Expert: Dr. Paul Newhart - 3/16/2009

Question
Dear Dr. Newhart,
I am a sixteen year old athletic teen. I am in very good
shape and am very active. I am roughly 6'2" and 160 pounds.
I am also a bit of a hypochondriac, but two issues have
come up that I believe are more than what my mom writes
them off to be.
One, I was at an open gym night at a gymnastics gym and I
attempted to run-jump over a large pad. My shirt and body
caught and my back and legs, with its momentum, carried up
and forward, and severely injured my back. I felt a sharp
intense heat pain radiate through my back and I had a hard
time breathing. I recovered from that in three weeks, I
could use my back and would not hurt. Now, six months
later, I still have reminiscent pain and when I rotate my
lower back and hips forward, my back pops. I know your back
should not pop as it does, and also being so late after the
injury, I think I may have done something far worse than
pull a muscle.
Two, I have recently been active with my friend and we were
showing each other fighting techniques. He showed me how to
throw a proper punch and accidently put too much force
behind it. Now whenever I do chest flys or bench press it
feel a sharp pain in my rib. I don't know if it is a fracture or a cartilage injury. And it is concerning me,
should I stop weight-lifting?

Please tell me your diagnostic and also any advice. Help is
much appreciated. Thank you

Worried, Jordan.

Answer
I don not feel you are being a hypochondriac with these 2 questions.  You may have caused a good strain in both instances, and need the issues addressed.  I would suggest a chiropractor that specializes in sports type injuries to evaluate you and treat the injuries.