The powerful muscles in the front of the chest are used to rotate the arms inward as well as pull them in a horizontal motion across the chest, and are connected to the arms with tendons in order to control motion. When a chest muscle is pulled, it can also cause tendinitis, increasing the pain sufferers will experience. This chest muscle strain is caused by stretching or tearing the muscle or tendon in the chest.
Ice
The sufferer will initially experience pain, swelling, muscle spasms and limited movement. According to MayoClinic.com, the first step in treatment is to immediately apply ice to the area to reduce pain, swelling and inflammation. If there is a tear in the muscle, this will also reduce the amount of bleeding. If the area turns white, the icing should be stopped because it can indicate frostbite.
Rest
Reducing exercise and activities that use the pulled chest muscle will help it heal more quickly, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. This may include immobilizing the arm on the side that's most injured.
Heat
Once the initial soreness in the muscle has resolved, the Sports Injury Clinic recommends using heat to reduce pain and increase the circulation to the area. This increased circulation will help the body to remove toxins and waste products from the injured area. Some people get more pain relief from ice, while others enjoy the benefits of heat. In either case, both should be used to improve muscle healing.
Support
A chest compression bandage can be used to help reduce swelling and give the muscles added support. MayoClinic.com recommends using a wrap that does not compress the area tightly and reduces circulation to the tissues. The wrap is too tight if swelling occurs below or above the wrap, or if the pain increases.
Medications
MayoClinic.com recommends an over-the-counter pain reliever such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help relieve the swelling and pain of a mild or moderate strain or sprain. Because it is almost impossible to stop using chest muscles in everyday activities, it is important to give them as much support and inflammation reduction as possible.
Rehabilitation
According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, the second stage of treating any strain or sprain is rehabilitation that increases muscle strength and helps the individual regain flexibility. The final goal is to return to full daily activities. The amount of physical therapy and rehabilitation time will depend upon the degree of injury.
Surgery
In some cases muscles and tendons in the chest wall will be torn and not just strained. This situation will require surgery, according to MayoClinic.com, during which a surgeon will reconnect the muscles. However, in most cases the reconnected muscles will not be as strong or flexible as they were before the injury.
