Having Pain In Chest. Feel Lump When Palpitate. Pain While Breathing, Sneezing And Coughing. Suggestions?
I would be happy to answer your question. I am actually a pulmonary and critical care physician. It sounds like you either broke one of your ribs...or maybe you separated the cartilaginous connection where the rib meets the sternum. You easily could have done this when you fell. The symptoms of such would include...pain, increased pain with breathing...coughing...sneezing etc. The radiation of the pain could be referred nerve pain. Have you tried taking Advil or Alleve per the bottle recs for a week or so to see if this helps with the pain. Also, you could try to alternate warm and cold packs to the affected area every 30 min or so for 4 cycles to see if this helps.
A chest x-ray will help to make the diagnosis. There isn't much more that can be done for this other than pain control and to let it heal.
I hope this has answered your questions. Please let me know if I can be of additional help.
Thanks for writing back.
Yes, there are several things that can be done for referred nerve pain. Prescription Motril in an option. Of course, there are narcotic anti inflammatory combo medications such as Vicodin or Percocet etc.
A pain specialist can inject the region with a pain killer anti inflammatory combo etc.
Alternating the heat the cold should help. If you find that heat is better then do more of that...if you find that cold is better then that's what your body needs.
Eventually your body would heal itself but sometimes it takes a long time especially in this case where you have to breath..and use your chest muscles and ribs etc all the time. Sometimes we need some help to move things along.
I hope you get some relief from your PCP. Let me know if there is anything else I can do.
Take care.