Amitabh Bachchan suffers muscle tear in the rib cage; find out if age is a risk factor behind such injuries

Bachchan shared that it will take some weeks for him to recover and get back to normalcy and that he is currently taking medications for pain relief. “So all work that was to be done has been suspended and cancelled/dropped/postponed for the moment until healing occurs…I rest at Jalsa and am mobile a bit for all the essential activities .. but yes, in rest and generally lying around…It shall be difficult or let me say ..”

The actor, who greets his fans every Sunday outside his Jalsa residence, said that he would be unable to meet them this time. “I shall be unable to meet, the well-wishers at Jalsa Gate this evening .. so do not come .. and do inform as much as you can to those that intend coming…All else is well ..” Big B concluded.

He got injured on the set of ‘Project K’ (Source: Amitabh Bachchan/Instagram)

Explaining why a muscle tear in the rib cage may be serious, Dr Dilip Gude, Senior Consultant Physician, Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad shared that intercostal muscles — the muscles that run between the ribs, and help form and move the chest wall — stabilise the rib cage. “Muscle tear in that area may cause intense pain and spasm. There is sharp pain while deep breathing, coughing, and sneezing. There may also be tenderness at the area of tear,” he said.

A patient may also suffer difficulty in movements, Dr Raghu Nagaraj, Director, Orthopaedics and Joint Replacement Surgeon, Fortis Hospital, Cunningham Road, Bangalore said. “They may have difficulty and acute pain in turning movements, reaching out their arms to lift something or any movement of the chest. While 50 per cent of the cases happen due to intercostal muscle strain or tear, sometimes it may happen due to pectoral muscles, but that is usually in people who are into gymming and go beyond their excessive limit of lifting weights.”

Talking about the actor’s muscle tear, Dr Gude said that such an injury happens due to an intense or sudden twist or stretch, or in case of rib fractures resulting from accidents. “Age can be a risk factor as rib fractures in the elderly may occur even for trivial trauma,” the expert said, adding that sarcopenia, which is decreased muscle mass, can be a risk factor in the elderly and may predispose one to intercostal muscle tears.

Agreeing, Dr Nagaraj said that a muscle tear in the rib cage can be age-related as elderly people may have stiff muscles. “Due to this, when they fall or do any sudden movement, they might tear their muscles,” he explained.

It is also due to the changes in the rib cage owing to age. “Rib cage size increases somewhat between the ages of 20 and 30, but remains relatively stable between the ages of 30 and 100. There are other apparent form changes that occur with age, most notably the angle of the ribs relative to the spine and spinal kyphosis,” Dr Rakesh Nair, consultant, knee replacement surgeon, Zen Multispeciality Hospital, Chembur said.

To prevent such an accident, Dr Gude suggested indulging in careful workouts, avoiding contact sports, and ensuring adequate vitamin D, magnesium, levocarnitine, protein, etc. As for recovery, it may take five to six weeks to heal. “Pain medicines that are kidney and liver safe, ice packs, and avoiding activities that aggravate injury can help heal faster,” Dr Gude said.

Once physiotherapy begins, Dr Nagaraj said that it takes patients around three to four months to get back to their normal physical activities. “Moderate intercostal muscle tension usually resolves in a few days. Mild strains may take 3 to 7 weeks to recover, whereas severe strains with a full muscle tear may take longer. Most intercostal muscle sprains should recover within 6 weeks in most cases. Broken ribs take around six weeks to heal on their own,” Dr Nair added.

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