Suggest Treatment For Lower Back Pain And Pulled Muscle Due To Bronchitis

Posted on Tue, 10 Feb 2015

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 9 Feb 2015 Answered on

Thu, 12 Mar 2015 Last reviewed on

Question : I've had a bad cough from Bronchitis for about a month. Last night I coughed so hard I now have a piercing pain in my lower left back, like a pulled muscle. Its very painful when I cough. The muscle makes a sort of popping sound. I've taken Aleve for the pain, but it persists.

Answered by Dr. Satyadeo Choubey (-5 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Visit chest specialist soon

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for the query.
Few things need to be ruled out in your case. Is it infection? Get a chest xray done and sputum examination for AFB and culture sensitivity. Alternatively can try tab azithromycin.
Other possibilities are cough variant asthma and eosinophilic bronchitis. You may visit your chest physician and ask for simple breathing test called spirometry and get sputum eosinophil count done. During waiting the report you may try combination of inhaled bronchodilator and steroid combination like formoterol budesonide.
Are you having frequent cough and cold and allergies. If it is then you may have allergic rhinitis and needs steroid nasal spray as treatment.
Lastly chronic acidity may be a cause of chronic cough.

So you can get relief by empirical antibiotic azithromycin, inhaled formoterol budesonide combination and an antihistamines cetrizine before you plan to visit chest specialist.

Best wishes

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj

Follow up: Dr. Satyadeo Choubey (19 minutes later)

What about the back/muscle pain. Its un-bearable...I can hardly walk, move, its hurts when I breathe. I'm trying to suppress the cough, but if I can't hold it and I cough, the pain in the back is piercing...feel like fainting from the pain! I am completely immobile!

Answered by Dr. Satyadeo Choubey (3 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Short course or as needed analgesic will help

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for follow up.
The pain is due to muscle exertion due to cough. You may take a short course of analgesic and cough suppressant like codeine.

Best wishes.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj

Follow up: Dr. Satyadeo Choubey (18 hours later)

I think I either pulled a muscle in my back or fractured a rib from a hard cough. The pain is unbearable in my mid back, left side. When it happened I was sitting down and I turned my torso while I coughed hard and I heard a popping sound in the area then the excruciating pain. Its been 1 day since it happened and the pain persists. I can hardly move and it hurts to breath. When I cough the pain is so bad I almost faint.

Answered by Dr. Satyadeo Choubey (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Try analgesic and cough suppressant

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for follow up.
Get a chest xray done. That will rule out rib fracture. Even if it is rib fracture it is the analgesic which help. Rib fractures heal by themselves. So try drugs like ibuprofen 400 mg twice or thrice daily. Cough suppressant like codeine linctus for 5-6 days will help you ease your cough.
Rest as advised previously. ...

Best wishes

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj