Took a blow to the rib cage a couple of weeks ago, it was a bit sore and i did hear something go crack.
It is still a bit sore, infact more than it was.
I believe that the medical treatment is do nothing, so is there anything i should be doing other than taking it easy, is there anything that i should be aware of at which point i go to hospital etc.
They say you should get broken ribs checked out in case there's a danger of it collapsing a lung... But the times I've seen a doctor for them, they've never done anything that could detect that anyway- they have a squeeze then say "Nae luck" basically. I only go now to get the good painkillers 😉 "Would you like the weak, medium or strong diclofenac?" "D- all of the above"
Mine always get worse before they get better, though after a couple of weeks they're usually on the mend. Worst I had wasn't broken ribs at all, it was the wee cartilidges in between the ribs, that took forever to heal...
Things to be aware of- if you're having trouble sleeping/getting out of bed, sleep sat upright in an armchair or a bundle of pillows. Lifesaver! Lots of painkillers, it's better to reduce the pain so you move and breathe better.
thanks, nothing like that much pain, it is sore, if i breath heavily it is sore, but it is certainly not painful. If i lie on it then i do know about it but beyond that.
Put it like this i am still riding on the road bike and as long as i don't breath to hard or get out the saddle no issues.
Ah well then, I retract my sympathy 😉
Ribs are weird, one time I broke one and was basically out of commission for a fortnight, another time i never had so much as a day off the bike.
I decided 3 weeks ago to try and set a land speed record down a steep hill on my 4 year olds scooter! That ended the only way it could , with me having cracked ribs, had my first ride back on sunday, felt ok, but 1 and a half hours was just about right, it started to hurt, also tried a swim tonight, again, did a mile in 45 minutes really easy, but I can feel them now.
When I cracked them a few years ago, it was 2 months before I could even contemplate riding. If it was me, and i was was feeling bad pain still after 2 weeks, id go to a and e. I mean pain all the time, not just when you cough or lift etc etc.
But then again I told a mate to stop being a wuss about his stomach ache, 30 minutes before an emergency ambulance came to take him to have his appendix out, so prob best not to listen to me. Go get them looked at.
Trick is to make sure you do some deep breathing at least once a day to avoid lung infection
When I did mine it was 6 weeks
Doctor gave me pain killing "things" that went in the back passage. Reckoned they were the best at delivering the pain relief where it was needed. After a very brief [i]introduction[/i] I decided that particular avenue was very much [i]One-Way[/i], but for few hours I managed to keep the aforementioned "thing" in place I was blissfully pain free. It made its break for freedom during meeting. Most unpleasant.
Avoid sneezing at all cost .............
Better the ribs than the muscles around them!
I have 95 from a tub of 100 Rimadyl that are left from a dog dying a few days after I bought them. 😥 They were supposed to be good for aches and pains. 😆
Avoid sneezing at all cost .............
And coughing...... well any sudden movements really....
I think Northwind has offered the best advice. I've broken ribs a couple of times with work and again more recently messing about in the snow about 8 weeks ago - managed to catch a rut in the ice in the dark going DH a little too fast on a local (gentle) hill and not-so-gracefully went base over apex as I departed the bike sideways. Pure stupidity but it was fun until my ribs snapped as I hit the ice on the side of the rut in a shower of ice and snow illuminated by high power cree LED torch-light!
At mid-forties, injuries take a little longer to heal so I was pretty sore for about 4 weeks - mainly coughing/sneezing/sitting up in bed hurt like a biatch. After 6 weeks all but fixed. Felt more painful about 1 - 2 weeks after initial injury but then started improving (slowly).
The advice on the NHS direct website is good - if in any doubt, read it and do what it says: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/rib-injuries/Pages/Introduction.aspx
But whatever happens, on a lighter note, remember that pain is just weakness leaving the body....as my PT Instructor used to tell us as he beasted us around the assault course during basic military training...... Ah, fond memories.
Hope you're back on the MTB soon 🙂
