The latissimus dorsi is a very large muscle in your back. It runs along the spine from the middle of your rib cage down to the top of your pelvis, and it’s also attached to the bones in your upper arm. The lat muscles move when you rotate your arm toward your body, or when you extend your arm behind your back. They help protect your spine while providing shoulder and back strength.
There are a number of reasons you may have pain in your lat muscle, but most of the time the pain is caused by overuse of the muscle, improper posture, or not warming up before exercising.
How do I take care of a pulled lat muscle?
Like any pulled muscle, a pulled lat muscle can be treated with rest, using cold packs, applying compression and elevating the affected area. However, if left untreated, your pulled lat muscle can grow worse, leading to unnecessary pain and discomfort. Here are some things you should not do when you have a pulled lat muscle:
- Ignore your pain — Pain is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. If you experience pain in your lat muscle that does not go away after rest, it is time to have a physical therapist examine it.
- Overuse the muscle — It is likely that your pulled lat muscle is the result of overuse, so continuing to use the muscle will not only cause you more pain, but could also lead to further injury.
- Exercise without warming up — Even if you do not intend to work out your latissimus dorsi muscle, you could risk injuring it further if you exercise without warming up your entire body.
- Sit with poor posture — Sitting for long periods of time with poor back posture can be bad for your lat muscles. If you already have a pulled muscle, poor posture could make your pain worse.
Can physical therapy help treat my pulled lat muscle?
The answer is yes! A licensed physical therapist can treat your condition using a number of different techniques. Typical physical therapy for back pain includes exercises designed to strengthen and condition the back muscles, as well as specialized techniques to treat pain, such as manual therapy and electrical stimulation.
Panther Physical Therapy is dedicated to the highest standards of care for our physical therapy patients. A free screening at one of our clinics will help our team create a physical therapy plan perfectly suited to your needs.
Contact our team today for more information about treating a pulled muscle or to schedule an initial appointment.