The intercostal muscles consist of different layers, attached to the ribs, to build chest walls and assist breathing. If in case you happen to twist, strain, or stretch an intercostal muscle, you might end up with what is known as ‘intercostal muscle strain’. In this article, we have discussed how to sleep with intercostal muscle strain to ensure a speedy recovery from the same. This strain in your intercostals muscles will lead to difficulty in breathing and some rib pain. As a matter of fact, muscle strains are one of the most common reasons for chest pain in adults. The pain in your ribs may start because of repetitive motions that build strain over time or because of a sudden injury caused by an accident or a fall. Activities like lifting, coughing, or sneezing, falling, receiving a blow on your rib, or doing heavy work like chopping wood can result in intercostal muscle strain.

Symptoms of Intercostal Muscle Strain

If you suspect you are suffering from an intercostals muscle strain, you should try to identify the following symptoms:

• Pain: You should examine your ribs for any sharp pain that they might have experienced at the time you received an injury; this pain might also surface later and build up gradually over time. This ache worsens when you stretch, twitch, or breathe in deeply while you sneeze or cough.
• Tenderness: The region around your rib, where the strain has been inflicted, will be tender to touch and feel slightly sore.
• Difficulty in Breathing: It is highly possible that you have an intercostal muscle strain if you’re finding it difficult to breathe and taking shallow, small sips of air. This can increase particularly in the night which makes it important to understand how to sleep with intercostals muscle strain.
• Swollen Muscles: When your muscle is strained or partially torn, it will begin to show some inflammation. You will be able to notice that the area around your affected rib muscles is swollen and slightly purple. Due care must be taken to lessen this swelling.
• Tightening of Muscles: If you have an intercostal muscle strain, you will find that the muscles around your rib are tight and difficult to move or bend.

Difference Between Intercostal Muscle Strain and Other Body Pains

Your upper back is relatively mobile which means that it does not suffer from many injuries. If in case you feel any kind of pain building up in this region, chances are that it is only because of poor posture habits. Intercostal Muscle Strain results in a slow burning sensation around the affected area; on the other hand, pain from upper back injuries is very sharp and affects a specific place alone. This pain might spread to your neck and shoulders but will not go beyond in all likeliness. Intercostal muscle strain is usually the result of some physical exertion of the body; however, you can also experience pain around your chest due to pneumonia or other disorders. If your physician is able to identify the exact spot in your ribs, from where the pain is pulsing, it can be confirmed that you indeed have a muscle strain and not any other disease.

When Should You See A Doctor?

Seeing a doctor at the right time is very important if you want to recover from your intercostals muscle strain on time. Your doctor will most likely give you some medication for pain, ask you to apply ice packs in the affected area and instruct you as to how to sleep with intercostal muscle strain. You will be asked to rest and limit your physical activities and in case you have difficulty breathing you will be advised to visit a specialist as soon as possible to ensure that you heal quickly after your surgery.

How to Sleep with Intercostal Muscle Strain?

It is very important to understand how to sleep with intercostal muscle strain because your body shows maximum levels of recovery at the time you are resting. Follow the following tips for sleeping if you are suffering from an intercostal muscle strain:

Neutralize the Injured Area: The most effective way to heal your injury is resting the affected area of your torso in a neutral, comfortable position. You might make use of a brace to ensure that the neutral position is maintained

Elevating Your Injury: A person suffering from intercostal muscle strain must follow the directions of RICE, i.e.- Rest, Icing, Compression and Elevation. Make sure that your rib receives some form of an external support so that it remains elevated while you’re in bed. This will ensure that your body gets proper venous circulation.

Personalize Your Position: There is no perfect sleeping position to cure a muscle strain. Depending upon your injury, there are various ways in which your body can rest to speed up recovery. Ensure that the affected region of your body is properly laid in bed and does not experience further strain from the weight of your body.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions that people have about intercostals muscle strain-

How Much Time Will My Body Take to Recover from Intercostal Muscle Strain?

If you have a mild intercostals muscle strain, it will heal on its own in a couple of days with proper rest and care. Moderate muscle strains may take as much as 3 to 7 weeks to recover and in case your muscle is torn, and the strain is severe, it will take longer than usual for the sinews to heal.

What Are the Effects of Intercostal Muscle Strain?

You will experience a sharp pain at the time of injury which will later build up into a burning muscle pain. Usually these two symptoms are enough for you to identify a muscle strain. In addition, you will have trouble moving, breathing and so on.

How Should I Sleep with Sore Ribs?

As far as possible, try and maintain an upright position while sleeping to ensure that your body weight does not strain the injured muscles.