Concept2 Forum

Was wondering if anyone else had ever dealt with this issue. Strained my intercostal muscle(s) on the right side, and its now been 4 or 5 weeks with no significant improvement. I'm still rowing, which doesn't really bother it, especially with slides, but sometimes a sneeze, or when I'm sleeping or in the early morning especially its become a bit of a bore. Wraps around to the back as well. By far the worst time is around when I wake up, and rowing actually seems to lessen the issue, assuming good form. Would appreciate any input, I'm 41, haven't been to a Doctor in years, am starting to think it might be a good idea, but it seems to me this is just one of those injuries that takes time to heal since it is a stabilizer muscle and is very hard not to use. THanks.<br><br>Barry Delaney

Hi Barry<br><br>I have the same problem and it has been with me for two years on and off. I'm much older than you so my experience may not be the same. I did it trying some over ambitious 500m intervals and carried on with a fifth after it happened in the fourth.<br><br>In terms of racing it has never really hampered me and I won the BIRC in the 65-69 class just weeks after doing it. It does bother me in training though. If I try anything beyond 5000m it becomes one of the limiting factors. I'm just now trying to prepare again for BIRC in November and my last few sessions have brought it back again. It's a weakness that I feel I shall always have .<br><br>Having said that I think that if you have the discipline to lay off for a long period it may go away for ever. I had a similar injury in my knee playing squash in my thirties. It didn't hurt as I played but became sore afterwards. I enjoyed the game so much I couldn't stop playing it. After some years though I did have a six month lay off and, when I resumed, the problem had gone and never returned.<br><br>best of luck with it.<br><br>B.L.

I had this injury too, caused by rowing too hard at low stroke rates (and possibly with bad technique). Mine was on my left side, causing my left chest to hurt at night and making me wonder if I had a heart problem.<br><br>To recover, I switched to rowing the same paces at higher stroke rates (such as going from 20 spm to 25 spm), and replaced some rowing workouts with running workouts. However, I still feel some discomfort there once in a while, so it's a hard injury to get rid of completely.<br><br>Doug

I also got this problem after rowing hard at low stroke rates. I had to take it very easy for a month or so, and then row at higher rates (for me in the high 20s.) I continued to take it somewhat easy for a while, but, thank God, I have been fine for quite a while now.<br>Good luck with feeling better soon.<br><br>David<br>

This happened to me a few times two years ago.<br><br>It was very painful at the time and kept moving around from the front to the back, the side, and back again. It hurt like heck if I sneezed. Folding my arms firm against my chest helped to alleviate that, so try this the next time you feel a sneeze coming on.<br><br>It hurt mostly when I was not rowing, which caused me to look at other causes. This was so painful that I even got an air bed to sleep on. I had to go very slowly a few days but kept rowing.<br><br>The cause turned out to be that I was bending my back and thus flexing my ribs when I rowed.<br><br>This was remedied immediately by keeping my back (and ribs) straight through the stroke.<br>

One useful bit of advice I received from my doctor was to avoid any overhead lifting (no matter how slight) while the strain heals. Putting arms overhead stretches out the ribcage and the intercostal fibers.<br><br>I've experienced this problem on several occasions over the years, having always managed to train and even race through it, both on the water and the erg. With more severe strains, a rib compression belt proved helpful during warmups, removing it before racing. Ususally healed in 6 weeks or less, even training through.<br><br>Press on! MP

THanks for the replies, John, your description of it moving around is exactly my experiece. THe sneezing part too. Shortly after I started this thread, a sneeze got me pretty good, but I rowed anyway when maybe I should have taken the day off. Later that night an involuntary muscle contraction of another sort put me out of service for almost 24 hours. Plan on taking about a week off, and then staying on the cautious side for a while. Have to find a way to make it work, what's the point of living if you can't erg, sneeze, or involuntarily contract.<br><br>Barry Delaney

I strained my intercostal muscle(s) on the left side just over a week ago and am still experiencing much pain. It happened because I was overzealous with the intentions to get back into an exercise routine, as I had fallen out of the habit for the last few years. I decided to work hard and do my old routine I used to do some years back regularly. Part of what I did was 300 sit-ups. (Three types, 100 each.) The last ones were the upper abdomen type where you twist to touch the opposite knee. The next day I woke up with intense pain and could hardly sit up. Bending or moving in anyway was extremely painful. Walking even hurt, just from the movement. Reaching for anything with my arm is excruciating. Breathing hurt. I couldn't get a deep breath. I could only sleep on my back and had to have my back on higher pillows because breathing was harder. Any other position was impossible. Coughing or sneezing very painful. Sharp pains in my left chest side and even felt sounded like popping noise when I moved slightly. After 4 days, on the 5th day I went to a doctor. (Concerned I may have a rib out.) X-rays were done and I was told there was no fracture or rib out. That it was intercostsal muscle strain. That was Monday. It is now Saturday morning and I am still in pain, though it has slightly decreased. Also, I am now able to turn a little and not sleep flat on my back. Before, that was impossible. I still am having continual pain in my left chest. Front and side. How long will this take to go away? How long should I wait before I attempt exercising again? Particularly sit-ups?

Overdid It.<br />I sympathise, I did the same thing around 8 days back, I have been taking it easy since my appendix surgery end of February, mainly running, and cycling.<br />I finished a gym session of static bike, X Trainer, thought I would do steady 2K to finish on the erg. Started strapless, low drag, felt something give almost immediately, bottom of ribcage around the side. Pain is very localised, and boy is it painful to the touch, right at bottom of rib cage, turning over in bed is an art form I can breathe fine, and run and cycle, so no big deal.<br />I had been ticking over on the erg since my surgery, 3 times a week, no speed, just easy.<br />Pain is still as bad, as on day one. Alan Maddocks in an early post on UK site reckoned could be sprung cartilage ? Feels long term to me at the moment, may try a row next week, see if it aggravates things.<br />Cheers<br />Steve