Jon Mani | February 12, 2026 | Personal Injury
Traumatic events such as car accidents, slip and falls, or workplace incidents can lead to a wide range of injuries. While many people don’t immediately think of chest injuries, muscle strains in this area are more common than you might expect.
An intercostal muscle strain is one such injury, affecting the muscles between the ribs. This type of strain can cause significant discomfort, particularly during breathing, coughing, or movement, and may interfere with everyday activities. Below, we take a closer look at what an intercostal muscle strain is and what you can expect during the recovery process.
The Basics of Intercostal Muscle Strains
An intercostal muscle strain is an injury that involves the overstretching or tearing of the muscles that sit between the ribs. These injuries can occur from sudden twisting motions and even repetitive upper-body movements.
The symptoms of intercostal muscle strains include:
- Sharp, sudden pain at the injury site
- Painful breathing
- Stiffness and limited mobility
- Bruising
- Swelling
- Tenderness in the area
- Muscle spasms
Diagnosing an intercostal muscle strain will require a healthcare provider to evaluate your symptoms and perform a physical exam. They will look for limitations of movement, for example, and will want to know about any recent sports activities or accidents you may have been involved in. To rule out other injuries, they may also order imaging.
Treating an Intercostal Muscle Strain
The treatment of an intercostal muscle strain will depend on the severity of the injury. In some instances, home treatments may be all that’s necessary. It may help to alternate hot and cold therapy and rest for a few days to give your muscles time to heal.
It may be necessary to take medications to reduce the pain and swelling as well. For the most severe injuries, you may need physical therapy. This could include breathing exercises to strengthen the muscles in the area.
It’s essential to avoid long-term shallow breathing, which is common with these injuries, because it can lead to pneumonia. Shallow breathing doesn’t allow the lungs to fully expand, which limits how well they can cough out mucus and germs.
The severity of the injury will also impact the recovery time. Milder injuries can heal in a few days, while more serious ones could take weeks. For people with very active jobs, this means they might need to take time off and lose some of the income they would otherwise have made.
Pursuing a Personal Injury Claim After a Chest Strain
After suffering an intercostal muscle strain as a result of another party’s conduct, pursuing a personal injury claim could allow you to recover your losses. With these claims, you can receive economic and non-economic damages to cover everything from your medical expenses to the pain and suffering you experienced.
You will need to prove that the other party was responsible for your injury, which is not always as simple as it may seem. It will include demonstrating that another reasonable person would not have acted as they did and that your injuries are a direct result of that misconduct. To accomplish this, you will probably need an attorney.
Your lawyer will be able to identify all of the liable parties and gather the most appropriate evidence for demonstrating that the muscle strain was a result of their misconduct. They will also know how to aggressively negotiate with insurance providers so that you have a chance to earn fair compensation for your losses.
Contact a Columbus Personal Injury Lawyer at Mani Ellis & Layne Accident & Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
An intercostal muscle strain may not seem like a serious injury at first, but the pain, breathing difficulties, and time away from work can quickly disrupt your life. When this type of injury is caused by someone else’s negligence, you should not be left to handle the physical, emotional, and financial consequences on your own.
If you suffered an intercostal muscle strain in an accident caused by another party, please contact an experienced lawyer at Mani Ellis & Layne Accident & Injury Lawyers to schedule a free initial consultation today. We proudly serve clients throughout Franklin County from our Columbus, OH, office and throughout Kanawha County from our Charleston, WV, office.
Mani Ellis & Layne Accident & Injury Lawyers – Columbus, OH Office
20 E Broad St Suite 1000, Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 587-8423
Find us with our GeoCoordinates: 39.96270905583009, -82.99956356191063
Mani Ellis & Layne Accident & Injury Lawyers – Charleston, WV Office
10 Hale St Suite 501, Charleston, WV 25301
(304) 720-1000
Find us with our GeoCoordinates: 38.348382927211865, -81.635109451865
About the Author
Jon Mani is a founding partner and personal injury attorney at Mani Ellis & Layne Accident & Injury Lawyers. With over 20 years of experience representing injured individuals in West Virginia and Ohio, Jon focuses on complex cases involving car accidents, truck accidents, nursing home abuse, catastrophic injuries, medical malpractice, and wrongful death. He is known for his strategic, hands-on approach to litigation and has held leadership roles within the legal community, including serving as President of the West Virginia Association for Justice. Click here to see some of the firm’s most notable case results.
Locations: Charleston, WV, and Columbus, OH
/ LinkedIn / Facebook / Instagram / X / Pinterest / Youtube