Repeated deadlift injury

[ritz910]

Hey coach,
I seem to have issues with pulling intercostals during deadlifts. It has happened three times now. Have you ever seen or heard if this? If so, is there something i can change. Im trying to pay close attention to my form, and i cant figure it out.

[Mark Rippetoe]

It's most likely a misdiagnosis.

[ritz910]

Hmmm. Any idea what it may be? Feels like a pinch in between my ribs, and hurts like a son of a gun anywhere from a week to four weeks after. Especially when i take a deep breath. Mostly i just wanna figure out how to avoid it.

[mrflibble]

In another post, OP mentions it was the 12th rib. Sure it's not your quadratus lumborum?

I'm just having a stab in the dark given the lack of any real info, but the QL would make more sense given the attachments on the iliac crest, lumbar TPs and 12th rib.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Hmmm. Any idea what it may be? Feels like a pinch in between my ribs, and hurts like a son of a gun anywhere from a week to four weeks after. Especially when i take a deep breath. Mostly i just wanna figure out how to avoid it.

Dunno, can't see it from here.

[tertius]

I'd be interested to know as well, as I did something similar two weeks ago. Left a lingering tightness and cramping sensation around ribs 7 and 8, that would worsen on lifting. It's just now going away. It's mostly just an annoyance, rather than an actual impediment to lifting, but it'd be nice to know what I did.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Ribs go all the way from your back to your front, most of them anyway. Why are you guys asking me this shit without telling me anything?

[ritz910]

In my case it is the tenth rib, front left side. Both the rib itself, and the muscle between nine and ten hurt like hell. Very sore to the touch, and when getting into deadlift position. When it happened it actually felt like a pinch more so than pain. About a half hour later it started getting pretty dang sore.

[tertius]

Ribs go all the way from your back to your front, most of them anyway. Why are you guys asking me this shit without telling me anything?

Well, I only chimed in as an afterthought, as my intention is just to train through it. Curiosity got the better of me, I guess.

I'd say it's about a third of the way around from the anterior end of the ribs in question (not quite to my right 'side'), is aggravated by performing a Valsalva, and proceeds from barely noticeable to a persistent sensation of burning/tightness/cramp by the end of session in the gym, but is otherwise not a big deal. Tends to last a half hour or so after I'm done in the gym, then fades back to background noise. Using a belt doesn't seem to make much difference.
Since breathing doesn't irritate it, I'd assume it's not an intercostal muscle.

[B4PJS]

If you look at this video on my DL form check, you can see a muscle pop out on my side which could be what you are damaging (apologies for inflicting my skinny body on you guys)