Rib injury.

RibbleRider101
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Joined: 14 Oct 2021, 3:47pm

Rib injury.

Post by RibbleRider101 »

Hi, wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience as it’s getting me down now!

I fell over onto something hard (non bike related) exactly one month ago. For the first week I was a bit sore but by the end of that week the pain got a bit worst. I carried on cycling and dinghy sailing with no issues. Into the 2nd week the pain increased and I’d assumed I’d broken a rib.

By the end of the 2nd week the pain was quite bad and affecting my sleep, coughing/sneezing/laughing hurt (usual rib related stuff!). The Dr prescribed me some painkillers which have helped me get back to being able to sleep and occasionally ride my cross bike. However for some reason that I can’t quite be certain of, today exactly 1 month in, the pain is excessive. I can’t even move slightly without a lot of pain.

I did see the doctor today and he said that only rest and time will heal this. I do accept that.

I was wondering about other people’s experience with rib injuries, how long till you were active again and what else to expect.

Thanks in advance!
prestavalve
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Joined: 24 Dec 2020, 8:03pm

Re: Rib injury.

Post by prestavalve »

I have broken my fair share of ribs: you might have torn the intercostal muscles around it, and they have scarred. There's not much you can do about it as far as I know. Never took mine to a doctor though on the three or so occasions it has happened but everything sorted itself out after a while.
gbnz
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Joined: 13 Sep 2008, 10:38am

Re: Rib injury.

Post by gbnz »

Broke a couple of ribs September '20 and August / September '19. Due to shoulder/collar bone injuries had to keep the arms fairly immobilised for 4 weeks or so, and found healing was straightforward. Whilst I'm normally active, limited myself purely to "spinning" on the exercise bike (Arms in slings/off the handlebars) & country lane walking so no vigorous swinging of arms around whilst walking up mountains!

But I'd agree pain gets you down; another fall from 7-8' two weeks back, nothing broken, but bizarrely the pain from trapped/damaged nerves is worse than the broken bones!
Jdsk
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Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Rib injury.

Post by Jdsk »

RibbleRider101 wrote: 14 Oct 2021, 3:56pmI fell over onto something hard (non bike related) exactly one month ago. For the first week I was a bit sore but by the end of that week the pain got a bit worst. I carried on cycling and dinghy sailing with no issues. Into the 2nd week the pain increased and I’d assumed I’d broken a rib.
NHS advice:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/broken-or-bruised-ribs/
includes:
"Broken or bruised ribs heal in the same way and usually get better by themselves within 3 to 6 weeks."
and what to do and what not to do. And when to seek further help.

It's good that you've found a form of exercise that's tolerable.

Jonathan
RibbleRider101
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Joined: 14 Oct 2021, 3:47pm

Re: Rib injury.

Post by RibbleRider101 »

Thanks for the replies folks.

I guess my concern about this is that it’s unlike anything else I’ve injured where it gets a little better each day this just seems to stay the same for weeks. I have read elsewhere though that that’s how it is with ribs then one day it just feels better.

A bit of a set back at the moment as I think I’ve probably overdid it the other day, 2 hr drive in my very uncomfortable car then 30 miles of gravel riding then 2 hrs back in the car again. Followed by a morning spent trying to catch up with chores. I’d been on anti inflammatories and that must having given me a false sense of being healed, then “ping” out of the blue I was in agony. Going to give myself a few days of sofa time and see how it goes. Trouble is, I hate having to rest :?

Thanks again for the replies.
PhilD28
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Joined: 26 Sep 2016, 8:31am

Re: Rib injury.

Post by PhilD28 »

You have my sympathy, I'm currently nursing a broken rib (3rd time) and two weeks in it's pretty painful on a night. Without an xray you won't know if it's broken or not, it may be a torn intercostle muscle which is also very painful. My GP organised an xray to check for the type of break and if there were any fragments, but it's very clean and not seperated.

My experience from my racing days and having broken ribs and collar bones, is that you need at least 6 weeks for healing and sometimes double that. Ribs take a long time as they are constantly moving with every breath.

I tend not to worry about it too much and just try and switch off from the pain, in fact I rode my bike for an hour this morning and the endorphins did their work better than pain killers (BTW I'm not advocating anyone else do this). If in doubt and you're worried you could insist on an xray.
RibbleRider101
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Joined: 14 Oct 2021, 3:47pm

Re: Rib injury.

Post by RibbleRider101 »

Ironically, I’ve got a chest X-ray booked for another issue (slight asthma type cough that I’ve had since April) booked in but wether that will show anything or not, I’ll just have to ask when I go on Monday I suppose.

NHS seem very reluctant to do anything about ribs they just keep saying that there is nothing that can be done but wait.

Frustrating.

I’ve been riding a bit since this happened mainly road stuff but I’m going to have to stop that for the next week or so and see how it goes.

Good luck with your ribs!
axel_knutt
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Re: Rib injury.

Post by axel_knutt »

I fell over two years ago whilst walking. I put my arm out as I fell and bent two fingers back, then my arm doubled up underneath me, and as I landed on it the pointy bone on the inside of my elbow whacked into my rib cage. There was a lot of pain, and running a finger tip along the offending rib, I could feel a step where the broken ends of the bone were misaligned at precisely the point of impact where all the pain was coming from. I could also feel the bone ends clicking against one another as I rolled in bed.

I went to the GP and told him I thought I'd broken a rib, and why, but he rolled his eyes and said it was just bruised. I also showed him my fingers, and he told me to exercise those. The exercise made them far worse, so I went back, and a different GP sent me for an x-ray which showed I'd been exercising a pair of broken fingers for weeks. By then it was too late to set them, so it's just as well that there's no treatment required for broken ribs.
RibbleRider101 wrote: 15 Oct 2021, 11:03am NHS seem very reluctant to do anything about ribs they just keep saying that there is nothing that can be done but wait.
They used to bind the chest with bandages for broken ribs, but they stopped doing it after they discovered that it was increasing the risk of developing pneumonia by preventing deep breathing.
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RibbleRider101
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Joined: 14 Oct 2021, 3:47pm

Re: Rib injury.

Post by RibbleRider101 »

Axel-knut,

Luckily, I’ve always had decent GPs but sometimes I do wonder where they get their qualifications!

No lasting damage to your fingers or rib I hope.
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Cowsham
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Re: Rib injury.

Post by Cowsham »

gbnz wrote: 15 Oct 2021, 8:36am Broke a couple of ribs September '20 and August / September '19. Due to shoulder/collar bone injuries had to keep the arms fairly immobilised for 4 weeks or so, and found healing was straightforward. Whilst I'm normally active, limited myself purely to "spinning" on the exercise bike (Arms in slings/off the handlebars) & country lane walking so no vigorous swinging of arms around whilst walking up mountains!

But I'd agree pain gets you down; another fall from 7-8' two weeks back, nothing broken, but bizarrely the pain from trapped/damaged nerves is worse than the broken bones!
If I was you I'd stay in my bed next September!
Last edited by Cowsham on 16 Oct 2021, 9:59am, edited 1 time in total.
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Cowsham
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Re: Rib injury.

Post by Cowsham »

I separated a rib or maybe 2 away from the sternum once

( climbing over a partition wall -- the metal ridge at the top of the wall got between two ribs as I flung my legs up twisting my body 90 degrees cos there was no room above the partition due to pipework above.)

I felt a click as that happened but it wasn't till my feet hit the ground on the other side that I felt the pain. It felt like I'd been cut in two. Even walking along I could feel a click with each step and the pain was awful.

After 2 weeks the pain was worse and at one point could only take shallow breaths so I went to A&E one night about 4am. Got an xray -- no ribs broke but the doctor said your cartilage will take much longer to heal than a broken rib and be more painful.

Took about a year to get fully better.
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rmurphy195
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Location: South Birmingham

Re: Rib injury.

Post by rmurphy195 »

RibbleRider101 wrote: 15 Oct 2021, 10:34am Thanks for the replies folks.

I guess my concern about this is that it’s unlike anything else I’ve injured where it gets a little better each day this just seems to stay the same for weeks. I have read elsewhere though that that’s how it is with ribs then one day it just feels better.

A bit of a set back at the moment as I think I’ve probably overdid it the other day, 2 hr drive in my very uncomfortable car then 30 miles of gravel riding then 2 hrs back in the car again. Followed by a morning spent trying to catch up with chores. I’d been on anti inflammatories and that must having given me a false sense of being healed, then “ping” out of the blue I was in agony. Going to give myself a few days of sofa time and see how it goes. Trouble is, I hate having to rest :?

Thanks again for the replies.
It sounds very much as if you are undoing the healing that has taken place so far! I had 2 or 3 cracked ribs following an accident, didn't show up until a few days later. Alternate anti-inflammatories prescribed by the hospital with paracetamol for about a week then a check-up at my GP, who changed the anti-inflammatories for something else - about 3 weeks worth I think, still alternating with the paracetamol. The idea behind this was to make breathing easier especially when sleeping, so that I didn't take small breaths leading to a build-up of fluid on the lungs/pneumonia. And taking it easy - no lifting or straining etc., gentle walking for exercise. Took about 5 or 6 weeks I think.
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RibbleRider101
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Joined: 14 Oct 2021, 3:47pm

Re: Rib injury.

Post by RibbleRider101 »

Hi, yep certainly undid some healing I think. Over a week since then and I’m back to being ok ish. I can still do long rides on my road bike without any bother but any chores, lifting, long time spent in the car etc brings it right back to square one. Over 5 weeks in though and no sign of being healed!
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TrevA
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Re: Rib injury.

Post by TrevA »

Several years ago, I slipped over on some ice, whilst walking. I had my hands in my coat pockets at the time and effectively, punched myself in the ribs. I didn’t break a rib but badly strained my intracostal muscles. I had to have 3 weeks off work, I had to sleep sitting in a chair for the first 2 weeks. Any movement at all was really painful. Things did return to normal after about 4-6 weeks, but I could still feel the injury when breathing heavily during exercise or coughing for about 6 months afterwards.
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Slowtwitch
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Re: Rib injury.

Post by Slowtwitch »

It sounds like it is likely damage to the intercostal muscles supporting the rib. In comparison to a broken rib (I've had a few) the recovery time is a lot longer.

I got rear ended by another cyclist a few years ago, and ended up in the ditch, the pain steadily increased over the course of the month till it was unbelievable and when an XRay revealed no break to the bones, the diagnosis was to the above effect.

It took about 6 months to ease off, and this was with quite a bit of physio and lots of painkiller medication. There's light at the end of the tunnel, but if it's intercostal be prepared for a long campaign.
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