Sudden pain in front of rib cage

**First caveat**: not sure if this is the right place for this, but here goes...

**Second caveat**: I hereby grant everyone blanket immunity for any incorrect advice given here...I know this forum is not a substitute for an actual medical opinion, but I'm giving this a day or two before I seek a pro and figured it's likely other golfers would have gone through this.

While hitting balls at the range yesterday, I suddenly got a fairly acute pain at the front-bottom of my right rib cage. It hurt most as I initiate my full swing and through impact. Full transparency: I didn't stretch as I normally do before hitting balls, but I did warm up with about 20 partial-swing shots before turning it up. I also routinely hit 120 balls 2-3 times each week, so it's not like my body isn't used to the range sessions. I do this every year from April through October and have never had this occur. Also, leading up to this, I hadn't swung a club for 5 days, so my body wasn't particularly stressed.

The pain is more reminiscent of a very sensitive bruise pain as opposed to a sharp stabbing pain, and it's right at the bottom of the front of my right rib cage - about 3 inches below the nipple and an inch towards the right side. Thinking it was a cramp/strain to some muscle or cartilage, I tried to play through it and didn't feel it as much when hitting driver, so I thought it was subsiding...but I reverted to irons and it was back 100%. So I shut it down, came home and took a couple of Advil. It hurt all evening when sitting and turning, so I took a muscle relaxer and went to bed (don't feel it when laying down except when I twist my torso to roll over). The pain is slightly less this morning, but it's still there, and it feels like a bruise would when pressed (but no discoloration).

I'm self-medicating today, and if it continues through tomorrow I'll go get checked out to make sure there's nothing internally or structurally wrong. In the meantime, has anyone else experienced this? If so, what was the outcome?

Probably a bruised or possibly cracked rib. I had this happen a few summers ago. I felt it on the range, but decided to play the round anyway. Ha! It was brutal. Took a few weeks to die down.

Could be a pulled or torn intercostal muscle too, those are the muscles in between your ribs and pulling or tearing them can be painful as heck - as I know from experience.

@dcmidnight yeah I was thinking either intercostal or abdominal strain/tear. I’m prepared to assume it’s one of those and continue with anti-inflammatories, ice through tomorrow, then heat, and reduced exertion (wife will love that).

But, I may need to get it checked out to know whether I can make it worse since I’m due to play in a league outing Sunday and have another 36 booked next Monday. Were they able to identify your intercostal damage with an MRI or ultrasound?

> @Argonne69 said:

> Probably a bruised or possibly cracked rib. I had this happen a few summers ago. I felt it on the range, but decided to play the round anyway. Ha! It was brutal. Took a few weeks to die down.

If I'm cracking ribs from swinging a club, I either need to seriously up my calcium intake or pick up a less "physical" hobby. Of course, maybe my 86mph 6-iron just generates way too much torque for any man's body to handle.

> @DeeBee30 said:

> @dcmidnight yeah I was thinking either intercostal or abdominal strain/tear. I’m prepared to assume it’s one of those and continue with anti-inflammatories, ice through tomorrow, then heat, and reduced exertion (wife will love that).

>

> But, I may need to get it checked out to know whether I can make it worse since I’m due to play in a league outing Sunday and have another 36 booked next Monday. Were they able to identify your intercostal damage with an MRI or ultrasound?

No, they did a series of "does this hurt/does that hurt/describe the pain" type of thing.

If it really hurts, playing 54 holes in two days is a really terrible idea. I think I did rest and souped up Advil for a couple of weeks.

@dcmidnight - thanks. I’m going to try to gut it through my league outing with some half swings, then skip playing next week. Better to heal in a couple weeks than make this a season-long thing.

At least it's not a pulmonary embolism. My ribs ached badly . . . never would have guessed I had a clot in my lung.

@ohioglfr , yeah I saw that the pain was a possible symptom of a PE. Scary...hope you’re ok these days.