Pains in left chest

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21 years ago 08/15/2002 4:44am EDT

In my last few runs I have been experiencing a pain in my left chest. It's quite sharp, but not shooting, and it gets better / worse as I slow down / speed up. It's not something that stops me running but it does make it uncomfortable - especially during tempo runs. It's been like that for a week now and I can feel a "presence" now even when not training. It feels as though something is lodged in there but it's nowhere near my digestive system.

Has anyone experienced this? Any ideas on what's causing it?

(I've recently increased mileage recently by about 15% to 63 p/week - I'm 29 years old and have been running about 2 1/2 years).

21 years ago 08/15/2002 5:08am EDT

re: Moz

I had something similar happen to me last week but it got to the point I couldn't run and actually went in to get it checked out...what the doctors found was that I had a slight electrolyte imbalance...(I was drinking toomuch wataer and running in to much heat and was depleating my sodium and potassism)I started taking "sport toddy" and salting my foods and drinking more powerade...it took awhile but I am running again pretty much pain free...

21 years ago 08/15/2002 5:14am EDT

re: Moz

A friend of mine had the same kind of pain, and he was worried that it was heart related. However, when he went to the Doctor it turns out that is was the muscles in his chest that was causing the pain. He had a pulled/partially tore muscle or something like that.

-Clay

21 years ago 08/15/2002 5:16am EDT

re: Clay

That is what athe muscles were doing in my chest area...they were cramping and partially tearing...the scary thing was the next day I read about that person who died at Boston for something similar...

21 years ago 08/15/2002 6:06am EDT

re: KCTrack

The muscles around your rib cage are the intercostals. You can get one or some of them strained in a variety of ways. Simply moving up quickly from base work to higher intensity work and higher respiration rates can sometimes do it. Anything from coughing too hard to reaching back and picking up your gear bag from the back seat of your car can do it. The best thing to do is the usual, good warm up, stretching, good warm down, and plenty of fluids and electrolytes until it goes away.

21 years ago 08/15/2002 7:05am EDT

re: old guy 2

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'll try the suggestions and hope it works out.

21 years ago 08/15/2002 7:42am EDT

re: Moz

Moz, It is probably the intercostals separating as posted earlier. It's very easy to treat with stretching. The stretch that worked for me is to place my forearms flat against a doorwell, elbow at 90 degrees, shoulder at 90 degrees or greater, fists up. Lean the body forward keeping my forearms in place and the shoulders squared up to stretch the rib cage and connective tissue in the pectorals and shoulder as the arms come behind the body. Do both at once or do them separately. Hold it and do it often and the problem ought to go away. Did you recently start doing heavier weight training?

21 years ago 08/15/2002 8:14am EDT

re: Nobody

I know the stretch you mean - I haven't been doing that one, but I'll add it. I haven't done any weight training for a while - but I have just started up light ab training again.

Thanks.

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