Everything I didn’t know about muscles

It happened while coughing. And last weekend in a parking lot. I have no idea what started the coughing fit, but it was serious. I squirmed and felt a tear in the lower back of my left side, near the ribs. And believe me, I know what it feels like when something tears in your body – I once gave birth to a baby who rolled over during birth and tore quite badly.

At that moment in the parking lot I had no idea what could have happened. I did what I always do in situations like this: I asked Google. And came to the conclusion that I always come to such situations: I’m going to die. In this particular case of a ruptured spleen. The emergency room assistant I spoke to on the phone shortly afterwards was pretty sure my spleen was intact, mainly because I could still stand up straight and talk normally, but still told me to come over.

That’s what I did. The x-ray that was taken just to be sure showed that all my ribs were intact. The questions the doctor asked me afterwards not only led to the diagnosis, but also to the realization that the misery is entirely my fault. However, she also taught me a lot about muscles and muscle injuries that I was not aware of.

Well, that muscle had probably been pulled for two weeks. Triggered by the combination of inadequate pre-workout warm-ups, exercise in the cold, a previous infection, and low blood iron (I consider the Chucks optional here, though they may have also played a role). I ignored it and continued to train anyway. A coughing fit was then sufficient to tear the damaged muscle fiber(s). I can’t blame her for the look of the doctor, who says, “It’s absolutely my own fault.”

The result is pain with certain movements, and especially with coughing or sneezing, for which I have developed a cruel fear. There’s not much you can do other than take a painkiller if it gets too intense. Take a break from exercising first, and then it’s probably time to get an iron supplement prescribed. And: Never ignore pain again, even if it’s not serious. Because your body wants to tell you something.

Do you have experience with muscle injuries? How do you prevent? I look forward to your comments in the appropriate column. I am especially grateful for tips and tricks for warming up and training the back muscles.