stiffness without placing stress on the repair site. This phase is crucial to ensure that the shoulder and arm do not lose mobility while the muscle heals.

Intermediate Rehabilitation Phase

As healing progresses, the focus shifts to gradually increasing mobility and beginning the strengthening process.

• Active Range of Motion: Patients start performing active range of motion (AROM) exercises. Unlike passive movements, these exercises are carried out by the patient without external assistance, promoting muscle activation and gradual strengthening.

• Strengthening Exercises: Light resistance exercises are introduced to begin rebuilding muscle strength. These exercises are carefully selected and monitored to avoid overloading the healing muscle. Resistance bands and light weights are often used to provide controlled resistance.

• Scar Tissue Management: Techniques such as massage and ultrasound therapy may be employed to manage scar tissue formation, enhancing mobility, and reducing discomfort.

Advanced Rehabilitation Phase

In the advanced phase, the emphasis is on restoring full functionality and preparing the patient for a return to daily activities, work, or sports.

• Functional Training: Exercises are tailored to mimic daily activities and sports-specific movements. This functional training ensures that the patient regains the practical strength and coordination required for their lifestyle and athletic demands.

• Plyometric Exercises: For athletes, plyometric (jump training) exercises may be introduced to improve explosive power and reactivity. These exercises help prepare the muscles for the dynamic demands of sports.

• Return to Activity: A carefully monitored and gradual return to normal activities and sports is essential. This stage involves a progressive increase in activity intensity and volume, ensuring that the muscle is sufficiently healed and strong enough to handle real-world demands.

Why Choose Manhattan Physical Therapy?

To summarize, MPT has distinguished itself as a leading physical therapy center that has an exemplary method of addressing pectoralis major tears. Here’s why it is the preferred choice for many patients:

• Expert Team: We have qualified professional physical therapists, orthopedists, and rehabilitation specialists in the center. This team works to make the caring process a full cycle and integrate all aspects of the patient’s treatment and support.

• State-of-the-Art Facilities: Some of the critical key success factors, that differentiate Manhattan Physical Therapy from the available physical therapy facilities include the following: It shows that modern approaches like the use of lasers, electrical currents, and biomechanical assessment of movement are applied to promote “Rehabilitation efficiencies.”

• Individualized Care: Whether it is a simple injury or something more serious, each patient is provided with a plan that addresses their concerns based on their needs and goals. This Strengthening Program makes it possible for everyone to get to the next level or the next higher level depending on the strength of the patient to advance through the program.

• Comprehensive Approach: Our center is staffed with rooms for physiotherapy, operation, and innovative approaches to rehabilitation. This process is a holistic one that seeks to go beyond simple stabilization of the patient but instead aims to rehabilitate the injured, minimize the risk for reinjury, and promote restoration of function in all ways possible.

• Patient Education: Education forms part of the core treatment process at Manhattan Physical Therapy since its clients are often patients with disorders that incorporate physical therapy into their recovery process. It is common for each patient and his or her injury to be explained together with the concepts involved in recovery as well as reasons behind every exercise and even therapy technique. This knowledge helps patients to manage their conditions in a way that makes them part of the healing process.

• Holistic Support: Apart from exercises, the patients receive information regarding nutrition, counseling, and evaluation of accommodations and workstations. This presents a comprehensive model of enhanced care, in which all aspects that pertain to recovery are considered.

Conclusion

Pectoralis major tears can be debilitating, but with the right treatment and rehabilitation, full recovery is possible. Manhattan Physical Therapy offers exceptional care, combining expertise, advanced treatments, and personalized rehabilitation programs. Whether you need non-surgical management or post-surgical rehabilitation, their dedicated team is committed to helping you regain your strength and return to your active lifestyle. If you suspect a pectoralis major tear or need specialized care, contact us to start your journey toward recovery today.