Expert: Jerry Goodwin - 6/23/2009

Question
QUESTION: I am 19 and a calisthenics enthusiast. About a month ago, I tried some shrugs for two days and noticed a more than moderate pain in what I believe is called the pectoralis minor (The muscle that is on the clavicle and connects to the frontal neck muscles.) I paused for about a week and resumed my regular regime (Push-ups, Sit-ups, pull-ups sans the shrugs) Afterwards I stopped doing push-ups and pull ups because the pain had been aggravated gradually. It has been about two weeks since I have done any upper-body exercises. I still experience pain in that area, but It is greatly reduced now.

What I want to ask is: What type of injury is this? Are there any rehabilitary excercises that I can do to spped up recovery and, How long do you think I will have to rest for?

ANSWER: Hi Jesse,

It sounds like it may be a pec tear, but you really need to have a physician examine you and make a diagnosis. They can run tests and be sure. Then you will need to follow a program of rehab that is recommended by your doctor probably with a therapist.

Hope this helps

Have a great day

Jerry

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: In my attempt to be brief, I may have been a bit vague I realise. More specifically, I did the shrugs poorly I think. Both froward and backward. Are you supposed to do them in a forward motion as well as backward? I don't think it is a tear. The pain (I should have said this before) is not as sharp ( I've gotten a tear once before.) I hope it's really a simple strain and nothing more. But thanks alot man.

ANSWER: Hi Jesse,

Yes that is rather important info that you left out, especially the part about having a previous pec tear. If it is in the same area as the original tear then I would say you probably aggravated the original injury with poor form. So you may have just strained the muscle in that area. If it is in a different area then it may or may not be a more minor tear or a strained muscle. Only a physician and a complete examine, possibly an MRI will tell for sure.

I do apologize for taking so long to get back to you though. I hate making excuses but I will tell you why it took so long.

You see I found out about two weeks ago that a person I know well has a 5 year old daughter with Neurofibromastosis and it is literally killing her. Her body grows tumors under the skin which have to be surgically removed, unfortunately the doctors are now saying they cannot remove hem anymore as they are becoming too large and too invasive, so the surgery may kill her. Without the surgery the tumors will eventually take over. One of the main tumors is now pressing on the aorta and slowing the blood flow to much of her body and vital organs.

When I found out about this I rallied some friends and together we started Caroline's Ride 2009 which is a fundraising bicycle ride to help the family cope with expenses such as travel back and forth to Atlanta, medical expenses and possibly soon funeral expenses.

I have been hard at work with that project and you can see on the site what started as a simple Metric Century Fund Raising Bicycle Ride has ballooned into an event that has something for everyone. face painting, bouncy houses, antique cars, vendor tents, BMX rider, Bake Sales, Concession Stand, 15 K run and a whole lot more.

It should be a big event, we are hoping to get a good crowd since the father is a Nurse and the Mother is a Teacher, the hospital and the school will get somewhat involved.


Hope this helps

Have a great day

Jerry


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dear Jerry. Me again man. I do not expect a response to this now, I know you are most busy. But whenever, man. I seem to have developed also a minor case of tendonitis in both my shoulders. It seems to be aggaravted by lifting heavy stuff. As I said before, I have not done any upper body excercises and this will inevitably hamper my routine further. All I would like to ask you is this: What is the recommended course aside from rest and stuff man. Rehabilitary excercises and all I mean. Thanks alot man. By the way, I must say, I'd support your fund raiser, but I'm afraid I don't even live in that state...much less country. But I really do hope the best for her man. I can only imagine how it must rob her of the carefree attitude she should have at thisstage in her life. Anyway man. Laters.

Answer
Hi Jesse,

Caroline will very likely not make it past 6 if that long, all I can do is to help with some of the expenses for the family by helping arrange the event. I certainly wish I could do more.

There are some real breakthroughs in tendonitis treatment, here is a site that gives a lot of info on it and may be of some help to you.
http://www.aidyourtendon.com/?REF=GTendon

Here is a site that is more specific for shoulder exercise to help with the tendonitis recovery  http://www.prlog.org/10227155-rehab-program-shoulder-tendonitis-proven-shoulder-

I actually got to meet Caroline not long ago and she really is very well adjusted, I guess when you are 5 you don't realize all the stuff the parents are going through. I think that many childhood diseases are harder on the child than the parents. I am sure what will be extremely hard on the parents is when she passes.

Hope this helps

Have a great day

Jerry