Intercostal Muscle Strain

[old] gumdrop · Post by **[old] gumdrop** » February 23rd, 2005, 1:46 am

Several weeks ago I became over-zealous at trying for a PB ... In a sprint at the end of the first 2000m, I saw the chance and put everything I could muster into the last 250m. Something happened - it felt like I pulled the lats on the left. For the rest of the session I knew I'd better take it easy. I had to quit after about 15 more minutes. I can't take a deep breath without feeling a sharp pain at the level of the lower end of my sternum, that radiates around from the back or feels like it goes straight through my torso. It's sharp enough to limit that deep breath quickly. I laid off rowing until today, when I went back to it because sciatic pain from my lower back (a herniated disc) had returned with avengeance. Rowing has become my strengthener, stabalizer, and aerobic favorite because it alleviated the pain from the disc. To have the pain down my leg is more debilitating than the strain in my rib cage, so I knew I had to get back on the rower, ever if primarily using my legs. I was very careful to keep my back straight, using a substantial thrust with my legs, but tried to limit my arms mainly to the biceps. I was able to do 6000m, but it was difficult. Back in my office an hour or so later, I reached for the telephone across my desk, and the pain that shot through my rib cage was enough to cause me to flinch and gasp. Reaching for or lifting the receiver was quite difficult. Has anyone had this sort of pain and what should I do? I looked through what a search found, and gather that the original injury was a muscle strain (intercostal) or perhaps torn cartilege between adjacent ribs. Comments or suggestions? I'm managing on hydrocodone. -Chris

[old] Mel Harbour · Post by **[old] Mel Harbour** » February 23rd, 2005, 1:55 am

Just recovered from a similar injury myself. Basically, there are two common possibilities of what you might have done. Firstly, like you say, you may have strained an intercostal or something similar around that area. If this is the case, you will probably have to not row for a little bit. Recovery time is usually about 2 weeks. The other possibility is that it's a stress fracture of a rib. There's still not a lot you can usually do if this is the case. Recovery time pushes out to about 6 weeks in this case. The important thing to rule out if you're unsure is that there has been no damage to the lung. If it is a stress fracture, there is a very slight risk of damage to the lung. A doctor will be able to rule this out fairly quickly. Mel

[old] Almostflipped · Post by **[old] Almostflipped** » February 23rd, 2005, 1:32 pm

You should know that a stress fracture may not show up on a normal x-ray. If I remember right an x-ray with contrast (dye injected into the body) can be required to find the fracture. Hope you feel better, fractured a rib a few years back and I remember it not being pleasant. I don't have time now, but i'll post a link to some exercises you can do in the future that can help protect against this happening again. They take about 10' to do and help a lot.

[old] Almostflipped · Post by **[old] Almostflipped** » February 23rd, 2005, 2:27 pm

<a href='http://www.row2k.com/physio/ribprev.shtml' target='_blank'>Injury Prevention</a> The link above is something that can be done in the future by anyone to help avoid rib problems. Most rib injuries are a result of the serratus (a primary stabilizer) being weak and thus putting the strain directly onto the rib cage instead. By strengthening the serratus and shoulder girdle you can prevent a lot of injuries and in personal experience have a better front end connection. Gumdrop, you definitely sound like you should be visiting a doctor. From what I've been told, intercostal injuries are extremely rare. The vast majority of the time it's a rib or cartilage injury. In my case the docs had me stop rowing for 6 weeks and then spend the first week or two back just doing SS work. Not the end of the world, but can feel like it sometimes.

[old] SimonB · Post by **[old] SimonB** » February 23rd, 2005, 2:45 pm

Hi gd I have experienced something very similar (twice in fact). Once many years ago, and recently after a short time off the erg at xmas. First time I had it I thought I was having a heart attack (I was 24) . Anyways, mine went away after about 2 weeks, but you should definitely take it easy.

[old] Dr. Z · Post by **[old] Dr. Z** » February 23rd, 2005, 5:19 pm

Useful tidbit to speed recovery and avoid pain; do not lift anything (no matter how light) overhead. Have had this type of injury before and physicians & chiropractors gave that advice. Good idea.

[old] Ducatista · Post by **[old] Ducatista** » February 28th, 2005, 11:26 pm

No experience with intercostal injury, but I do know that Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn spent most of Bringing Up Baby searching for an intercostal clavicle.

[old] fiftyhann · Post by **[old] fiftyhann** » May 23rd, 2005, 9:01 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'>QUOTE(gumdrop @ Feb 22 2005, 10:46 PM)</div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>Several weeks ago I became over-zealous at trying for a PB ... In a sprint at the end of the first 2000m, I saw the chance and put everything I could muster into the last 250m. Something happened - it felt like I pulled the lats on the left. For the rest of the session I knew I'd better take it easy. I had to quit after about 15 more minutes. I can't take a deep breath without feeling a sharp pain at the level of the lower end of my sternum, that radiates around from the back or feels like it goes straight through my torso. It's sharp enough to limit that deep breath quickly. Comments or suggestions? I'm managing on hydrocodone. -Chris </td></tr></table> Wow, I had this same injury happen to me last thursday but I didn't realize what it was until I read this. It happened after my weight training routine for chest and back. I did pullovers (which target the serratus), high rows, and seated cable rows, along with some chest exercises. From what it sounds like I either strained my serratus or stress fractured my rib. My symptoms are exactly what Chris describes above. Originally I thought I was having a heart attack or some kind of aortic rupture, because I had very acute back pain (under the left scapula) that extended around my ribcage to the front near the intercoastals. I've done several weight training routines since the injury. Is this bad?? Should I lay off the weights completely or will it heal while I continue to train? I'm trying to avoid any exercises that cause pain. It seems I can bench press and row just fine, but I'm skipping pullovers and the rotary torso machine because they cause direct pain to the injury. Any ideas or comments would be greatly appreciated!

[old] gumdrop · Post by **[old] gumdrop** » May 24th, 2005, 3:00 am

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'>QUOTE(fiftyhann @ May 23 2005, 08:01 PM)</div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>From what it sounds like I either strained my serratus or stress fractured my rib. My symptoms are exactly what Chris describes above. Originally I thought I was having a heart attack or some kind of aortic rupture, because I had very acute back pain (under the left scapula) that extended around my ribcage to the front near the intercoastals. I've done several weight training routines since the injury. Is this bad?? Should I lay off the weights completely or will it heal while I continue to train? I'm trying to avoid any exercises that cause pain. It seems I can bench press and row just fine, but I'm skipping pullovers and the rotary torso machine because they cause direct pain to the injury. Any ideas or comments would be greatly appreciated! </td></tr></table> Some observations on my injury and recovery: I had forgotten how painful it was until I re-read my posts ... I concluded, without benefit of x-ray "proof", that this must have been a stress fracture of a rib - no doubt attached to the serratus. Your comment about thinking you were having a heart attack clicked - I recall feeling slightly nauseated just after I incurred the injury. That's a typical symptom for women, and the fact that the pain seemed to wrap around my left chest was scary. I had a heart rate monitor on, however, and there was no strange behavior in that regard. The one thing I can tell you: lay off ANYTHING that aggravates this. That means lay off anything that "uses" this area. Do so until you are no longer experiencing pain. Then get back to the ERG (or whatever has led you here) very slowly. That is hard to do. But a physician-acquaintance said he was convinced it was a stress fracture, and I knew the idea of rowing was just plain stupid. I am too old (58) to tempt fate by pretending I can heal like I did when I was twenty. Just not using the muscles in the area was the key. I knew I was home free when I could consistently pick up the telephone without a jolt of pain. fiftyhahn - I looked at the exercise log you referenced in your email to me, and from the looks of it, you may have a hard time holding yourself back - you program is pretty demanding, and your enthisiasm is evident. So be careful!! Just remember: if you reinjure the region, you have to go back to square one, in terms of healing. Things looked bleak at first, but I simply avoided any piece of equipment that engaged that section of my body. Good luck. -Chris

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