Hello. My martial art teacher punched me in the chest (left side). I literally flew away for 2 meters. My chest is strong. But this time it looks like it was more than I could take. it s been 3 days and I still have trouble breathing and a small force can put me in pain for 10mins. It doesn t seem to be broken. What s wrong with it?
Thanks for your question on Chat Doctor. You are having blunt chest trauma. And there are few complications of blunt trauma which can cause such symptoms. These are1. Pulmonary contusion2. Rib fracture3. Pneumothorax4. Muscular injury. So better to get done chest x-ray to rule out above causes. If chest x-ray is normal than it must be muscular pain. So try to follow these. Avoid strenuous exercise. Avoid heavy weight liftingAvoid bad postures in sleep. Take good painkiller and muscle relaxant. Apply warm water pad to pain site. Wear chest belt for minimal mobilization of affected area.