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Help!! I pulled a muscle while coughing


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I have had a cough for about 2 1/2 wks now.

I pulled a muscle a couple of days ago on my right side then on my left. Tonight while coughing and I pulled the one on my right again and WORSE!

I am still coughing and it is really painful!

 

I am on a heating pad, but it is painful being on my side.

 

What can I do???

 

If my cough continues I am going to the Dr., Monday.

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I'm not a doctor or a nurse, but I am a massage therapist trained in hydrotherapy... and of course know something about muscles. ;)

 

 

Immediately after pulling a muscle, cold is better than heat. When the pain eases up some, alternate heat and cold.

 

If you use ice, don't apply directly to the skin, and only leave it on for about 10 minutes with 15 minute breaks between applications. It will do you more good to use a cold, wet rag (refrigerated, not frozen) and keep it on longer. (Keep one on and one in the fridge; then when the first warms up, rewet and put back in the fridge and swap for the cold one. You can keep it on almost constantly that way.)

 

 

When you "pull" a muscle, you have torn some of the tiny strands. Heat expands and lets blood flow more freely through the tears, which is the opposite of what you want. Cold/cool restrcts the blood flow allowing quicker clotting and therefore repair, and will also help with the minor swelling. Once you're feeling a little better (a day or two, and getting rid of the cough will help, or at least controlling it somehow) then you can switch to alternating cool and heat. When or after you apply heat, massage the area to encourage correct healing and lessen tightness of the muscle.

 

 

 

Goodness!! Hope you get to feeling better!! *gentle hug*

Edited by dalynnrmc
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It could be pleurisy or much as I hate to think it -a fractured/cracked rib. It really can happen from a long persistent cough over weeks. Ask me how I know...I lived with an ace bandage around my ribcage for a month after bronchitis decided to give me the runaround. Please see an MD

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Have you looked in the mirror to see if something is poking out? This happened to me when I was pregnant. Mind you, it was from out-of-control laughing, not coughing. Darn hormones! Anyhoo, I had intense pain in my side, the kind that makes you need to apply serious counter-pressure. I went to the washroom mirror and lifted my shirt ~ lo and behold a ligament had popped between two ribs. My mom had to come and push it back in, but it still hurt for a while. Apparantly it's rare to be "able" to do that, but as soon as you do it once, it happens more frequently. To this day it happens if I laugh or cough hard. It looks like a weiner (hot dog) formed along the side of my ribs. I like to say amidst hard laughter "stop! You're going to make me pop a weiner!" :lol:

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