What External and Internal Oblique Muscle Injuries Feel Like

For fitness enthusiasts who love pushing their limits, experiencing a muscle injury can be a setback. Like many injuries for athletes and people who have hobbies or jobs that require the frequent use of core muscles, the obliques are a part of the core that often goes unnoticed until something goes wrong. Fortunately, physical therapy offers accessible, natural treatment options for both external and internal oblique injuries.

What are oblique injuries?

The oblique muscles are integral to your core abdominal muscles and are comprised of the external and internal oblique muscles. These muscles extend diagonally on each side of your abdomen from your ribs to your pelvis, playing a pivotal role in supporting your torso, facilitating movement, and maintaining balance. They work in tandem with other core muscles to enable bending, twisting, and rotating motions.

Oblique injuries occur when these muscles are overstressed or strained. This can happen due to sudden movements, improper form during exercises, or repetitive actions that place excessive pressure on the muscles.

The severity of an oblique injury can vary from a mild strain where the muscle fibers are stretched to more severe tears that may require weeks of rehab. Like many injuries we treat at Advent Physical Therapy, it’s important to recognize the signs of an internal or external oblique muscle injury early.

Symptoms of oblique injuries

The internal and external oblique muscles will produce slightly different symptoms in slightly different places depending on the extent and cause of your injury. For external oblique injuries, you might experience sharp, localized pain on the side of your abdomen. This pain might intensify during movements like bending to the side or twisting your torso.

Internal oblique injuries, on the other hand, can be more challenging to pinpoint. The pain may be more diffuse, spreading across the abdomen and even affecting your lower back. This discomfort might worsen with deep breaths, coughing, or sneezing, as the internal oblique muscles play a role in stabilizing your core during these otherwise automatic actions.

Treating oblique injuries

The obliques are relatively resilient muscles that can heal on their own with ample rest (avoiding activities that involve the obliques), ice, or heat treatments. However, if the pain isn’t going away after a few weeks, or you experienced a sudden injury to this muscle group during a strenuous workout or playing a sport, physical therapy may be necessary to ensure you heal the muscle effectively and learn to prevent further injury in the future.

Physical therapy for oblique injuries typically involves exercises that focus on strengthening and stabilizing the core, not just the specific muscle that’s causing pain. Gentle stretching exercises can help improve flexibility and promote healing.

Additionally, your physical therapist might introduce specific strengthening exercises that target the affected oblique muscles, enhancing their resilience and reducing the risk of re-injury. If you know of other treatments you might be interested in from friends or colleagues with similar injuries, don’t hesitate to ask about them, even if they may not be right for your specific injury. We prioritize creating treatment plans with our patients, rather than forcing them into a one-size-fits-all approach that doesn’t take their preferences into account.

Accessible treatment for oblique muscle strains and injuries

Oblique muscle injuries may be frustrating, but they’re not insurmountable. If you’re in pain during your normal life or in a way that’s preventing you from participating in the activities you love, we may be able to schedule a same-day or next-day visit to one of our clinics to help you get started finding the relief you need. Start a conversation with our team by calling the Advent clinic that’s closest to you or by requesting your appointment online today.