Posted: 2/10/2011 7:19:36 AM EDT
|
Dammit. I should have figured. A couple years ago a horse sent me sternum first into a tree at full gallop. Ever since I have been able to crack my ribs along my sternum like knuckles. Well I have been working out a little and using the machines at the gym. (no free weights, always too crowded for those and I have no spotter). P90X is on my near agenda and I decided to do the pre test. Did the push ups but immediately felt a rather sharp pain dead center of my chest. Actually I can feel it go from my biceps right into the center of my chest. I did the minimum and stopped. Well that was 3 days ago and every time I lean back and stretch my arms out to the sides. I can feel the pain. Biceps to center of chest. I eat 200 grams of protein a day, I hydrate well and I eat about 2500 calories a day while keeping the carbs around 50 grams. I guess push ups are a no go for me until I heal up. I hope that's not going to take too long. Is taking Advil throughout the day ok? any tips? I have been trying to gently stretch during the day but that brings on the pain. Like a knife in my chest pain. I put my fingers where the pain is and I can feel the muscles bunching up a the point. |
| Stop playing with it for awhile. I know that you do it without thinking, been there, but if you keep "check" the injury it will take longer to heal. Find a good sports massage therapist that really understands lifting injury's and see them maybe once a week for 4 weeks or so, it will be a big help. If it still hasn't any better after 4 or 5 weeks you might need to see a doctor to find out exactly what you did and then go see a physical therapist about it. The main thing would be to leave it alone and don't try anything too soon as it will will just delay the complete recovery of the injury. |
|
Quoted:
Dammit. I should have figured. A couple years ago a horse sent me sternum first into a tree at full gallop. Ever since I have been able to crack my ribs along my sternum like knuckles. Well I have been working out a little and using the machines at the gym. (no free weights, always too crowded for those and I have no spotter). P90X is on my near agenda and I decided to do the pre test. Did the push ups but immediately felt a rather sharp pain dead center of my chest. Actually I can feel it go from my biceps right into the center of my chest. I did the minimum and stopped. Well that was 3 days ago and every time I lean back and stretch my arms out to the sides. I can feel the pain. Biceps to center of chest. I eat 200 grams of protein a day, I hydrate well and I eat about 2500 calories a day while keeping the carbs around 50 grams. I guess push ups are a no go for me until I heal up. I hope that's not going to take too long. Is taking Advil throughout the day ok? any tips? I have been trying to gently stretch during the day but that brings on the pain. Like a knife in my chest pain. I put my fingers where the pain is and I can feel the muscles bunching up a the point. Try taking some asprin to reduce the swelling, unfortunately there is really nothing that you can do to make it go away. Take it easy at the gym and dont forget to stretch before and after working out. start small and build from there, if you taking in that much protein and eating that much it shouldn't take too long to actually build muscle. Don't expect it to happen over night, your looking at least several months before you really see major gains, unless your lifting heavy every day. Good luck and don't give up.. SD79 
|
| Are you sure its the muscle and not the cartilage connecting the ribs to the sternum? From the sounds of it you had the same sort of trauma I had. I was punched in the chest and it bruised the cartilage enough that it loosened up and let a rib pop out. I had to get it manipulated and reset then had to take it easy for a while as the sports med doc said that until the bruise can heal the cartilage is still very soft and any trauma can re-aggravate the injury. |
|
Quoted: Are you sure its the muscle and not the cartilage connecting the ribs to the sternum? From the sounds of it you had the same sort of trauma I had. I was punched in the chest and it bruised the cartilage enough that it loosened up and let a rib pop out. I had to get it manipulated and reset then had to take it easy for a while as the sports med doc said that until the bruise can heal the cartilage is still very soft and any trauma can re-aggravate the injury. This. With your history, simple muscle pain isn't likely. |
|
Quoted: Yup, I've popped a rib out before too, hurts like hell, and takes a long time to heal.Are you sure its the muscle and not the cartilage connecting the ribs to the sternum? From the sounds of it you had the same sort of trauma I had. I was punched in the chest and it bruised the cartilage enough that it loosened up and let a rib pop out. I had to get it manipulated and reset then had to take it easy for a while as the sports med doc said that until the bruise can heal the cartilage is still very soft and any trauma can re-aggravate the injury. |
|
For years I experienced strain-type pain and movement/cracking in my sternum - limited movement and enjoyment of a lot of activities. Exercise and stimulation made it feel better, but didn't want to exercise when it felt that way - a conundrum. Long story short: I discovered I had back problems, not chest problems. The real source of the discomfort was a twisted up back where ribs meet vertabra. Try probing that area, massage or feel for sensitive "points" of the ribs under your armpit area.
MD's will poke aruond your sternum, give you a handful of naproxen/ibuprofen and send you home. They also asked if I was depressive, etc. The cure for me was strengthening my middle back muscles, general core improvement but using gentle work out. I also sought chiropractic adjustments - felt great, but short-lived. Good luck. |
|
Quoted: Are you sure its the muscle and not the cartilage connecting the ribs to the sternum? From the sounds of it you had the same sort of trauma I had. I was punched in the chest and it bruised the cartilage enough that it loosened up and let a rib pop out. I had to get it manipulated and reset then had to take it easy for a while as the sports med doc said that until the bruise can heal the cartilage is still very soft and any trauma can re-aggravate the injury. I did go to the ER that day of the injury and they took some x-rays and such. Amazingly nothing broke but it was sore as hell for a couple months and I took it real easy. I can feel the muscles pulling. I hope its the muscles anyway. If its still hurting by Monday I will have the doc take a look. Until then its just cardio and legs. Maybe some abs. |
|
Quoted: Quoted: Are you sure its the muscle and not the cartilage connecting the ribs to the sternum? From the sounds of it you had the same sort of trauma I had. I was punched in the chest and it bruised the cartilage enough that it loosened up and let a rib pop out. I had to get it manipulated and reset then had to take it easy for a while as the sports med doc said that until the bruise can heal the cartilage is still very soft and any trauma can re-aggravate the injury. I did do to the ER and they took some xrays and such. Amazingly nothing broke but it was sore as hell for a couple months and I took it real easy. I can feel the muscles pulling. I hope sits the muscles anyway. If its still hurting by Monday I will have the doc take a look. Until then its just cardio and legs. Maybe some abs. For a muscle injury you need to use the Starr Rehab method. It works. |
| I had the same problem fell 8 feet through a ceiling on to a chair and bang my ribs up pretty good. Took several days to really start hurting, my doctor said i tore and separated my cartilage take it easy for six months.The only time it hurts any more is when i have been less active or haven't done any real physical activitys. Its been five years or so since it happened. |