What Is the Latissimus Dorsi Muscle?
The latissimus dorsi is a large muscle covering your back. You may know it as your lats muscles. They're connected to many parts of your body, originating from areas such as your spine, ribs, and pelvis, and inserting into your upper arm and shoulder.
The latissimus dorsi muscles support upper body movement. They help your shoulders move in different directions, including pulling, reaching forward, and rotation. These muscles also help you take deep breaths and are involved in strong breathing-related actions such as coughing and sneezing.
Latissimus Dorsi Injury
Shaped like a fan, the latissimus dorsi is generally rarely injured, but when it is, it’s due to working out or trauma. Physical activities that involve pulling the body upward and forward while your arms are over your head, such as rowing, pull-ups, or “muscle-up” exercises, can cause injury to your latissimus dorsi.
You can also get latissimus dorsi injuries from the following sports:
- Gymnastics
- Volleyball
- Baseball pitching
- Golf
- Water skiing
- Rock climbing
Latissimus dorsi injuries may come with serious shoulder pain and trauma. It’s rare for a latissimus dorsi injury to happen alone; it often occurs with other injuries.
Recognizing Latissimus Dorsi Pain
If you tear your latissimus dorsi muscle, you may have the following symptoms in the affected area:
- Burning pain
- Pain while using your arms, especially when reaching overhead
- Swelling
- Stiffness
- Discoloration of the skin (ecchymosis)
- Palpable mass on your muscle
These symptoms will typically go away within 2 weeks of rest, but you may still feel pain in the area when performing exercises.
You may also experience abdominal pain if your latissimus dorsi muscle is strained.
Talk to your doctor right away if you have these symptoms. Your doctor will help you figure out the problem and walk you through the process of recovery.
Latissimus Dorsi Pain When Breathing
Experts describe the latissimus dorsi muscles as accessory respiration muscles, meaning that they support major breathing muscles such as the diaphragm. They help when you take deep breaths by expanding and contracting your chest. They're also active when you cough or sneeze. You’ll use this muscle more if you have breathing and lung problems such as chronic obstructive lung disease or respiratory muscle fatigue.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), in particular, can cause problems outside your lungs, including weak muscles and brittle bones. Research has found that people with COPD have reduced upper body muscle strength, including latissimus dorsi strength, compared to those without the condition.
Latissimus Dorsi Pain Treatment
Before deciding what treatment should be used, the doctor may analyze the severity of your latissimus dorsi tear through an MRI scan. This will help your doctor see whether there is an injury and decide what can be done to improve muscle function.
There are multiple ways to treat a latissimus dorsi injury.
Immediate self-care. You can take some steps at home to help treat your latissimus dorsi strain:
- Rest by avoiding activities such as exercising, which may cause more discomfort, pain, and swelling.
- Ice the injured area by using an ice pack wrapped in a thin towel for 15 to 20 minutes. Do this every 2 to 3 hours during the first few days after the injury.
Physical therapy. It can be used to restore muscle function if you have a latissimus dorsi injury. Physical therapy can help reduce pain, promote healing, minimize complications, and maximize recovery.
Although physical therapy is often used to treat these sprains, a standard way to treat latissimus dorsi injuries doesn’t exist yet. Most reports and research have suggested that avoiding surgery is the best way of dealing with these types of injuries for both recreational and high-level athletes.
This has led most researchers to conclude that conservative or nonsurgical management of latissimus dorsi injuries is okay because the shoulder girdle can make up for the latissimus dorsi injury.
Surgery. Surgery may be an option if your injury is severe and limits your ability to perform at peak levels.
Spray and stretch. Spray and stretch is a way of treating muscle pain that involves spraying a vapocoolant spray onto the affected muscle when your muscle is in a passive stretch.
A passive stretch can be performed by using another part of your body to move and hold the stretch. Also known as relaxed stretching and static-passive stretching, this is when you place your muscle in a certain position and hold it with another part of your body.
Spray and stretch can be used with a home stretching program to lessen symptoms of latissimus dorsi injuries, such as chronic abdominal pain.
Prevention of Latissimus Dorsi Injuries
You can prevent muscle strains and tears by doing the following activities regularly:
- Muscle-strengthening exercises
- Muscle-stretching exercises
Some muscle-strengthening exercises you can try are hill walking, cycling, lifting weights, and working with resistance bands. By making your muscles work harder than they usually do, these exercises will increase your muscle size, endurance, and strength.
Muscle-stretching exercises such as neck, trunk, and shoulder stretches will improve your flexibility and loosen tight muscles.
Try to come up with a physical conditioning program that will help you keep your fitness level up. This will make it less likely that you'll strain your latissimus dorsi muscle and other muscles when you are playing sports, exercising, or doing physically demanding work.
Latissimus dorsi exercises
Pull-down. Adjust the lat pulldown machine to your height. Secure your knees under the pads and grab the bar with your hands. Tighten your core and lean your upper body slightly while keeping your back straight. Pull the bar toward your chest, bending your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Then, slowly return to the starting position by straightening your elbows and moving your shoulders back to their original position.
Seated cable rows. Sit upright and place your feet on the platform of the weighted horizontal cable machine with a slight knee bend. Grip the handles. Tighten your core and lock your shoulder blades back. Then, pull the handles back toward your lower ribs, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Return to the starting position and repeat.
Dumbbell rows. Place your right hand and knee on a bench. Keep your back straight, relax your shoulders, and tighten your core. Hold a dumbbell in your left hand, pull it toward your ribcage, and slowly lower it back down. Repeat the same movement with your right hand.
Barbell bent over rows. Grab a barbell with your palms facing downward. Bend at your hips and lower your back until it’s nearly parallel to the floor. Keep your abs tight and head neutral. Pull the barbell up toward your chest and then lower it back down. Do this movement at a moderate pace.
Latissimus dorsi pain stretches
Latissimus dorsi ball stretch. Place your hands and knees on the floor, with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Tighten your abs and push away from the floor with your hands to keep your shoulder blades stable. Place one forearm on a large exercise ball with your thumb pointing up. Gently roll the ball away from your body until you feel a stretch in your back muscles. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds, then switch to the other side.
Doorway stretch. Stand facing a door. Place your palms on the handle. Bend your knees slightly and lean back, pushing your hips behind you. Round your back and tuck your tailbone under. While still in this position, bend away from the side you want to stretch. You can also loosen your grip or let go of the handle on the opposite side you want to stretch. Stay in this position for 15 seconds and release. Do three reps of this stretch.
Seated side stretch. Sit with your legs apart. Keep your back and head straight. Point your toes up and bend your elbows so that your arms are out to the sides. Tighten your core muscles to support your back, then gently exhale and slowly lean to one side without bending forward or twisting. Hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds and then return to the starting position. Repeat two to four times on each side.
Latissimus Dorsi Pain Sleeping Position
Pain in the latissimus dorsi muscles can make sleeping difficult, affecting your ability to fall and stay asleep. Here are some tips to help relax your back muscles and sleep better.
- Sleep flat on your back, and place a pillow under your knees and another under your head or neck to keep your spine aligned.
- Avoid sleeping on your side with your legs bent up, called the fetal position. It can put pressure on your back and joints and make them hurt or worsen your pain.
- Avoid sleeping on your stomach, as it can add more pressure to your neck and back. But if that’s the most comfortable position for you, place a pillow under your stomach and hips to reduce back strain.
- Sleep on your back with your legs stretched out straight and a pillow between your knees to keep your back aligned.
- Do latissimus dorsi pain stretches before bed to help relax your muscles.
Takeaways
The latissimus dorsi is a large muscle that spans the majority of your back. This muscle rarely gets injured, but when it does, it can cause serious shoulder pain, swelling, and stiffness and affect upper body movement. Although your symptoms may go away within 2 weeks, see a doctor if you notice any back or shoulder pain. They may recommend physical therapy, spray and stretch, or, in severe cases, surgery. You can also prevent latissimus dorsi pain or other kinds of back pain by doing muscle-strengthening and stretching exercises regularly.
Latissimus Dorsi Pain FAQs
How long does it take for latissimus dorsi injuries to heal?
Your symptoms will start getting better in 2 weeks. If you had surgery for it, healing may take 6 to 8 months.
How do you release a tight latissimus dorsi?
You can release a tight latissimus dorsi by doing stretching exercises such as the doorway stretch.
How do you know if your latissimus dorsi is torn?
Your latissimus dorsi may be torn if you have symptoms such as burning pain, swelling, stiffness in the affected area, and pain when you use your arms. But only a doctor can confirm this. See a doctor if you have any back pain or problems.
