About Brian Expertise I can help set up a weightlifting program, give suggestions on specific exercises and how to deal with injuries. We can discuss your goals and effective ways to work towards them. I compete at powerlifting, and have been weightlifting for over 15 years.
Experience 15 years weightlifting experience, including competitive powerlifting.
Question Hi I am 24 years old, a male and have been lifting for 8 years now. Four months ago I was diagnosed with a partial tear in my left pec (by MRI). My orthopedic told me there was nothing to do except rest. A month ago I decided to get a second opinion. The second ortho said I have a partial tear as well, but he instructed me to start lifting with extreme light weights ( 5-10 lbs dumbbell on bench press) and he gave me a week supply of Medrol which is a type of cortizone taken orally. I felt excellent immediately when taking the medicine that week and working out. Now 2 weeks later I am still working out, off the medicine, and my pec is still hurting a great deal. My question is does this partial tear heal with time, or is surgery even an option for a tear? Any help is greatly appreciated.
Answer Some tears heal over time, some require surgery. All tears are "partial tears", I mean, unless you ripped your whole arm off, there would still be something holding it on there.
So, the diagnosis of "partial tear" isn't really that specific. I would think that after four months, if you still can't lift, your doctor would be concerned and recommend another course of action. Not necessarily surgery, but maybe physical therapy? I'm kinda surprised that the second doctor basically had you doing your own unsupervised DIY physical therapy.
One thing I tell people like you: find a doctor who "gets" what it means to you to workout. A lot of doctors do or can, but many think it's just a hobby or something you can just stop doing for a couple of years. I'm not saying your doc is bad, but maybe you should be a little clearer with what your personal goals and expectations are. If you were a couch potato, this would probably heal on it's own eventually, and it wouldn't matter. But since you're not, you and your doctor should put together a plan that can get you back to lifting.
