Pain in right Ribs - torn intercostal muscle? - Page 6

Kvuo, one note on the bright side--I have been playing since I was in my 20's and I'm 63 (almost) and hit the ball just about as good as I ever did. I am able to sense when

I am getting off track and how to correct it. Only given up about 5% of my distance at this stage, so you have a long way to go yet. My injury came when I hit a root hidden slightly

underground. If I would have seen it, I would never have tried to hit off it and I advise anyone anywhere around a tree to check the ground under a ball and thump with an iron to see

what's going on to make sure. This is the fastest way to screw up either your hands, wrists, ribs, back and who knows what else. I had to lay off 3 weeks. The first two I thought I would

never heal but then things happened quick.  It still hurt a little for a week or two when I hit iron shots, they produce much more shock, especially punch shots and wedges. Good luck, you

will get past this.
 

Hi guys,

Seems like I've caught a bad case of the "Kicked in the ribs" golfers curse. I haven't played golf since I was 14. I'm 28 now and just recently started up.

All started about 2 months ago. At the driving range first 2 weeks at the range 3 times a week for 1 1/2 hours hitting 2 - 3 buckets of balls about 200 balls. no issues. Had my first lesson after doing 60km ride and was really wamred up.  Towards the end of the 3rd week started getiing pain just below the shoulder blade and wrapping round me right side to just underneath the nipple, I was at this point wasn't trying to kill th golf ball yet. Following weekend, after week off, I tried again. Got even worse. Couldn't walk and on my back fro 2 days. Didn't go to a Dr as wasn't sure if it was that serious. Soldiered through it with no Golf or Dr for 5 weeks. Went bakc to the driving raneg this past weeknd warmed up for 5-10 minutes stretching and soft swings. Starting hitting my wedge to start out hit 30 or so balls was feeling ok little twinge here and there but nothing serious . Moved on to  hitting 6/7.irons and starting getting worse but thought I'd try work through it. I had no clue how serious this thing was. Hit 10 - 20 driver shots and was almost in tears. Stopped. I know it was stupid but just couldn't resist the urge to hit my new driver. Anyway in the same boat now. I live in Johannesburg South Africa. I read the first 2 or 3 pages of this forum and have decided i need help now. So physio first instead of the Dr/local GP?  I did see my local GP who said it was amild strain and took ibuprofen for a week or so and just didn't play or swing any clubs. Didn't do much  At work now and don't have much time to work through the other pages of tghe forum but will tonight. Any help or advice would be much apprciated.      

I am now in season 3 of pain in right ribs. It started in July 2011 with initial tightness and eventual right side back spasms (intercostal muscles) that made golf an unthinkable event. It only intensified during a round of golf. Every occurrence resulted in 2 to 3 weeks of constant discomfort and making sleep a chore as it was tough to get comfortable. I have seen doctors, chiropractors and been to sport medicine clinics. They all say I need to become more flexible and strengthen the core.

It was not until I found a sports therapist this past January that he discovered that the right side of my pelvis was elevated resulting in my right leg being shorter, and I had a seized SI joint. With a seized SI joint, when I stand and lift my right knee, the hip turns in the socket to a certain point and then locks up forcing the pelvis back instead of the joint naturally turning and the pelvis staying in place. He felt that both of these is contributing to the tightness and strain on the rib cage area, but not the core issue. Regular sessions with the therapist and daily exercises he has prescribed has finally got me to a point where I have no tightness whatsoever. My plan was to not play at all in 2013, but recent improvements have me thinking there may be a possibility.

The therapist suggests it will take 5 or 6 months to be past these issues, although he has treated a college volleyball player with similar symptoms for almost 2 years. I suggest staying away from golf and sticking with a prescribed therapy plan is the best answer. Try and find a sports therapist that understands golf and the golf swing.

I sprained my intercoastal back in late October... It took a deep tissue massage of UNGODLY pain to work the sprain out and finish recovering.

I cannot stress enough about stretching your intercoastals... Its the hardest muscle group to apply any type of physical therapy to.

Hi Folks,

I have found you all because, having taken up golf a week ago (played about 20 rounds through my life, but very sporadically - 32 years old now), I took my new RBZ Stage 2 Driver to the range and hit 260 balls in about 90 minutes, after which I felt a little twinge in the ribs on my right side.  Two days ago I played 9 holes, and as I drove on the 9th (isn't it always just as you're about to finish??), I literally hit the ground, dropped the club, and stayed there for a good 30 seconds.  I have not been able to do much with my right arm since, and walking, breathing, sleeping, all bad, coughing - hell realm.  Just got back from the hospital as I was finding it hard to breathe - they have taken xrays and cannot see any obvious crack, so it appears just to be a really decent tear of an intercostal.

I have learned the hard way from this, and it looks from this thread like many others have.  I feel confident, just based on the current feeling, that a couple of weeks off then easing myself back in will do the trick, but I will keep you posted either way.  Can't stress enough to anyone reading this the importance of stretching all those little muscles through the chest and back.   This is horrible, and will probably put me out for 2-3 weeks.  Big price to pay for not stretching.  They are hard to recuperate, I'd take a bicep strain over one of these little buggers any day, at least with one of those you can work around it, these little guys are involved in just about everything you do to exist....anyway....stretch, is my point.  And when you feel a twinge, don't think it'll be fine and play through it, at least not where your back and chest are concerned.

Nice to have found this resource, being new to the game I am sure I will find much use for it.  Has been very helpful hearing others' experience and treatment methods, I am finding the standard ice and heat treatment, with Diclofenac (Voltaren) for inflammation is the ticket, along with large doses of doing bugger all.  I will be doing a lot of chipping and putting the next couple of weeks.  :)