Possible Cracked Ribs: Visit to A&E ya or nay?

So just over a week ago I slipped in the shower and whacked by ribs of the side of the bath. Inital assessment while sat under the shower showed that everything was still in the right place and not sticking out. Now a week later it still really hurts in a very local area. Phoned Dr’s for appointment to get some stronger painkillers and got told on the phone I need to go A&E for an x-ray etc. To me this seems a little mental. If they are cracked then what can they do that a GP can’t? I can breath normally etc it just fekking hurts.

So what would you do. A&E or a course of a Growaset?

i went on a snowboarding holiday. I can’t recommend that.

Yeah that’s definitely not the plan. I live in fear of sneezing at the mo.

go to A&E get X-ray and told they can’t do anything lol

@poah I hate sitting in A&E unless I have either decent blood loose or an oblivious break/concussion. Otherwise I feel like a time waster!

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GP can’t do an x-ray

Now a week later it still really hurts in a very local area

That’s how broken ribs feel. You’ve broken a bone remember – what do you expect it to feel like?

If it starts do do anything other than be very sore at the crack, I’d go in, but otherwise no. It’ll take weeks mind – like 6 at least. Don’t watch anything really funny and definitely don’t get a cough.

Whether cracked or muscle torn the feeling is the same and it typically takes 6 weeks before it is completely healed/no longer hurts at all.

I damage my ribs at least once a year as I seem to have week ribs combined with doing stupid things like bending over the saddle with my ribs against it and then putting full force on a spanner…

So an expert suggested

got told on the phone I need to go A&E for an x-ray

but you thought you would take advice from a load of randoms instead 😆 🙄

Opposite advice from my GP..as in no point going as they can do f/all.
Ibuprofen & paracetamol..and suck it up .
I have just noticed the dull ache when waking up has disappeared after 5 months ..

Hmm based on the facts at hand I think I will self prescribe a week of Growaset and see how I feel.

but you thought you would take advice from a load of randoms instead

Why not. Save the NHS the bother. 😆

There’s nothing you can do about them. They rarely bother X-raying them now because what’s the point of increasing your chance of cancer in exchange for a pretty picture of something untreatable?

See your GP if you want a medical professional to confirm that you’ll hurt quite a lot for quite a few weeks.

You should get x-ray to ensure no danger of splinters hitting your lung, in which case they could recommend some surgery.

Unlikely but best to be sure than end up with a punctured lung (in my opinion 😆 )

I can always nip over and hurt something else to take your mind off the ribs?

I did my ribs in Oct/Nov. Went to A&E to be told that they can’t do anything and it makes no difference if they’re bruised or broken – they’ll heal and feel better whenever they fix themselves.
The doctor said to take it easy and if I get any sharp pain that would indicate a jagged piece has punctured a lung, head straight in.
I dosed up on painkillers until the pain was bearable and then they healed completely within about 6 weeks.

I’ve broken many ribs and generally dont go to A&E unless it agony and feels like a pointy bit of bone is protruding.

BUT it is also possible to dislocate some ribs. Which you might be able to get manipulated back if thats the case.
I didnt know this until I was pulling a pair of wellies on with what I thought was a broken rib. As I pulled on the welly my rib popped back into place and the pain was almost instantly gone.

I can always nip over and hurt something else to take your mind off the ribs?

It’s okay the wife has that covered. 😆

Last time I did my ribs I just went straight to A & E. I know they can’t do anything but I got an x-ray so I knew either way. They gave me a load of Tramadol which helped me sleep but also led to some very, very bizarre dreams.

Minor injuries you’ve had them a week and haven’t died so it’s not an emergency.

Done mine twice, first time I waited in A&E for a couple of hours to get an X-ray and get told they couldn’t do anything. Did get some nice (stronger) cocodamol though. Second time I didn’t bother, just suffered through it. As others have said, it’ll take a couple of weeks. Worst bit for me was trying to sleep and going from lying down to upright! Over the counter cocodamol helped, but not as much as the good stuff…

I’ve cracked or bruised ribs on many an occasion (they hurt pretty much the same). Only went to A&E once and that was as I had a lump develop but even then nothing they can do. As has been said, only reason to go is if you end up with a punctured lung or something due to a bone splinter but I’d guess 99% of the time people just have a crack or bruising (it just feels like the end of the world when you cough/sneeze :p ).

A week old – do not go to a&E. Minor injuries or GP. You don’t need an xray – it makes no difference to the treatment – what you need is decent painkillers

I am not sure what the current practice re ribs is but the last time i did mine and went to hospital they were very clear about not xraying for ribs as regardless the treatment is the same for broken or bruised ie pain killers and time.
My wife is a Radiographer at 2 of our local hospitals regardless of what a patient GP or even consultant wants she does not zap you with radiation unless she thinks it is clinically justified.
If you are worried i would suggest going to whatever you minor injuries unit is not A and E. From my last experience of that i needed to go to the GP first for a referral , when i rang and described my symptoms the gp saw me in an hour and referred me i then saw the minor injuries as a walk in the same day .

Paracetamol and Ibuprofen, simple as that. A+E wont XRay you..you can’t put a cast on broken ribs so whats the point of XR? Regular deep breaths so you dont get a chest infection. As long as you arent coughing up blood or have paradoxical chest movement (where a segment of broken ribs move ‘opposite’ to the chest wall direction of movement), then it’ll heal…slowly. Remember every breath you take is causing a fractured to move.

Paracetamol and Ibuprofen,

If you’ve really cracked it – those don’t do anything.

An x-ray will just confirm the damage, if it’s bad then you’ll get some painkillers. I was given Tramadol & when I started throwing that up I was given Codiene.

The question is can you manage the pain yourself or not?

If you can’t, you know what to do.

You can get quite strong painkillers from your pharmacist/ Paramol perhaps the strongest -0 a mix of dihydrocodiene and paracetomol.

If you’ve really cracked it – those don’t do anything.

Depends on the individual but yes the sting a bit.

Paras & Ibus worked for me ..at least took the edge off and I could definitely tell when they were wearing off .
I wouldn’t want to be reliant on anything stronger

I did mine about 20 months ago and as mentioned earlier in the thread I was told it’s the same treatment regardless which was painkillers.

Same as you though, fell and i was sore but 5-7 days later I felt a lot worse and couldn’t sleep at night. I took it easy and didn’t go on the bike for 6 or 7 weeks but did manage to go to Fort William for the downhill with my daughter about 3 weeks after it happened still sore and felt like an old man but managed.

Interesting to hear other people’s experiences with this issue. I cracked mine (I guess?) just before CX season. Physio said ‘get an x-ray’, but neither A&E or GP would do me one, as the treatment didn’t depend on them. Fair enough in hindsight.

The first few races of the CX season were bloody agony. It hurt so much to breathe that I aborted one mid week interval session because I was crying too much….

Are all A&E units and Minor Injury Units basically the same room. Or do some hospitals have designated areas for each.

My one experience of a minor injuries unit was exactly the same as a visit to A&E. And everyone got treated the same as well.

I think I saw one person get pushed up the queue. I’m sure if there’s been something major I’d have seen a difference.

Some are shared, some are different departments others are in different buildings.

Done mine 3 times. Takes at least 6 weeks to heal. Was Rudi g again but gently within a week on two occasions.

Last occasion I broke 4 and my spine. Docs weren’t bothered as it was my spine that was the problem. My ribs were very well healed after over 6 weeks in hospital. Better than the other two breaks had been.

Ribs hurt real bad and were worse than my back.

Where I work we prescribe lignocaine patches to apply over the sore area for the really painful presentations. Seem to work quite well. (And no, wouldn’t X-ray on clinical presentation of #ribs unless clinical suspicion of pneumothorax, flail etc. Decent pain relief and MTFU!

Cracked 3 about 4 years ago falling on a steel rail while dicking about on the bike, sister in law is a district nurse ex ward sister she said….

Don’t be a dick, take painkillers and sleep on the damaged side as you will breath properly so reducing the chance of chest infection from shallow breathing

PS painkillers deffo because if you aren’t breathing fully you can easily get chest problems. Any trouble breathing, A&E

My painful memory from first time around is that your GP will know exactly where to press to confirm

Not a lot can do but per above be really really careful about picking up a chest infection go for hand cleanser and avoiding people coughing etc no idea about masks suggest avoid flying?

Whether cracked or muscle torn the feeling is the same and it typically takes 6 weeks before it is completely healed/no longer hurts at all.

I damage my ribs at least once a year as I seem to have week ribs combined with doing stupid things like bending over the saddle with my ribs against it and then putting full force on a spanner…

I seem to keep doing mine as well (damaged intercostal muscles) on Basque MTB trips. Dosing up with painkillers and keeping riding probably isnt the best advice. Mine are still sore 3 months later.

After I fell on the end of my bars, winded myself and (probably) cracked or broke a rib or two I was told by four different nurse friends or family not to do anything more than take pain relief if necessary. Felt horrid for 6 weeks, could swim after a week or so but had to use the ladder one handed to get out…weird. One day I just woke up and it no longer hurt.