Fractured Ribs

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Parker
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Fractured Ribs

Postby Parker » Wed Jul 16, 2014 11:35 pm

Boom! Fractured ribs. Go me.

Anyway, left hand side, lots of painkillers. Anyone got an experience they'd like to share and how they handled it?

Like how long till it stopped hurting?

cp123
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Re: Fractured Ribs

Postby cp123 » Wed Jul 16, 2014 11:41 pm

I broke 2 and cracked a third many many years ago off a horse losing the plot. but mine were broken around the back rather than the front side.

don't laugh, cough, breathe deeply sigh or lie down for the next month cos everything will hurt. You just have to wait for Dr Time to do his thing.

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Re: Fractured Ribs

Postby Parker » Wed Jul 16, 2014 11:49 pm

Yeah, the not laying down thing is tough and I don't get to have a proper cuddle :(

CKinnard
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Re: Fractured Ribs

Postby CKinnard » Thu Jul 17, 2014 12:03 am

See an osteopath, physio, chiro. When I had mine, they worked on the joints between the ribs and spine and it relieved it a lot. You can imagine these joints get shunted with the impact. They can also strap/tape the worst ribs to support them. Consider wrapping a compression bandage around your chest when you are out and about. It can also help relieve pain with movement. Apart from that, it's a matter of time. The pain should settle within 3 weeks, and you should be fit for running and hard cycling by 6. As the pain settles, get more aggressive stretching the trunk and ribs. After week 8 it's a good idea to get some deeper hard massage into the muscles between the ribs, which will hurt like hell but free things up nicely.

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Re: Fractured Ribs

Postby Parker » Thu Jul 17, 2014 1:03 am

Eeek... Not loving that post!

CKinnard
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Re: Fractured Ribs

Postby CKinnard » Thu Jul 17, 2014 8:23 am

Oxford, oh contraire...a compression bandage (or binder bandage) was recommended by the hospital, 2 physios, and osteo I saw 2 years ago....though not on many websites.

Why? because shallow breathing is a consequence of painful rib movement. Reduce pain with movement, and deeper breathing happens.

BTW, my compression bandage was elasticized, so it didn't restrict chest wall expansion.
It sounds like you were deprived of the opportunity to compare bandage vs no bandage, but rather, dosed up on opiates, which have the side of effect of depressing respiratory drive!!!

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Re: Fractured Ribs

Postby Parker » Thu Jul 17, 2014 11:08 am

Totally not taking medical advice from any of you, no offence but the doctor in emergency is who I'm going to listen to and my own doctor. I just wanted to share my pain and find out about someone else's so I know that it will be okay.

I'm probably going to start walking in the pool soon, I can't do heaps, I'm going to walk to the shop today as well and see how that goes, it's a 1.8km round trip, there's chairs at the shops if I need them as well. Just remembered I can't carry too much, oh well, there goes my chocolate I was gonna stock up on, will just have to get the fruit.

I'm not using a bandage and wasn't told to, the pain is getting less and less even though it's only day 2 since the addicdent.

I'm so happy that we got the couch with the chaise lounge though, it's better to sleep on and apart from waking up at 4am this morning, I slept soundly from whenever the stage finished last night till when ever my partner came out to put me to bed cause he was going to work.

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Re: Fractured Ribs

Postby Parker » Thu Jul 17, 2014 11:15 am

I will focus on my breathing though

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Re: Fractured Ribs

Postby Parker » Thu Jul 17, 2014 11:17 am

Oh and You know, I'm not feeling wonderful on that bike anymore, I think I've sort of lost it with it, a mixture of too many problems with it. Maybe I'll start looking for something that feels better.

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rodneycc
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Re: Fractured Ribs

Postby rodneycc » Thu Jul 17, 2014 11:47 am

Yeah any rib problem isn't fun at all. I avoided going to the Dr's for about 3 weeks until I finally gave in and went and he said I prob cracked or badly bruised a couple of ribs - "But we can't really do anything about that"! So great I thought, and after two or three more weeks they started to come good. So I reckon you are looking at 4 or 5 weeks of pain.
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Re: Fractured Ribs

Postby find_bruce » Thu Jul 17, 2014 11:55 am

You poor chook - it has been 20 years or so since I last damaged my ribs, but I still remember the pain. I think it was 4 times over 3 or 4 years (I was a slow learner) & IIRC the pain was about the same each time, but the worse the break, the longer it lasted & that damage to the rib cartilage took longer to heal. Never a dislocated fracture nor punctured a lung so not as bad as it could be

It only hurts when you breathe, but that's still better than the alternative :)

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Re: Fractured Ribs

Postby Parker » Thu Jul 17, 2014 11:57 am

Emergency room doctor said it should stop hurting in about two weeks, he also said that I have to take my paint killers so I can breath, so I will do that.

Worst thing is trying to poo or just not pooing, I'm taking laxatives, I'm having a veggie smoothie in the morning, I'm going to have fruit for the rest of the day,see if that helps.

Before this I was take iron tablets, anyone whose taken iron tablets knows what that does to you.

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Re: Fractured Ribs

Postby Parker » Thu Jul 17, 2014 11:59 am

find_bruce wrote:You poor chook - it has been 20 years or so since I last damaged my ribs, but I still remember the pain. I think it was 4 times over 3 or 4 years (I was a slow learner) & IIRC the pain was about the same each time, but the worse the break, the longer it lasted & that damage to the rib cartilage took longer to heal. Never a dislocated fracture nor punctured a lung so not as bad as it could be

It only hurts when you breathe, but that's still better than the alternative :)
Thanks Bruce :)

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rodneycc
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Re: Fractured Ribs

Postby rodneycc » Thu Jul 17, 2014 12:06 pm

Luckily its not spring because hay fever and sneezing with bad ribs just doesn't mix!
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Re: Fractured Ribs

Postby Calvin27 » Thu Jul 17, 2014 12:08 pm

Fractured ribs snowboarding - pretty much landed on the corner of ice going at speed. Kept going the whole day in pain because was too cheap to waste lift pass. Pretty much couldn't do anything for at least 2 weeks - just bicep isolations haha.
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gorilla monsoon
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Re: Fractured Ribs

Postby gorilla monsoon » Thu Jul 17, 2014 12:20 pm

Broke mine when I tripped over a very low, very obscured fence (it was almost a trip wire) walking back from a corporate lunch. Host company was so concerned it got me the best doctor available!
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Re: Fractured Ribs

Postby Parker » Thu Jul 17, 2014 3:16 pm

Luckily I don't get hay fever. Unluckily I have a cold :)

I crashed from something so obscure that I honestly have no idea how it happened, I keep searching for the video on YouTube but so far nothing has come up.

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Re: Fractured Ribs

Postby silentC » Thu Jul 17, 2014 3:24 pm

I came off on an invisible speed hump a few weeks ago. I landed on my left side and took some skin off my knee, hip, elbow and shoulder. The pain in my rib cage didn't start until 2 days later. I don't know what I did but it is still sore now. A few days after the prang, my daughter gave me a hug and I nearly passed out, it was like a knife in the side. I guess I'd know if I had broken anything, but for a couple of weeks there sneezing, coughing and 'certain physical activities' were quite painful.
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Re: Fractured Ribs

Postby Parker » Thu Jul 17, 2014 4:03 pm

I'm glad I'm not the only one who hits imaginary stuffs

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Re: Fractured Ribs

Postby Mulger bill » Thu Jul 17, 2014 6:18 pm

Oww. Damn Row, that's not fun. Heal well.

Not gonna give advice cos it's already been said. :wink:

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Parker
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Re: Fractured Ribs

Postby Parker » Thu Jul 17, 2014 6:59 pm

Thanks Shaun :D

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isabella24
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Re: Fractured Ribs

Postby isabella24 » Thu Jul 17, 2014 9:07 pm

Hey Parker, wishing you all the best with your recovery.

I know that's pretty lame, but I've never damaged my ribs so can't offer advice or help.

In my experiences with other injuries, just do what your doctors tell you to and I'm sure you'll be better for it. And I know that you know this already.

Take care, and I hope you heal quick. Claire.
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Re: Fractured Ribs

Postby chriscole » Thu Jul 17, 2014 10:27 pm

CKinnard wrote:See an osteopath, physio, chiro. When I had mine, they worked on the joints between the ribs and spine and it relieved it a lot. You can imagine these joints get shunted with the impact. They can also strap/tape the worst ribs to support them. Consider wrapping a compression bandage around your chest when you are out and about. It can also help relieve pain with movement. Apart from that, it's a matter of time. The pain should settle within 3 weeks, and you should be fit for running and hard cycling by 6. As the pain settles, get more aggressive stretching the trunk and ribs. After week 8 it's a good idea to get some deeper hard massage into the muscles between the ribs, which will hurt like hell but free things up nicely.

Sorry, but this is worth responding to.

This is probably the worst possible advice to take if you have fractured ribs. Do NOT strap, tape or worst of all circumferentially compression bandage your chest.

Strapping/compressing your chest reduces respiratory excursion (how much your lungs move with breathing), leading to an increase in atelectasis (areas of non-expanded lung) and a significantly increased risk of pneumonia as a result.

Do not strap / tape / bandage your chest, unless a thoracic surgeon tells you to.

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Re: Fractured Ribs

Postby sogood » Thu Jul 17, 2014 10:43 pm

You poor thing! Keep it up with any cocktail of pain killers that you works for you. If you have a good friend who is a medico with the appropriate procedural expertise, a few intercostal nerve block injections could help to ease the pain. Unfortunately, this is not in the realm of practice expertise for most medicos out there.
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Re: Fractured Ribs

Postby trailgumby » Thu Jul 17, 2014 10:50 pm

Sorry to hear about the ribs. I haven't broken any, but landing on the end of my mountain bike handlebars with my ribs and the related cartilage damage was bloddy painful and took months to recover from. In some ways, bone fractures you recover from faster. So I appreciate your pain.

I'm not a fan of ER doctors for some things. They stuffed the relocation of my dislocated shoulder, and knocked loose some of the cartilage (location of damage could only have occurred on re-insertion) and told me to not move for two weeks and then go see a physio. I ended up with frozen shoulder and needed surgical intervention. I should have seen the physio immediately.

If you can afford it, I would encourage you strongly to go see a specialist, quickly.

On the other hand, ER registrars are quite good for things like wound infections because they get lots of experience dealing with that in hospitals.

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