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[Wazza]

I was just wondering if anyone has experienced a side strain and what they have mainly done about it
i am feeling pain in the side of my ribs and when i push in a certain spot in gives of a sharp pain also sharp pain come  when i bowl but only after my spell usually, i rested for a month but the pains is still happening
i was wondering if anyone would give some advice on what to do

[Stewie-Kidd]

you may want to go see a physio, sounds like you may have torn something between your ribs

[Tail Ender]

Rather than start a new topic, I'll post here.

So, I felt 'something go' on my left side near the bottom of my ribs when I was in my third over on Saturday. I finished out the two balls, each bringing a more severe pain than the previous delivery. I told my skipper at over's end I'd injured something and I was done. A couple of throws in from the deep didn't help either the injury or my comfort, but as we only had 11 instead of our usual 12, I couldn't go off.

Since then I've taken anti-inflammatory pills and chucked ice on it every so often, but it's not helping. I've experienced some bad injuries in my 29 years, but this is by far the most painful and uncomfortable I have ever had (worse than the ruptured ankle ligament!). The five night's sleep have been horrible; I have to sleep on my back and if I shift my weight to either side it is excruciating.

I've accepted I probably won't be playing for a few weeks, and there's a possibility I mightn't bowl again this year - it feels that bad. I'll probably end up seeing a physio, too. But have any fellow forumers done a similar injury? If so, how did you deal with the pain and make it more comfortable to deal with?

[SixOfTheBest]

Yeah I've done it before, last year strained my left side (left armer) but it wasn't as severe as yours sounds...I did go to the physio, and he told me it was just a matter of resting for 2/3 weeks and icing it and eventually the pain got less and less until I could bowl without too much pain. Nowadays I make a very conscious effort to stretch my sides well before every time I bowl. Maybe try the "Merv Hughes" style stretches once you are able to bend a bit more.

[ajmw89]

Any kind of rib or chest injury is a ball ache because the muscles are in constant use.  I broke a rib snowboarding in march, and with winter nets and the start of the season, it didn't feel 100% till about may/june. 
Sleeping was difficult, cos whichever way you lay ends up putting some form of strain/pressure on the ribs

[Tail Ender]

Thanks guys. The pain has subsided a fair bit now and I can sleep fairly comfortably most nights. Sneezing still causes me a bit of pain  I have noticed though that I've started to get a bit of pain on the opposite side now. Overcompensating maybe?

SixOfTheBest - funnily enough I am a fairly rigorous and committed stretcher before I go out to bowl/field. I usually spend at least 15 minutes going through a number of leg, arm, back and side stretches, but on the day I did my side I didn't go through my back and side stretches much. I guess I had it coming.