[Closed] Cracked/Broken rib.... any advice? or do i just wait and be careful

It's a waiting game, get some very strong painkillers, makes sleeping alot easier, apart from that, time.

Don't cough
don't laugh
don't turn over in the middle of the night
don't try and get up in anything but the style of a 90yr old.

Don't expect to be comfortable for a couple of weeks at a minimum.

i bruised my ribs last year whilst out biking. stood up after the crash and jumped back on the bike without any problem.

two days later i couldn't lift anything heavy; couldn't climb into - or out of - the works truck.

went biking a week or so later and ascended 1300m at a gentle pace. after about 5 minutes downhill the pain was intense. i ended up leaving the group and having to walk almost the whole way down.

rest it. take it easy.

bloomin annoying thing is i have a bad cough at the moment... its getting better but its a right pain (hehehaha pun) yeh getting up in the style of a 90yr old provides much entertainment for my girlfriend. laughing and turning over in the night are hard to avoid.....

Prop yourself up, at night, with a pillow leaning slightly to the side with the break. And wait SIX weeks for a complete recovery. Get out on your bike asap though, it's only getting on and off the bike that is painful !! (And getting out of the saddle is not a good idea, just spin away ).
And just to add to JAM BO's list - DON'T SNEEZE either - but you'll do ALL those even if you NEVER normally do - weird init ?

Did mine at CwmCarn in December and was off the bike for 5 weeks. If you get a cold you're in for a world of sneeze pain.

i bruised my intercostal muscles during a stupid too fast for abilities incident with a tree! felt like i'd done my ribs, Seriously cl##dy hurt!
docs gave me some voltorol which helped Massively, but had x-rays just to make sure,
Go to the docs and make sure,
just have to be really careful on that side,

Stop being such a bloody wuss and get back on your bike !!

yeh ive got a cold... sneezing and coughing are fun
what will the docs do though if i go? give me painkillers and say rest it no i woudl expect even if it is broken, can they do anything?
VassagoJay i still ride to uni on my bike everyday so shoosh ya big gimp!

Did my ribs, then got a bad cough before they healed - which combined with being unable to cough properly* meant bad news for my lungs, and basically destroyed me for a month. Docs worried about me having to go into hospital and all sorts.

*due to the pain. I was basically having a coughing fit, unable to cough, eventually being unable to stop it and then throwing up from the pain. It's not a world of fun, I can tell you.

I have broken ribs a couple of times racing MX. Not funny at all, especially sneezing!
I raced the week after as it was a televised support race to the British Champs. Could hardly breathe after a moto. At least I wasn't going too fast past the cameras! 8)

I've done mine a couple of times - went to A&E the day after my first time and he poked around a bit and said "Yep, they're cracked but there's nothing we can do about it, have some painkillers!"
Just had to rest it, no heavy lifting, hill-climbing out the saddle, things like that.

Thats good to hear Willy 🙂 I've bust my ribs 7 times (twice fighting, once crashing the bike and 4 times in drunken antics) so I know how your feeling !! Last time I could not even get on my bike for 3 or 4 days !! Not bust them for about a year so doing well 😉

broke several ribs at the same time getting a rather nasty kicking not relising they were broke and playing ice hockey the next day. got checked into the wall, went blind the next thing i know im in the hospital. no pots or anything [b]just lay on back with legs raised[/b]. i couldnt do sweet fa for sometime.

you sound like one of them yobbos VassagoJay! all this fighting and drunken antics... im supposed to be racing the Pitfichie SDA in 3 weeks, not sure whether to or not..

its going to hurt. for a long time. avoid lifting, moving, riding, dancing, turning etc. or not. whatever, just dose up on pain killers. unless your lung has collapsed. look out for unusual shortness of breath, sharp pain etc. sorry, it really hurts, mine still hurts 3 years later if i move wrong or get poked.

Keep a watch out for difficulty breathing as it is possible to have a fluid on the lungs problem. Regular deep breathing is required to stop this. Did my intercostal muscle last year running into the back of a car on the road bike. (I think I was technically speeding at the time!)

Welcome to my world. May I suggest a second injury to take your mind off it. Achilles tendonitis perhaps.

if your worried about racing i woud go to a&e and get an xray if its bloke possibly not if bruised should be ok

l isnt even next to r! i meant broke.

Racing in 3 weeks !!! that might be a bit touch and go, only time will tell.
Yobbo !! I'm not as bad as I've made it sound 🙂 I'm just a bit unlucky at times.

The worst break was when I came off my bike, bust the ribs and all my back muscles spasmed !! that caused me more hassle than the bloody ribs.

jam bo - Member
Don't cough
don't laugh
don't turn over in the middle of the night
don't try and get up in anything but the style of a 90yr old.

Don't expect to be comfortable for a couple of weeks at a minimum.

yeap thats what i would do! get to the doctors and get some pain killers!

Here's a tip, if you need to cough and I can vouch for it from personal experience. Wrap a towel around your chest, hold it tight, then cough. It stops your ribs flailing out as you cough. I'll also second what others have said about a collapsed lung. It doesn't happen very often but you need to seek medical advice if you feel unusually short of breath (or increasingly short of breath). Brace yourself for a few sleepless nights because it may wake you as you turn in bed.

Big bean bag makes an excellent pillow, broke a couple ribs about 18 months ago and was having major problems sleeping until some kind soul on here suggested using a bean bag.

Get one of these it will stop you rolling over in bed. Other than that tough it out. Keep moving as much as possible. Its a self limiting injury as the pain will stop you doing anything to make the injury worse.

[img] [/img]

I was told that basically, most of the stuff that hurts is good for you. Which was fine the first time when it wasn't really all that bad, but the second time round when I had the fluid on the lung, it was a bloody nightmare, all I wanted to do was find a comfy seat and stay in it til I was better.

Diclofenac helps. Also don't even think of catching a cold, it's not just that the sneezes are hellish, but you can't clear your lungs or even blow your nose right. Miserable stuff.

yeh ive found that bending over whilst coughing helps alot! bed time i think il get more cushions and rearrange them at night so i dont roll over. it seems mine isnt as bad as some of you guys as im able to cough all be it in a certain position and i can ride my bike and do general things ok. standing up on the bike is gay as is reaching up etc..
what the heck is Diclofenac?

It's a bit like ibuprofen on steroids. Good stuff. When you absolutely, positively have to ride McMoab with a rib that isn't quite fixed, it's nice to have.

jam bo - Member

Don't cough
don't laugh
don't turn over in the middle of the night
don't try and get up in anything but the style of a 90yr old.

Don't expect to be comfortable for a couple of weeks at a minimum.

+1
Oh and even w4nking to internet pron can be painfull....

I cracked a couple of ribs up at CyB a few years ago.
Was having real trouble sleeping.
Family doctor gave me some pain relieving supositories.
They certainly did the trick with regards to pain relief.

"Getting them in to position" was an experience I'm not keen to re-visit.

mine were my mums that she had for her well busted shoulder, very strong, prescription, did the job though, from severe pain to nothing in one hour...brilliant!!