<s>[INST] Can a pulled chest muscle cause heart damage? My father was shoveling snow and felt chest pain. He went to the doctor and they said it was just a chest pull. When he tried to shovel the following day, my mother told him not too because he could hurt his chest muscle and have heart damage. Is that true or is she just being a worry wart. [/INST] Hello Welcome to Chat Doctor. Shoveling or any physical exercises can cause chest muscle pull but not damage to the heart muscles. The heart muscles are smooth muscle fibers which do not directly take part in any voluntary body activity. Moreover, the heart is located safely inside the rib cage and damage to heart muscle while shoveling is not possible. However since shoveling is a physical exercise (like running or swimming), it increases the workload on the heart. The heart requires more blood supply during physical exertion and people with blockages in the heart can sustain chest pain due to lack of blood supply to the heart. So indirectly it can lead to chest pain if he has blockages in the heart. Do if he gets pain every time he shovels or runs or jogs, then he must get evaluated from the cardiac point of view. Also since he has just sustained a chest wall muscle pull, its advice to rest and what your mother is asking is just out of concern. Wishing all of you good health. Regards. </s>