Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: MuscleMan on 27/08/2003 16:09:22
-
Its a long story, but i got an upper back injury when working out, and it wanst my fault. It happened about one month ago, it hurt for a week or so, then it stopped until it started hurting again when i was throwing a football around with my friends. I probably injured the rhomboid. I dont feel pain when i do and back extrecies such as deadlifts, pulldowns, pullups, bend over rows but i do feel pain when i twist my torso, of lift a heavy weight while twisting or arching my back. Its not the spine or the lower back. The pain is not a sharp pain but feels more like a strain or a pull.
This best discribes my injury: http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/sma/sma_upperbak_sma.htm
When this injury occured i thought it was nothing, thus i didnt ice or do anything. I know that ice right now is too late? what should i do then? just stop working out until it feels fine? heat it? I just really hope its not permenent. Please help.
-
Doesn't sound like a disc, and that's good. For muscle pain, generally now the best you can do is muscle relaxants and NSAIDS, i.e. ibuprofen. Don't know where you live, but in the US, the dose of NSAIDS you get over the counter is about half the prescription dose, so you'd have to double the dose to get the same effect. NSAIDS block the inflammatory response, and if you can stop the inflammation, the pain will subside. It's kind of a bad cycle your body gets into. So don't just take them when you have pain. Take them every 4-6 hours, as directed on the package, for about two weeks. The muscle relaxant will obviously decrease the muscle spasm, thus reduce pain and inflammation. Again, I would take them every 4-6 hours for a couple of weeks. And then, of course, don't keep working your back in ways that cause pain. Your body is telling you to give it a rest, which means don't get into that no pain, no gain thing. Pain is there for a reason, and you need to let the body heal. At this stage, alternating hot and cold packs will increase circulation to the area and perhaps help expedite the healing. Too late for cold packs alone to keep the swelling down. A whirlpool will help reduce the pain too if you belong to a health club where there is one available.
Bezoar