Does anyone out there have experience with this for rehabbing pec tears? I have been benching with a broom handle without any discomfort but I am afraid to increase the weight. I have been told by a family friend (who is an ortho) that it will take up to two years for my strength to come back. Yet the things I read make it seem like this is a magic bullet. I really would appreciate any help/advice. I am also considering active release therapy but that gets expensive quick.
Never torn a pec but I used the protocol for a torn hammy. It worked.
Ice is your friend too…
After working out I would alternate ice and heat every five minutes for 20-30 minutes to flush the area with new blood and reduce inflammation.
Depends on the severity of the injury.
You got a spectrum from minor strains that are good to go in a week or two to full muscle belly ruptures which may never fully recover even with surgical intervention. Can’t really give you a timeline on recovery/rehab if we don’t know the severity of the injury. I would advise getting checked out by a health professional.
The Starr Rehab protocol or at least the principles behind it are solid tho it’s not magic. Gradual return to full activity is always recommended in rehab and exposure to appropriate loads during rehab improve outcomes. Minor strains respond very well to this method and usually heal well enough to get back to lifting within 6 weeks. More severe injuries may not tolerate loading well at least for some time and have a longer overall recovery time.
The question becomes whether or not the Starr Rehab protocol is appropriate at this point in time for you. Get checked out by someone qualified. Hopefully this is only a minor injury and you can get back to benching with the bar or light dumbbells or some shit.
Good luck
1 Like
I have been evaluated by my GP and Ortho. I have a partial pec tear. I made another thread a couple days ago where I put up a picture of the injury.
I have lost no mobility and only feel pain when my pec is under heavy strain. Because of this surgical candidacy was not even discussed. I have been given a minimum recovery time of 6 weeks, but I hope to hasten that (responsibly).
The injury was not even caused by sloppy form or ego lifting. It is unfortunate that it happened.
Should I hold off on any other upper body training till the two week protocol is finished?
I would take it easy with any lifts other than the rehab sets that activated the pec for upper body for awhile 1 week or so
You will know when the body is ready to train other stuff again. Just be smart about it and listen to the body. Most people don’t
I had a pec tear a few years ago and did the Starr Rehab Protocol as written. The tear was about in the center. I took 5 days off and then started rehab. There wasn’t much reason in seeing a doctor since my tendon wasn’t affected.
The first set with a 45 lb bar was scary, but it felt great after. It did work well for me but my bench has never been 100% since. In flat barbell bench, anything over 250 on the bar and it feels like it’s gonna tear. It’s get a really weird cramp. It’s been about 5 years and I can still feel a quarter size hole in it. During the rehab, I trained everything else as normal, maybe a little easy on the OHP.
1 Like