Chest Pain? It Could Be a Pulled Muscle—Experts Share How to Identify and Relieve the Pain
Learn the key symptoms to watch for—and how they differ from signs of heart trouble
Chest pain can be disconcerting, but it’s important to remember that not all discomfort signals a serious health condition like a heart attack. In fact, the culprit behind the pain in your chest may simply be a strained muscle, which can be managed naturally at home. Even in more complex cases, physical therapy can treat the injury, so it’s usually not a reason to worry. Here, experts explain how to identify a pulled muscle in your chest and offer simple tips for relief.
What does a pulled muscle in your chest feel like?
A pulled chest muscle is often painful when you are contracting or using it, like while moving your arm, explains Milica McDowell, PT, DPT, a certified exercise physiologist and VP of operations Gait Happens. Muscle pain is also generally localized to the area where the muscle is irritated, strained or possibly torn (likely the pectoral muscles), she adds.
As for the type of pain, a pulled muscle in your chest may feel like stabbing or throbbing that worsens if you move, take a deep breath or press on the area, says Peter DeLuca, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group and Chief of Orthopedic Sports Medicine at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center. The affected area can also feel tight or sore, he adds.
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Some people may also experience mild swelling or bruising if the muscle strain is severe enough, says Dr. DeLuca.
Pulled muscle vs. a heart attack
The good news is that symptoms of a strained muscle are typically quite different from other less common causes of chest discomfort, like cardiac arrest.
“This type of pain differs from chest pain due to the heart, which many describe as a pressure or squeezing-like sensation and may travel to the arm, jaw or shoulder,” Dr. DeLuca says of the type of pain that could potentially signal a heart attack. “It is important to note that cardiovascular-related chest pain is not usually worsened by movement in the way that a pulled muscle is. If chest pain is accompanied by shortness of breath, dizziness or nausea, it is imperative to seek immediate medical attention.”
When trying to identify if your chest wall pain is from a sore rib versus your chest muscle, try placing your hands in a yoga “prayer” position (palms touching in front of the chest, fingertips up). This activates the pectoralis muscle group and likely would be more painful for a muscle strain than a rib injury, McDowell offers.
What causes a pulled muscle in your chest?
You might associate pulled chest muscles with manual labor or intense physical activity, and pulled muscles do typically result from overuse or overextending the muscle while it’s not properly warmed up. However, you could also strain your chest muscles doing basic activities of daily living like cleaning, showering, dressing or preparing meals, says McDowell.
“Oftentimes, chest muscle strains can come from a pushing or pulling movement, so they can be common when moving furniture, carrying boxes or heavy groceries or shoveling snow,” she explains.
It’s also possible to get a chest muscle injury from coughing or sneezing excessively while sick, notes Dr. DeLuca. Slouching and poor posture can cause tightness in the chest and make you more prone to injury as well.
Some people are more prone to pulled muscles
You are at higher risk of any type of muscle strain if you aren’t physically active three to four days a week and/or have lost range of motion or flexibility in the part of your body the muscle is located, says McDowell.
“Those with a more rounded shoulder posture or ‘tech neck’ from using a laptop or phone for many hours a day may be at higher risk of a chest muscle strain,” she notes. “This is due to postural adaptations like shortening of the pectoralis major and minor muscle, internal rotation of the shoulders and an increased thoracic spinal curve called kyphosis.”
People who are older or recovering from a respiratory condition of any kind are also more susceptible to a pulled chest muscle, Dr. DeLuca adds.
How to ease the pain of a pulled muscle in your chest
Pulled chest muscles aren’t often severe and resolve on their own in time. To encourage faster recovery, consider these expert-backed home remedies:
Apply ice and heat
Practicing contrast therapy can help ease symptoms of a strained chest muscle, says Dr. Deluca. This entails switching between cold and warm compresses. You can start by using ice packs to help reduce inflammation, then switch to a warm compress like a heating pad to help relax the muscle.
“Repeat the cycle a handful of times doing each one for 10-15 minutes for best results,” he suggests.
Practice gentle stretches
If you believe you’ve pulled a muscle in your chest, resting for one to two days and incorporating gentle range of motion movements can help calm inflammation, says McDowell.
While stretching helps relieve tension, it’s important to do so carefully to avoid worsening the injury, cautions Dr. DeLuca.
You can find a few examples of easy stretches in this video:
Massage the area
Gently massaging the area where you feel chest muscle pain reduces tenderness and swelling, says McDowell.
To do this, use your index and middle finger and use very light pressure to make small circles around the pectoralis major muscle starting at your breastbone and moving toward your armpit.
“You can do this for three to five minutes, two to three times a day,” she advises. “This will help improve lymphatic drainage of the area and can help accelerate recovery after a strain.”
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