UKC

I am fairly sure that I have bruised my sternum (breastbone) and was wondering if anyone had any experience of this. I was hangboarding and it felt fine, and I could do one armers no problem but as soon as I pulled up to lock off on one arm it was really sore. I tried again today (2 days later) and it wasn't as sore but I could definitely feel it. Has anyone done the same thing, how long did you take off climbing and did anything help?

Thanks

In reply to blackcat

I specifically got hit in the sternum though, I didn't do it whilst performing the lock off (Just realised that's not clear at all sorry). Not sure it is this

In reply to Jack McKechnie:
I bruised or cracked my sternum many years ago while playing a game and end up smacking into someone running at full speed as they were running towards me. It took a good number of weeks to get better. I wasn't climbing at the time.

If yours is better after only 2 days I wouldn't worry too much. It doesn't sound that bad. Avoid doing stuff that makes worse, in particular the exercise that caused it, and I imagine you'll be fine. If what you do makes the pain worse for more than 24 hours later you'll probably need to back off a bit.

In reply to Jack McKechnie:

Could be costochondritis, ie inflamed sternum cartilage - I got this after coughing myself silly with a winter bug a couple of years back but it can also happen after injury or unaccustomed exercise.
Can take a while to resolve (strenuous crack climbing and laybacks were out for a few months) but anti-inflammatory gel and a good physio helped me.

In reply to LizS:

How long was it until you could climb normally?

In reply to Jack McKechnie:

Misread your second comment as someone else's, so sounds more likely a bruise than a cartilage sprain. Main thing is to listen to what your body's telling you.