Thread: Pulled Lat?

Maybe he pulled it, or maybe it is very tight? I suppose the two can correlate. Has he ever tried foam rolling or something of that nature?

Originally Posted by fufu

Has he ever tried foam rolling or something of that nature?

Yeah, he foam rolls before every workout and on off days

Pulled muscle, maybe affecting the nearby nerve nexus (a pressure point area used in release therapy). If the area is hot and raised, its got tissue damage that is more severe than a simple pull.

This is a spot I damaged (right side lat) long ago, ripped it. It healed, and I have either redamaged the healed area or ripped it again, twice. The last time, it took 2 months to heal and hurt like hell (doing deads, far heavier than I had ever tried, got cocky and did way too many, like sets of 15).

Traumeel is my first recommendation (didn't I recommend it to you in the past?), Icy-Hot or Tiger Balm will work as well. He needs to wait as long as necessary. Not to roll it until the swelling goes down, but lightly massaging in the ointment for your brother twice a day will go a long ways to keep him form hating your guts. (LOL).

Not sure what to make of the description of feeling 'wet'. Maybe P-funk is familiar with it. That I might use the foam roller on, repeatedly.

it doesn't sound that odd that he has the pain in a daigonal fashion from the one side of his lower lat area, to the opposite glute and hamstring. this is what is termed the serape effect in the human body...basically, it is the diagonal pattern that the muscles function in.

what it sounds like to me is that he straing himself in his thoracolumbar fascia area.....this is a broad attachment area for lots of muscles.....glutes, lats, deep abdominal stabilizers, errectors, etc. Although no muscles of ventilation attach directly into the thoracolumbar fascia (at least not that I am aware of), he may be breathing funny because their functions are altered do to his body trying to prevent any unnecessary movement in the air (remeber, our body gets injured and then tries to limit movement to prevent it from happening again....see cumulative injury cycle).

rest, ice, rest, ice.

If he is still in bad shape have him go see a Doctor. He may need a massage or some ART to help break up adhesions in the area.....but the Doctor should determine that, not someone on an internet chat room.

Also, at 15....what level on intensity is that for him? Be sure to really monitor his training volume and frequency at that age and prevent over training and running into growth plate problems.

it doesn't sound that odd that he has the pain in a daigonal fashion from the one side of his lower lat area, to the opposite glute and hamstring. this is what is termed the serape effect in the human body...basically, it is the diagonal pattern that the muscles function in.

Yeah, thats exactly what I told him.

As far as his volume/intensity I have him slowing increasing weight and backing off appropriately. He was actually coming off a full weeks rest, and he had been foam rolling the entire week. Im going to have him ice and rest like you suggested and take the rest of the week off.

Thanks every1

P-funk: Put your hand up on your back, upper part of the rib cage. at the outer portion of the lats. Thumbs towards the spine, fingers towards the armpit.

Now breath. You feel that rib-cage expansion? Yep, pulls on those lats by indirect association. Nerve group feeds into this area is going to be mildly stimulated by a pull.

Its not unusual at all; its quite common feel this pain when taking normal breaths, in the initial period after injury when the affected muscles and nerves are super sensitive.

Your brother is going to be a beast if he sticks with it.