Symptoms on the back
A total of seven different muscles can be found on the abdomen. Each muscle can suffer a rupture of the muscle fibre when overstressed and strained, and thus cause pain in the abdominal muscles. In addition to the general symptoms of a torn muscle fiber, i.e. sudden, stabbing pain, “denting” and bruising in the affected area, stressing the abdominal muscles may be impossible or only possible with pain.
Depending on the affected muscle, bending the upper body towards the legs may be impossible or very painful. Depending on which abdominal muscle is affected, other movements can also be painful. If the oblique abdominal muscles (outer oblique abdominal muscle and inner oblique abdominal muscle) are affected, bending the upper body in one direction is very painful.
Typical for a torn muscle fibre of the abdominal muscles are the one-sided complaints, as usually only one muscle on one side is affected, whereas the muscle on the other side is still intact. However, since most movements do not involve only one muscle, a number of different movements are very painful in the case of a torn muscle fiber of an abdominal muscle. The location of the torn muscle fiber in the abdominal area can be very difficult to determine. Imaging procedures and specific tests can help here.
Symptoms in the chest area
In the breast area, a number of muscles are found, whereby not only the best known of them, the great pectoral muscle (Musculus pectoralis major), can suffer a torn muscle fiber. Especially during sports such as weight lifting or bodybuilding, muscle fiber tears can occur in the chest muscles. However, other sports and movements in which large forces act on the chest muscles can also be the cause of a torn muscle fiber in this area.
The main symptom of a torn muscle fiber in the chest is a sudden, stabbing pain. In addition to the other typical symptoms such as “dent formation” and the development of a bruise, a torn muscle fiber in the chest musculature can also cause other specific symptoms. For example, the muscles located between the ribs (Musculi intercostales) are an important respiratory aid muscle.
By tensing these muscles, together with the diaphragm, inhalation becomes possible. For this reason, a torn muscle fibre between the ribs can cause severe pain when breathing, and even a feeling of breathlessness. In order to distinguish a torn muscle fibre of the chest muscles from the symptoms of a broken rib, imaging techniques are usually used that accurately depict the individual anatomy and thus lead to the correct diagnosis.
All articles in this series:
