Pulled left side abdominal muscles - how long is recovery?

[khalespace]

I didn't warm up, hit my driver and pulled left side abdominal muscles just at the bottom of the rib cage. It is only painful if I try to swing a golf club or if I sneeze. There is no visible bruise. Did anyone have this problem before and how long did it take to fully recover?

[MattM97]

Pulls, strains and sprains can vary a lot, best to discuss with with an athletic therapist or similar. 

[getitdaily]

2-52 weeks. 

[phizzy30]

I've had the same injury and it took 2 weeks to fully recover.  However, this was back when I was in my early 20's when my recovery rate was much faster than it now due to higher hgh output and what not.  To answer your question, it really depends on age, nutrition, lifestyle(sedentary/active), etc. 

Edited April 28, 2023 by phizzy30

[JetPilot]

I did something to a rib muscle about 20 years ago - took about a year to work its way out.  I played with a rib compression wrap fairly pain free though.  

[phizzy30]

2 hours ago, JetPilot said:

I did something to a rib muscle about 20 years ago - took about a year to work its way out.  I played with a rib compression wrap fairly pain free though.  

A year?!  Did you completely tear it? 

[JetPilot]

3 hours ago, phizzy30 said:

A year?!  Did you completely tear it? 

It was an inflamed nerve that took forever to heal.  

[phizzy30]

9 hours ago, JetPilot said:

It was an inflamed nerve that took forever to heal.  

Makes sense.  Mine was a muscle strain that I started to feel after I got in the car after a round over at Mountain Gate CC. 

[Long_Left]

Late 40s here, I tore a lower abdominal muscle free of it's moorings doing a workout I shouldn't have been doing a few years ago, lots of pooling blood in places you don't want to see turning purple... took about 3 months to get back to comfortable golf, 12 months to heal completely.

 

The advice from my Dr was to not do anything that causes "sharp" pain as you are worsening the injury, but just being uncomfortable was part of the deal. Sneezing was bad for 6ish weeks and probably extended my recovery. 

[charliebrown]

On 4/28/2023 at 8:23 AM, khalespace said:

I didn't warm up, hit my driver and pulled left side abdominal muscles just at the bottom of the rib cage. It is only painful if I try to swing a golf club or if I sneeze. There is no visible bruise. Did anyone have this problem before and how long did it take to fully recover?

I would highly suggest consulting your primary care physician. For everything health/medical related. 

[Pepperturbo]

Recovery depends on your core conditioning.  I've done both sides multiple times.  Last time was three weeks back, right side, but all was good by last weekend.  Mine usually mends over a few weeks to month.  If you don't work out much with a weak core, key is no golf or exercising.  If it lasts for more than a few weeks see your Ortho.

[khalespace]

1 hour ago, Pepperturbo said:

Recovery depends on your core conditioning.  I've done both sides multiple times.  Last time was three weeks back, right side, but all was good by last weekend.  Mine usually mends over a few weeks to month.  If you don't work out much with a weak core, key is no golf or exercising.  If it lasts for more than a few weeks see your Ortho.

Thank you for your response. Since it was a mild muscle strained I didn't go to the doctor. I was able to play again after 3 weeks. You are right, I need to work on my core. I am starting to do "Pilates for Golf". 

[Pepperturbo]

6 minutes ago, khalespace said:

Thank you for your response. Since it was a mild muscle strained I didn't go to the doctor. I was able to play again after 3 weeks. You are right, I need to work on my core. I am starting to do "Pilates for Golf". 

During my gym regime, I do 80 stomach crunches with 60lb of weight on my chest.  Used to do 120 reps with 80lbs, since my 20s, and now an ole guy. 🙂

 

[MK7Golf21]

26 minutes ago, Pepperturbo said:

During my gym regime, I do 80 stomach crunches with 60lb of weight on my chest.  Used to do 120 reps with 80lbs, since my 20s, and now an ole guy. 🙂

 

do leg lifts instead. Can do them laying on ground with medicine ball in between legs. Crunches aren’t very good for spine 

Edited May 15, 2023 by MK7Golf21

[Pepperturbo]

49 minutes ago, MK7Golf21 said:

do leg lifts instead. Can do them laying on ground with medicine ball in between legs. Crunches aren’t very good for spine 

LOL, Thanks.  "Crunches aren't very good for spine."  Yet I been doing them since my football days, and my spine has never spoken up. LOL  The only thing I contend with nowadays is osteoarthritis.

 

MY body has held up pretty good considering, when younger, my training regime included leg lifts, push-ups and pull-ups, weights, plus cardio, typically 2-3+hrs worth every other day, plus martial arts training exercises on off days.  Every year one-two weeks in the mountains, trekking and climbing with 70lb ruck; during snow season, multiple weeks snow camping, trekking, mtn and ice climbing, Alpine/Nordic with 70lb ruck over miles though snow.  Otherwise, on my road bike for a 100+ miles a day n CAT racing till I was 38.  Except for stained muscles, I've never had problems as a result of my extreme training and activities; it's kept me alive under some adverse conditions.

[sdiver68]

I'm currently at ~6 months of pain in the same spot you describe.  I tried taking 2 months off from Golf over the winter but it didn't help.  I did not take a break from workouts/lifting beyond my 1 week every quarter regime.

 

So 0-52 weeks seems about right...I just hope 52 weeks is the true max. 😔

[phizzy30]

4 hours ago, khalespace said:

Thank you for your response. Since it was a mild muscle strained I didn't go to the doctor. I was able to play again after 3 weeks. You are right, I need to work on my core. I am starting to do "Pilates for Golf". 

You're going to need to do more for your core than pilates.  Crunches, sit ups, side bends with cable or dbs, planks, medicine ball twists, leg lifts, etc. 

Edited May 16, 2023 by phizzy30