Hello,
I am a 35-year-old male, and I’m new to surfing. In January, a career change offered me the opportunity to surf every day (2-3 hours per day). Since then I have suffered from persistent episodes of severe pain in the intercostal rib region. I originally injured my left side in late February 2003. The pain kept me from surfing, and it continued to be felt acutely while breathing & moving. The pain is a knife-like sensation that occurs while in a back-extension form (e.g. paddling). I have injured my ribs multiple times, so I recently took another 6-week break from surfing. I also started taking the anti-inflammatory Vioxx. The medication provided immediate relief for my every day activities. I started surfing again last week and immediately encountered the same pain on the right side. I stopped surfing during my second session after hearing a ‘popping or cracking sound’ on my right side.
I can perform other activities, including swimming, yoga, running without significant pain. Whereas, paddling with any degree of effort produces immediate & severe pain, which lingers and carries on to my normal activities for weeks.
I have already seen a couple of doctors about this condition. The most recent being a prominent Canadian physician who representsan NHL hockey team. He was the one who prescribed the ‘Vioxx’. Although the Vioxx did alleviate a good deal of my pain away from surfing it did nothing to help my first session in the waves (last weekend) and so far has produced no significant benefits after this incident.
What do you think is going on? How long should I stay out of the water? And can you suggest any rehab techniques or exercises to prevent future injuries?
Thanks in advance for your help,
Kevin
ANSWER:
Hey Kevin,
After many questions of others in my field, and a wee bit of research done by yours truly, I have a little feed back for you.
What I have found is a couple of different “syndromes” that sound like they fit your ailments. One is called Tietze’s syndrome, which is an inflammation of the rib and cartilage junction. The rehab suggested for this was ice, rest, anti-inflammatory drugs, and massage. Any inflammation in this area can take a long time to heal and rest is usually the best bet. It is a very sensitive area and a lot of the tissue is thinner than paper (they say cellophane thin).
Another name for something similar to Tietze’s syndrome is costal chondritis, which is the inflammation of the intercostals between the ribs. Again, another very fragile area which needs the same rest, ice, etc. as above. Another surfer was diagnosed with this condition, and he said it took him 5 months of rest to get over the pain. And yes, that was rest out of the water.
Now, in order to prevent this from happening again once the symptoms are gone, I assume that realigning your spine may help so that you rest differently on your board. Another option would be to change your paddling position, so you don’t rub as much on the rib area.
Since you have had neck and back problems, I would highly suggest getting into a good stretching regime and maybe seeing a chiropractor to check out your alignment. If you live locally (SF area) I know a ripping surfer, who is also a chiropractor. Always a nice combo! By stretching and readjusting your body/spine you may find that you can paddle and lie on your board in a more comfortable manor.
I hope this helps. Let me know if you want the name of the chiropractor.
Hasta,
Beth
(Posted 4/12/04)
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I definitely agree that a chiropractor is the best solution to your rib injury.