Signs, Treatments, and Relief for Intercostal Strain Muscle: Identifying Symptoms, Seeking Medical Help, and Home Remedies
Intercostal muscle strain, a common injury affecting the muscles between two or more ribs, is often the result of repetitive or sudden forceful movements and poor posture. This condition can cause sharp, direct pain, stiffness, and mobility difficulties.
Common causes of intercostal muscle strain include repetitive, forceful motions such as weight lifting or intense dancing, sudden movements like bending or reaching overhead, poor posture, dehydration, overexertion, and incorrect posture or overreaching. Activities like golf, tennis, specific yoga postures, dance positions, reaching overhead, lifting heavy objects, prolonged overhead reaching, and repetitive forceful movements can also lead to this injury.
Symptoms often involve sharp pain in the rib area, muscle tension, stiffness, tenderness, soreness when touched, difficulty breathing, and swelling or inflammation. Severe and sudden pain, particularly if caused by a blow to the chest or back, stiffness and tension in muscles causing upper back pain, muscle rigidity when bending or twisting the upper body, worsening pain when coughing, sneezing, or breathing in deeply, spasms of the intercostal muscles, and tenderness in the area between the ribs are also possible symptoms.
If a traumatic injury, such as a fall or an automobile accident, has occurred, breathing is difficult, or a person is coughing up blood, immediate medical attention is necessary. Routine activities are the common cause of intercostal muscle strain, but a fractured rib is a medical emergency requiring immediate attention, with signs including feeling breathless, a protrusion or sharp stabbing sensation in the rib area, and an area around the ribs that is extremely tender to touch.
Prevention focuses on posture correction, hydration, controlled physical activity, and gentle stretching. Maintaining good posture, avoiding repetitive, excessive, or sudden forceful movements, staying well hydrated, performing gentle stretching exercises, and using proper techniques and warm-up routines before strenuous activities or heavy lifting can help prevent intercostal muscle strain.
Home treatment for intercostal muscle strain may include applying an ice pack followed by heat therapy, resting, taking pain medications, and splinting the area if breathing is painful. Deep breathing exercises can help improve shallow breathing caused by intercostal muscle strain. Most intercostal muscle strains and other rib injuries should heal within a 6-week time span.
A healthcare professional may also prescribe muscle relaxants, physical therapy, or injectable medications like corticosteroids and lidocaine for severe pain and spasms. Diagnosing intercostal muscle strain involves a physical exam and may include imaging tests like ultrasound or MRI scans.
It is advisable to see a doctor if the pain from a rib injury is severe, lasts for more than a few days, or interferes with sleep or daily activities. It is also advisable not to do any stretching exercises without the supervision of a physical therapist or other healthcare professionals. A fever or feeling hot and shivery can be a symptom of an intercostal muscle strain. The duration of an intercostal muscle strain depends on the severity of the injury, with mild strains healing within a few days and severe strains taking longer.
Physical therapy for intercostal muscle strain may involve various stretches and breathing exercises aimed at strengthening the affected muscles and improving flexibility. Prevention of future intercostal muscle strains involves warming up and stretching before performing strenuous exercises, not overdoing it during workouts or sports, and keeping muscles strong through regular exercise and proper nutrition.
- Aq, suffering from multiple chronic medical conditions such as bipolar disorder, depression, and chronic kidney disease, also experienced frequent accidental falls and stiffness in the intercostal muscles, often a result of poor posture and repetitive forceful movements.
- Despite his commitment to health and wellness, his mental-health issues, including bipolar disorder, led to irregular fitness and exercise routines, which predictive science suggests could increase his risk of respiratory conditions and future intercostal muscle strains.
- His diet, lacking in proper nutrition, might have worsened his chronic diseases, including the intercostal muscle strain and depression, as optimal nutrition plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health and reducing the risk of such conditions.
- Aq sought medical attention, concerned about the chronic pain in his rib area, which he attributed to his intercostal muscle strain, a condition frequently caused by his sport-related activities like tennis and golf.
- The medical professionals examined him, diagnosing his intercostal muscle strain, and prescribed a course of treatment that included physical therapy, muscle relaxants, and pain medications.
- The physical therapist taught him several stretches and breathing exercises specifically designed for intercostal muscle strain, aiming to strengthen the affected muscles and improve flexibility.
- Aq was advised to maintain good posture, avoid repetitive, excessive, or sudden forceful movements, and stay well hydrated to help prevent future intercostal muscle strains.
- In addition to treating his intercostal muscle strain, the healthcare team discussed the importance of managing his chronic diseases, mental-health issues, and the need for a balanced diet and regular exercise to maintain his overall health and wellness.
