archer70

Ok help me out. I have received a blunt force trauma to the sternum, back in December. Never went to the doctor. Back the middle of febuary I bounced a barbell of my sternum during bench press. I then got sick and was coughing forcefully hard. I started tp have chest pains. Went to the Dr. thinking it was my heart. He said no blunt force trauma. Two weeks later I went back still hurting and worring it was still my heart. Saw a different Dr. she said no to the heart problems. She ran an EKG three different ways (not sure which ways). She says I am as normal as normal gets. This has been 2 weeks ago and I am still felling bad. Chest pains still, more in the muscles than in the middle. Pain in my left arm but never at the same time as my chest hurting. Never radiating down the arm, no shortness of breath. I have actually lowered my blood pressure some, over the last 2 weeks. Still in a acceptable range. So should i go back again to the Dr.? She said I might have fractured my sternum and seperated the ribs from it. You can pch on the sternum and on the edge and cause pain. Am I worrying over nothing, or should I go back?


Thanks Greg

Tom Stormcrowe

Medical advice: Whoo boy, not a chance!! The best advice I can give you is not medical advice. All I can say is if you feel that the pain is abnormal, then see the Dr. It could be what your Dr suggested, the symptoms do indicate this. It could also be torn or traumatized intercostal muscles (between the ribs), and if that's the case, it will be exquisitely painful for a while!

archer70

Tom


They were saying the intercostal cartlidge and muscle were hurt. They can push on the sternum and the cartlidge and I want to cry it hurts so bad. I have heart disease that runs in my family. I am a little nervous. I am wanting to start riding, I need to work on my weight and BP. Thanks for the reply.



Greg

cohophysh

Follow toms advice...go back to the Dr...hopefully they have given you an xray or MRI or whatever

Tom Stormcrowe

I've been there, and it dooooooo hurt! Far worse than mere crushed ribs actually and when you move, you get that knife of pain if you move just in the wrong way?

Like I said, if you want to be sure, see your Dr and take it easy for a bit. Better to take it easy now and heal than to make it worse and take a lot longer to heal up. I wouldn't recommend ANY heavy lifting for a while, say a 5 pound limit? Your doctor will have a better limitation number than I do though, ands again, it's not medical advice I'm giving here.

Velo Dog

You've had chest pain for three months, you have a family history of heart attacks and you're asking for medical advice in a forum for fat bicyclists? Sit down and think about that a minute..

CliftonGK1

Regular checkups for the potential heart problems are a good idea. Sounds like you're going that route already, and things are coming up roses for you. If the ticker's in good shape, and they say it's an intercostal injury, you're in for a rough and painful recovery.
Back in my powerlifting days I suffered a similar injury while doing some incline board-stacks. Halfway through a press it felt like my chest got torn open by an angry bear. Turns out that I had torn the muscles in between my ribs on one side. Took me almost half a year of really taking it easy before the pain fully went away. That means even if you're riding a stationary 'bent to keep the pressure off, you can't get going to the point of really heavy breathing because you risk re-tearing things. It totally sucks.

Keep up with the doctor visits, and I hope you feel better soon.

Tom Stormcrowe

Velodog, he's had 3 EKG's. All negative. Intercostal injuries are slow to heal and incredibly painful!

archer70

Tom

Yea they have done 3 different EKG's. All were negative. I am feeling a little better about it. I really notice it when I move my arms a lot or lift things. Other than that I feel pretty good. Thanks for the supot everyone.


Greg

obelix67

I had a silly injury last september, I sneezed taking our youngest kid out of the bath, twisted a rib but tore a 1/2 inch hole at the top of my 6 pack, the 6 pack is the 6 at the top of the 24 pack right, anyway possibly one of the soreest things I have had to experience.... by the sound of it I am glad I havent got what you have, touch wood......

-take your time and make it better....

tci2

I also would not venture to provide medical advice. However, there is a new test (some kind of MRI) the cardiologists are using now. You might ask your Dr. about. I don't trust an EKG any further than I can spit.

Tom Stormcrowe

Greg, if you ever need to just even B!tch and moan, whatever, I'm just a PM away

I'll get back you as soon as I get it. I won't give medical advice, other than if you feel concerned about it, get with the Dr! What can I say......I ain't one! I'm just a dumb ol' country boy /retired trucker/college student!

archer70

Ok heres an update and sorry for being gone so long. Been swamped at work and school. 2 weeks ago this Monday I ended up in the ER with heart palpitations. No pain, just my heart beating way to fast and hard. Drove to the ER did the full cardiac work up. NOT my heart. They said maybe something I ate or anxiety (been stressed lately). So this last Wednesday since my doc's been gone I went to a cardiologist for a check up. Sent by my docs nurse. Did the EKG and the treadmill stress test,, all negative for heart problems. Guessing it was anxiety. My chest is still sore but better know that I know that it is not my heart got sure.

Greg

Tom Stormcrowe

Good to hear! Just ease back into riding. Follow your Dr's advice and things will be well with your world!

Air

You should probably see a sports doctor who specializes in chest injuries. He could probably set your mind at ease plus recommend some treatments.

Good to hear everything checked out again!

tci2

I know no-one asked, and I am not doing this to scare anyone. Just some info to pass on since we are in a "Clyde" forum.
June 2004, had some chest pains at work, worried me so I went to my family doctor who ordered a gated cardiolight stress test at a cardiologist's office. Did the test and was told I was "healthy as a horse" (get it).
August 2004, involved in a particularly nasty vehicle pursuit and the pains came back even stronger. (didn't go to the doctor this time, put it off as stress/anxiety.)After all I was healthy as a horse two months ago.
September 2004, another batch of chest pains and was admitted to hospital. Another round of EKGs and another stress test to be sent home the very next day. You guessed...healthy as a horse.
November 2004, massive heart attack. Shocked three times to be revived.
No family history, only moderate obestity (I'm 5'11"/220), I did smoke but not even a pack a day.
I was a police mountain bike instructor and rode recreationally all of my life.

Check with your doctor, check with another doctor. Don't wait or put it off.

Hopefully your injury is causing your pain and nothing else. My $.02

dcon

I'm not a doctor. I don't play one on TV. I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. However, I think I understand what's going on.

I injured pretty much all the soft tissue in/around my sternum when I was 17. I worked on the loading dock of a furniture store and lost a battle with a very large, VERY expensive entertainment armoire. I didn't realize I had injured myself so badly at the time - it just felt really tight. Later that day, I stretched and yawned, moving my arms out, away from my body and heard a very distinct "snap, crackle, pop." The pain was immediate and severe. I was terrified. I called my mom to take me to the doctor. He checked me out, said my heart was okay, gave me meds, and sent me home. I had numbness in the last two fingers of my left hand in the days that followed, went back to the doctor, and was told that swelling in my chest/ribs was pressuring a nerve that runs down the arm and into the hand.

That was all more than 10 years ago. About 5 years ago, I was still having intermittent pains in my chest, so I went to the doctor. We did EKG, stress test, chest x-ray, blood work, etc...all negative on heart problems and bone injuries. So, to PT I went. That was a new kind of pain, but it helped get the soft tissue loosened up again - it had just healed really tightly b/c my previous doc never ordered any PT or told me any stretches to do, etc...and doing upper body stuff really hurt, so I avoided it.

I, too, have had palpitations, PVCs (premature ventricular contractions), and anxiety about the chest pains. That all started in law school, as it did for a number of my classmates (go figure). I just keep an eye on the symptoms and keep in touch w/my doctors (I have type I diabetes, so I keep in frequent contact anyway). The cardiologist I saw and my diabetes specialist both told me that they get PVCs and palpitations quite frequently - stress and anxiety, lack of sleep, etc...can make them more frequent, but as long as there's no underlying heart disease, they're usually benign.

So, to reinforce what others have told you, go with what your doctors tell you. If you continue to have symptoms and are worried, talk with your doctor. If your symptoms change at all, tell your doctor right away. There are additional tests beyond EKGs and stress tests that can be done.

Good luck

turkdc

If the pain started after bouncing a barbell off of your chest there is a very good chance that the pain you are experiencing is related to damage to the sternum, cartilage of the costo-sternal joint, a rib, a muscle or any combination of the above. I would recommend getting checked by a doctor who specialized in the musculo-skeletal system - your friendly neighborhood chiropractor.

He or she should be able to determine what is going on with your thoracic cage.

-scott

InTheRain

LOL!... yeah, we seem to come to the bike forum for all kinds of advice, don't we? You know, I'd have to have much more information to make a valid "bike forum expert" medical diagnosis! These are questions that I gotta ask:

Does your chest hurt when you fart?

Is the pain worse when the price on the stocks you own is going lower?

Does the pain wake you up at night and force you to watch infomercials?

Answer these questions, and I'll be able to give you my professional opinion... Or, go back to the Dr. and explain to him why you are so concerned.

Velo Dog

Darwinism at work here. We'd be fools to interfere.