1. Athletes Frequently Report Chest Pain
Chest pain can be referred from the neck, shoulders or back; due to overexertion or other stresses affecting the heart or lungs; or by direct trauma, such as being hit with a soccer ball or a linebacker.
2. Acute and Stress Fractures of the Chest
Your chest wall includes your ribs, collar bones, sternum and various joints, muscles and ligaments, all of which can sustain fractures, strains or contusions. Acute fractures of the ribs, sternum or clavicle (collarbone) require time off to heal. Treatment is mainly a matter of pain control, because the structures in your chest expand and contract with breathing, which may aggravate your injury. A serious clavicle fracture may require surgery, after which you'll wear a special type of support to keep it from moving too much until it's healed. For stress fractures, you may need to wear a sling to reduce the weight your arm puts on the rib and its surrounding muscles and tendons.
3. Muscle or Tendon Strains
Muscle and tendon strains are grouped into three categories:
Grade 1: Mild discomfort; possibly tenderness that shouldn't affect your strength.
Grade 2: Possibly a few torn muscle fibers with a noticeable affect on your strength.
Grade 3: Complete rupture of the muscle or tendon from a rib or the sternum. If you suspect you have a grade 3 muscle or tendon injury, call your doctor. These require surgical repair.
Chronic grade 1 or 2 strains due to overuse may lead to a grade 3 strain, so be sure to recover fully before resuming sports again. An exercise specialist can design a personalized program to keep you in shape while you're recovering.
For muscle and tendon strains in your chest, start with the PRICE plan: Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. Icing should be done for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, several times per day for the first 48 to 72 hours. Confine the ice to the specific area of injury. A 5-minute ice massage, rather than an ice pack, might work better. Put paper cups about two-thirds filled with water into the freezer; when frozen, tear off the top half of the cup, leaving the bottom half to hold while massaging the area of injury.
4. Women Are Different From Men
Women are prone to injuries around their breasts, especially during activities with repetitive up and down motions, such as running. No matter what your activity, you need a sports bra that provides support in all directions and has wide, non-elastic straps. Get one with padding if you play sports where you might expect a direct hit to your breasts.
Joggers nipple, another common sports injury, affects men more than women. Put petroleum jelly on your nipples or cover them with zinc oxide tape to avoid having them rub against your clothing.
5. When to See a Doctor
Chest pain can be quite serious--it can, after all, signify a heart attack. Also, extensive rib fractures can puncture internal organs. If you have any concerns about your chest pain, call your doctor.
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