Aching for Action

13 Sept

Another sunday spent in Singapore, and not on the track.

Ah well, even if I am at the track I will not not in my kart.

darn...!

I believed I had been 'bitching' much about my rib injury.
And still I am doing so! Because it hurts still.

It hurts when I finally try to do some running just now.

Had to stop just after 2Km.

It does seems like a chronic soft tissue strain, and this is what

I got from the internet,
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Rib_injuries

Symptoms:

The symptoms of rib injuries depend on the type and severity of

the injury, but can include:

* Pain at the injury site (yes)

* Pain when the ribcage flexes –

with movement, with a deep breath or when you cough, sneeze or

laugh (YES!)

* Crunching or grinding sounds (crepitus) when the injury site is

touched or moved (thank goodness, No)

* Muscle spasms of the ribcage (when sneeze, hell Yes!)

* Deformed appearance of the ribcage (phew, Nope!)

* Breathing difficulties (happily No)

Blunt force is the common cause of injuryRib injuries typically

occur when the chest is directly hit.

The type of situations that could cause blunt injuries to the ribcage

include:

* Motor vehicle accidents – for example, slamming the chest against

the steering wheel.
* Crush injuries – for example, a heavy object landing directly on the chest.
* Sports-related injuries – for example, a heavy tackle.
* Falling from a reasonable height – for example, off a roof or ladder.
* Assault – for example, getting hit by a baseball bat.

mine is a combination of "Sports" "motor vehicle" & "Crush" injury...

Soft tissue injuries

Soft tissue of the ribcage includes the intercostal muscles

and the costal cartilage.

Common injuries include:

* Bruising – the blood vessels rupture and leak blood into the surrounding

tissues. Bruising of the chest wall is a common rib trauma. (yup, Bruise
clear and present)

Intercostal strains – intercostal muscles allow the ribcage to move up and down.

These muscles can be strained by any activity that involves extreme or forceful

twisting of the body or swinging of the arms. Sports that commonly cause this

type of injury include golf and tennis.

(and apparently go karting can cause it too.

with the rib bang really hard, directly on to the edge of the seat I reckon this is what

is still causing the discomfort of my ribs. Only time can heal this bits now... sigh)

* Costochondral separation – the rib is torn loose from the costal cartilage

and is detached from the sternum. (luckily, no...!)

Treatment

Unlike bones of the arms and legs, broken ribs can’t be set in a cast.

Treatment aims to relieve pain while the injury heals, which can take up to

six weeks (in the case of fracture) and 12 weeks or more if the rib has been

torn from the cartilage.

Treatment for bruised ribs is the same as for fractured ribs but with a

shorter recovery time. Options include:

* Rest
* Prescription strength pain-killing drugs
* Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
* Avoiding activities that aggravate the injury, such as sport
* Icepacks – these may help to reduce inflammation in the early stages
* Mechanical ventilation (help with breathing) – this may be needed in
cases of severe flail chest

I believe now I really have to be a patient patient and not rush back into
the kart seat which may seriously further aggravate the injury.
Any further worsening will definitely hampered my intention for a good
debut in 2010 RMC.

But there are things to be done.
I need to understand the chassis more. I need to improve my driving.
I need to get more physical training too.
During these more than 3 weeks of 'lay off', I just realised I had lost
2 kg or so. That is in muscle mass. Much good work previously had gone
to some waste.
I need to crawl it back asap. Again, I need to be patient.
Not easy to do so, when I'm in a sports which require one to go fast and
now here I am willing myself to go slow... in recovery.