Intercostal muscle pull?

[Birkholzr]

Going through this right now. Doing leg press and pop. My chiropractor told me to ice it then heat. He pin pointed it. Did some stretches digging his fingers into the muscle. I've been working out just as hard and enduring the pain, but that doesn't seem to be helping. Might have to lay off till Christmas. Sucks because I'm on week 10 of shortcut to size and wanted to finish it.

[paolo59]

Going through this right now. Doing leg press and pop. My chiropractor told me to ice it then heat. He pin pointed it. Did some stretches digging his fingers into the muscle. I've been working out just as hard and enduring the pain, but that doesn't seem to be helping. Might have to lay off till Christmas. Sucks because I'm on week 10 of shortcut to size and wanted to finish it.

LOL Old thread, regular occurence! Take your time getting back into the swing of things. It took me 3 or 4 weeks to get into it again. Enjoy your 'Holiday' and the time off; from certain excercises that is. I worked around the damned thing. You can too!

[Garage Rat]

Ive had this and took a long time to feel better.
No rehab would really help.
Like you some thing i would not feel it at all and others it would kill me.
Planks really irritated it but i could do deadlifts.
It just took time and avoiding what exercises hurt that area.
For me almost a year before i stopped noticing any pain.
Good Luck.

[chem1cal]

Bumping for others to see, because this apparently can happen to anyone -- even me!

It occurred to me 16 days ago (two Mondays ago). I started a new cutting mesocycle, so I was using lower weight and higher repetitions with lower resting times. I felt OK doing the reps, and I've been working out for about 1.5 - 2 years and I've been certified for about 6 months or so now (Give or take).

I had done Chest/Triceps and Abs that day (Oblique Crunches). I felt OK until the end of the workout, where I was getting out of breath WAY too easily. It was not like me whatsoever.

I fetl DOMs the day after, but I felt it on Wednesday the worst. I was sitting at work and I felt my chest tighten up and it became very difficult to breathe. I recently had a lot of heart work-up done, and all of the testing came back good.

I went to the doctor and they said it was inflammation. I went back a week later (One week as of today) and my actual doctor said it was an intercostal strain and to take NSAI's, Ice/Heat and *REST*. I was big into the gym, going in about 5-6 days per week after work. I had my goal and I was striving for it.

I tried going into the gym for the first time to do a decent workout (I had been doing some light training with resistance tubing to do arms and some cardio), and I did VERY light cable flyes just to stretch out the area, but I felt terrible yesterday. It was inflammed bad again, but it feels much better today... so far.

At the time of the injury I heard *nothing*. No pop or snap like others have felt.

The day of, I did dumbbell bench presses, incline dumbbell bench presses and flat bench cable flyes.

As a note to all, there are different degrees of strain. I've been reading up on this since my injury. There's Grade 1, 2 and 3. 1 is usually very minor, 2 is a bit worse and can take 2-6 weeks to recover, and 3 is very severe and may need surgery for repair.

I just want to get back into the gym... I feel myself losing fat from dieting, though. However, I am trying to retain my muscle as best as possible through a diet in adequate protein and protein supplementation (BCAA's, Casein and Whey).

Last but not least, I read that Omega 3's are good for treating inflammation. Arnica Gel seems to work well for pain management, but it's a pain since you can't apply it at work as easily as popping Ibuprofen.

[cnoble87]

Haha, relieved there is such a lengthy thread on this topic!

Was finishing off a leg workout yesterday with some barbell curls, first set 8 reps 40kg, second set 8 reps 40kg, and on the third set I dropped the weight to 35kg to get some higher reps, however on the 4th rep right at the bottom as I was about to contract up I partially relaxed or twisted or something and immediately felt a searing pain in the lower left back area of my rib cage, there was no sound, but I collapsed to the left and dropped the weight and felt winded for about 30 sec

I didn't feel too bad after, and did some dumbbell curls instead, and a couple more leg exercises, and was about to finish off with some weighted pull-ups but the gym closed early (Easter Sunday) - so I went home, as I was getting out the door frame pull-up bar my girlfriend told me I was an idiot and shouldn't aggravate the injury - which at the time really wasn't hurting that bad any more, let me tell you I am so happy that I listened to her.

I woke up this morning, and could literally not get out of bed, I had to grab onto a bedpost and drag myself out of bed, breathing is ****ing killing me right now, and the slightest turn to my left is massive pain, this injury is completely bull****.

Going to take a couple of days off then try and do a chest workout in the middle of the week, will update here on how it goes for other people's future reference, have to say this was a very weird and unexpected injury, never had anything like it

[b5er]

Pulled the same muscle a week and half ago doing leg press. I was doing my last set of presses when i was at the start postition,i took a breath then went to push and than "pop" on my left side ribs. Like everyone else here i didnt kno what i pulled or broke. I felt a sharp pain right after it popped but was was able to finish my leg workout with machines. But the next is i started feeling it.

Been taking it easy ever since and havent been to the gym tho which sucks. I will try a heat pack to see if feels better than ice.
Hopefully in a few weeks i can try to start working again but limiting certain excercise that my reagravate the pull.

On average how long should i wait to start going back to the gym?

[paolo59]

Pulled the same muscle a week and half ago doing leg press. I was doing my last set of presses when i was at the start postition,i took a breath then went to push and than "pop" on my left side ribs. Like everyone else here i didnt kno what i pulled or broke. I felt a sharp pain right after it popped but was was able to finish my leg workout with machines. But the next is i started feeling it.

Been taking it easy ever since and havent been to the gym tho which sucks. I will try a heat pack to see if feels better than ice.
Hopefully in a few weeks i can try to start working again but limiting certain excercise that my reagravate the pull.

On average how long should i wait to start going back to the gym?

I was able to do certain things within several days, literally. LOL I'm a pro at working around things. Anything that put upward/downward pressure on my torso was out of the question for 3 or 4 weeks. Standing calf raises put a lot of stress on it. Obviously no leg presses or squats. Just lying on a flat bench hurt. Seated leg extensions didn't bother me, certain bicep/tricep excercises, other machine excercises with specific and 'tracked' movements. You can sort of feel it out. LOL That 'pop' sound is disconcerting!

[Clintw1976]

I know this might be reviving an old thread....sought of but just had to chime in here. I pulled my intercostal muscle last week and I've been through some pain since. I think I did it when deadlifting. Didn't here a pop or anything but knew straight away that something wasn't right. Had x-rays yesterday which showed no cracked ribs which was a good thing. I woke up this morning feeling great, pain down to about 10% of what it was. Was driving to work, going around a bend and "POP". The pain shot back up to about 200%. Not sure what happened there but it's set me back to last week. Not happy at all!

Unlike some, I'm steering clear of the gym for at least a solid 3 weeks.

[Kale4life1]

December 2012. I was in college. I'm in college for Entertainment Technology/Roadie Industry... Was working in the theatre for a play. My position during the show was just offstage by the change rooms. 3/4 of the performers were sick and I was sitting right where they entered the stage from their rooms. 2/3 of the crew + me were getting sick too. I was sick all winter. So I was lounging in my living room recliner with my arm behind my head. I believe I pulled the muscles like this from sitting with my arm behind my head and bad posture. to this day it's still sore on occasion. Saw my chiropractor yesterday. he said that it's a tender muscle... Going to be putting BioFreeze Muscle Gel on it... I wish I could use a TENS Machine on it.. but that's not safe at all. I did start taking yoga 2 days ago. I used to always take yoga. ut I was sick and then in may I had surgery. so now I'm hoping Yoga will help this pain go away.
Any other tips?

[smithgf]

Hi guys,

I've read these threads with interest following a muscle strain myself last Wednesday on the raised leg press on one of my final reps of 3 sets. I had come quite close to my body on the downward cycle as per instructions from my PT but I felt at the time it was a bit tight. Like others I felt a pop on my lower left rib as I pushed out one of my last reps and knew something had happened but it was not debilitating me at the time. In fact the leg press was the first part of a fairly gruelling leg set which I managed to complete that day. The following day I was in a bit of pain but had a tabata and circuit training day and again managed to complete this but with rather bad output as anything core related hurt. I had originally got myself onto the rower for the tabata but had to move to the bike as it was causing so much pain at the compression of each row.

Then the weekend came and I have decided to rest it but I'm really annoyed as I am on week 3 of a 10 week cutting programme for a particular goal of a beach weeding. I want to go back to the gym tomorrow as normal to resume the programme as I have heard you can work around it but others suggest I just suck it up and rest for at least a week. What do you guys who have been through all this suggest? I'm really starting to see results and this totally sucks to be stopped by this mid way through.

Cheers

[elimmigrante]

I believe this occurred to me Friday while leg pressing but because I had my music blasting on my headphones, I didn't hear anything. I simply felt a very brief ache/pain that I thought was an air pocket so I continued my last set and the rest of my workout.

Friday night, the ache/pain intensified and yesterday (my rest day) it was there but not as noticeable. This morning, I went through my normal workout routine (which included deadlifts) and I'm hurting now (3 hours later)...and a lot more than I did Friday night.

[pbk3jg0]

I'm not sure how, but I have also seemingly pulled something near my ribs.
I started wearing a powerlifting belt recently so I thought it was just superficial wound from the new-ish belt, but now it's been a week and the pain is still kind of there so I assume it's a muscle injury.
The pain was somewhat manageable at first so I just worked out through the pain twice and that seemingly slowed down my recovery.

I'm afraid to injure my rib area more while working out, so I'm resting but damn it is frustrating to lose my mental strength gains by resting for a week.

[timelinex]

I guess this is the thread that refuses to die and keeps getting bumped for rib injuries, so I will give it a bump.

Did any of you guys have a big lump with any of your tears? I'm thinking I have an intercoastel tear but I also have a big lump which makes me curious.

[boldblue737]

Well I did it, injured myself. It began to be sore after I finished a SL 5x5 set of squats but I assumed it was just normal ab soreness. 2 days later when I did another set of 5x5 squats and 1x5 deadlifts it was obvious it was an injury and on the left side of my ribs. It's grown more painful since (5 days later, without lifting) and hurts with any kind of twisting or folding of my midsection and coughing / sneezing / deep breathing is painful. I'm pretty sure I would classy my intercostal injury as minor as most of the time it doesn't bother me much unless I do one of the above or touch it and then it becomes very painful.

I was able to bench with it without any real pain (other than sitting up and laying down) but I've avoided all the other SL lifts. Any ideas what will avoid hurting this further? Obviously no squats or deadlifts, but what about rows or overhead press? It feels going through the motions that they would all cause pain other than bench, but I'm willing to work through pain as long as I don't hurt myself further.

Hopefully this is just a week or two, I had finally started getting to some heavier weights in SL but my form was starting to go which is why I think it happened.

Thanks!

[swimmerbodd]

I was doing leg press 4 days back and i felt the same rubber band-like popping on my lower left rib. I figured it must have only been two bones snapping at each other. It felt some tolerable sharp pain but it didnt last. I stopped the routine and went for another muscle though. Like everything didnt happened i went for the following day. Im on my 3rd day i decided to take a rest but somehow the pain is hurting more than before. I can still do my normal activities but on my fourth i started to feel pain on the site whenever i take deeper breaths. So i decided to go see the doctor and had me on xray some labs if any organ was involved. Today they’ll do some ultrasound. I know they cant do any splinting or anything aside from pain relievers but its best to know for sure if there are any other things i need to worry about. I just hope everything goes well.