ruptured spleen??

[baseball44]

I'm a 40yr old male. Batting right handed,  I swung the bat in a baseball game and felt a very painful "jiggling" sensation directly under my rib cage on the left hand side of my body that brought me to the ground. It felt like someone reached in and "jiggled" an organ. It's been three days now and i haven't had any other complications other than slight pain as i  move around and a VERY SHARP AND INTENSE pain when i cough. This pain seems to be located where my spleen is. There was NO blow or hit to my body. Just me swinging a bat. Is this a pulled muscle or could i  have done something to my spleen.

thank you

[baseball44]

thanks man!

[Jeffrey S Guy, M.D., M. Sc.]

Given your history, it is not probably that you ruptured your spleen.  The spleen is in the left upper portion of the abdomen, it is size of your fist and has the consistency of a grape. Often, trauma to that area causes a fracture of a rib, and the rib then can cut or lacerate the spleen. The vast moajority of injured spleen are lacerated and do not rupture.  Most bleeding spleens stop without surgery.  The pain most likely is that from a broken rib or ribs.   Broken ribs are often detected by chest x-ray, and even then some people will have broken ribs with a normal chest x-ray.

Since there was no "blow" or trauma, this complaint likely represents a strained muscle.  

  This information is not a replacement for consultation with your personal physician.