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Pulled chest muscle from coughing...
Catalin Bond
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I've had a cough for the last two weeks. Thought I was getting better and ran approximately 6 miles Thursday and again Saturday. Saturday afternoon my chest was sore on the right, particularly when coughing, and pain was worse Sunday and today. A quick google search makes me think I've pulled a muscle from all the coughing. It hurts when I take a deep breath, hurts when coughing, sneezing, hiccuping, laughing and moving and radiates into my back. Anyway that's enough of the symptoms (in case anyone has any other suggestions for what I've done)
My main question is whether anyone has ever done this and what the recovery is like. I'm meant to be doing Hellrunner in just under two weeks 
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Comments
Crazy diamond - it certainly is possible to do this but I just wonder if you haven't actually got a chest infection and it might be a good idea to see your GP. Generally accepted recomendations for running when you have a cold (not from your GP but most of us do it!) is that its generally OK if its a head cold - just take it really easy - but if you are coughing and symptoms are below the neck don't run as you could damage your chest as you appear to have done. Get thee to a physician..........
- hope you're OK.
CD - I've pulled a muscle from coughing and yes, it is achey. If I'm coughing so much that I can pull muscles, it's usually an indication I'm not at all well. I agree with Tigerlily, get yourself to a Doctor and have yourself checked out.
Not personally, but my boyfriend has several times pulled intercostal muscles (the ones between the ribs) from coughing. Usually takes a while to heal, say about a month, repeated coughing makes it take longer to heal as he usually pulls them again.
I'd second the advice that it would be worth going to a doctor to check you don't have a chest infection - one time he hurt his ribs particularly badly it led to pneumonia because he wasn't able to breathe well.
Hope you feel better soon.
Cheers for responses. Got an appointment with the doc for something else tommorrow so will mention chest too. Dont think it's an infection as I don't feel ill other than the chest pain. Not feverish and pretty dure I don't have a temperature.
I thought I was good to have two weeks off running, and only went back to it when I thuoght cough was improving. Perhaps goes to show I should have been lazy for another week!
I fractured two ribs and pulled a muscle from sneezing 8 years ago and my sister fractured two ribs from coughing whilst pregnant...so pulling a muscle coughing can easily happen. actually thought the Dr in emergency was going to laugh at me but he said it was very common?!?
For me it took 6 weeks for the pain to subside and longer for complete recovery, but in my case it was fractures too.
Agree with posts above - though infections don't normally give you a temperature - thats virus's I think (though I could be wrong). My Mum fractured a rib coughing a couple of years ago - but she had pleurecy........
On that happy note I'll sign off.......
Take it easy CD!
Anyone who's done this before, what was length of the recovery?
I went to the doc this morning and they agree probably a pulled muscle. Said to use ibruprofen or paracetymol and come back if no improvement in 7-10 days.
Doc said I'd be ok to do Hellrunner provided pain has gone by then, so was wondering how long it took other people to recover and how long they were off running.
Thought I'd update incase anyone else ever has a similar problem. Pretty sure it was pulled muscle rather than chest infection. Chest was always clear when listened to by the docs.
It's now three weeks after first pain, and chest is slowly improving. Sneezing is still painful, and some movements, such as sitting up from lyng down still hurts a bit, but not as much as before. Normal breathing is now not so bad, and I'm not using painkillers for it. Feels better when not wearing a bra, so luckily it's been cold ebough to hide this under lots of layers!
I ran hellrunner, and although chest felt tight, particularly when pushing the pace, or trying to run up the hills, it wasn't painful, and I don't think I did any more damage. Went out for a slow 40 mins run in the week, and had a similar tightness so taking it easy on the running.
My advice, be careful how much you cough! First (and hopefully last) time this has happened to me.