What have I injured?

January 12, 2018 12:16 AM

Wrestling with dogs, I slipped off a low bed and jammed my head down into my chest. What’s hurting in my chest Now?

It only hurts with certain movements. Feels like a pulled muscle, Front and center in my chest. (No heart symptoms.) I am

posted by LonnieK to Health & Fitness (5 answers total)

Best answer: I've had a pulled chest muscle because I caught myself with my arms when hitting the ground. I didn't consciously remember the action until later and was probably distracted by the impact pain at the time. It wasn't until after a few days of chest discomfort that I put it together.
posted by bonobothegreat at 2:23 AM on January 12, 2018

using loppers to cut a very green and twisty branch that did NOT WANT TO BE CUT, I put my all into it, and managed to crunch my chest between my hands/handles of the loppers. My sternum hurt for about 3 weeks afterwards. If your chin impacted your sternum, could be similar.
posted by k5.user at 6:40 AM on January 12, 2018

There's a cartilage connected to your sternum. Mine got swollen when my chest got elbowed by some charmer in a soccer game. I went to the doctor with it, because it hurt so much I was convinced something was broken, but it was 'just' that cartilage swelling up between my ribs. Not much to be done about it except rest and lots of anti-inflammatory. I think I was taking 800mg pills of ibuprofen twice a day.
posted by IanMorr at 6:43 AM on January 12, 2018 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks all.
I looked at some of the better health sites and they corresponded best with a pulled muscle, similar to bonobo's experience.
I think the head blow may have been a red herring -- it happened, but in my confused state I automatically associated it with the chest pain -- as though my head's forward motion had stretched something too far. (My chin doesn't seem reach the point of chest pain, even under impact.)
I'm inclined to think they were 2 separate injuries, and I'm treating for a pulled muscle in the chest. (No head problems now except stiff neck.)
posted by LonnieK at 7:30 AM on January 12, 2018

Response by poster: Update: The injury is responding gradually to pulled-muscle treatment (rest, ice, elevation). Thanks again to all.
posted by LonnieK at 6:39 AM on January 14, 2018