Hi all,

I'm glad to have found this thread as I have been experience some similar symptoms in the last few weeks.
Almost 2 weeks ago, I sat down to do my usual 60lb DB presses, nothing too heavy since having a right pec tear years ago. My left arm went up, and my right arm had absolutely no strength. I found it odd, but thought maybe I had injured something and decided to give it a rest. 10 days later, still not much improvement, I went from being able to do 100 straight push ups, 30 dips, 30 pull ups to not being able to do a single push up, let alone a dip. Pull ups were very lopsided, and I could tell something wrong, as I could not even hold a 20lb DB in a press position.

I went in for an x-ray from an orthopedist, who said he could not find anything structurally wrong with my shoulder, though he did say I did have a straightening of the cervical lordosis (natural curve of the neck). I blamed this on years of work on the computer and overall bad posture while sitting.

Fast forward to 3 weeks ago (roughly a month after my original sudden loss of strength), for the first time in over 15 years, I had not worked out at least 4-5 times a week due to other obligations. I noticed that my right triceps (especially the medial and long head) was much smaller and softer than the left. Right pec at the time seemed as normal as before (post-pec tear, the right pec has always looked a bit different). That exact day, while standing on the train with a light backpack on, I felt a burning sensation from my trap/rhomboid area down to my right hand. The pain lasted for about 10-15 minutes and subsided, but there was an immediate sensation of numbness in my fingers, wrist and forearm.

I went to a neurologist the very next day and he told me to get an MRI of both my neck and my right elbow, meanwhile was prescribed a 6-day steroid pack (Medrol), as well as Gabapentin and Nabumetone (NSAID). Results came back as 2 herniated discs in my neck, C3-C4 (C4 nerve root) and C6-C7 (C7 nerve root) along with bone spurs. Basically I had the neck of a 70 year old. I could no longer fully open my right hand, the pinky and ring fingers would not open while my wrist was held in extension. Numbness had become so bad I had to go on a medical leave as I could no longer do my work.

Ever since my original diagnosis, I have received a second opinion from a neurosurgeon and both doctors believe that the plan of action is PT for 6 weeks and then reevaluation. I am hoping that the herniations will somehow resolve themselves, as medical practice seems to only deal with the symptoms of disc herniations (weakness, numbness, tingling) vs. actually being able to treat the herniation itself. I have been doing isolated exercises for my triceps, a lot of light 5lb-10lb overhead tricep extensions, tricep kick backs, resistance-band pull-downs, etc. Finger extension seemed to improve just recently, though typing still remains quite challenging. I can now do about 30 push-ups, and roughly 12 pull-ups in good form, as well as some bench-dips. However, the exercise that first gave me the most trouble (pronated DB press), I can still only do 20lbs, which is extremely depressing as I have noticed my right pec has significantly atrophied and I could barely flex the muscle itself.

I hope to keep updating you guys as I make any new findings, it's now been almost 2 months since my first sign of weakness, 3 weeks since the burning sensation leading to the numbness, and now 2 weeks since MRI indicated the 2 herniated discs (C3-C4 and C6-C7 and bone spurs). My main goal is to no longer have any numbness and tingling in my fingers, wrist and forearm, while regaining coordination in my fingers and wrist. I will continue to rehab myself with push-ups, pull-ups, dips and light weights.

Does anyone have any suggestions to target a pec muscle post pec-tear since it seems to have atrophied the most? I am quite depressed, having being active for the last 15 years, but hope to be able to make a full recovery from this.