ribs -- ouch!

[telepariah]

I found the strangest way to frack up my ribs. I was skating Monday and while crossing an intersection was paying more attention to the cute grrl heading the other way on a bike and skated right into a drain cover in a 4 inch deep hole in the street. Never saw it.

As it threw me totally off balance I must have tensed up somehow because my ribs hurt before I even hit the ground. I landed on my right hip and hand but the rib injury is on the left. My wife thinks I busted a rib but I suspect not. Probably the tensing of some muscles tweaked the intercostal cartilege. I am fine sitting or standing but lying down is painful and I can't get comfortable enough to sleep. So I am up at 2:19 am posting on the gimp forum.

Has anyone done the intercostal rib thing and if so, how long before you can sleep comfortably?

Thanks.

[peterslovo]

How about sneezing, coughing, laughing, deep breathing? Does that hurt?

Don't know if this helps, but I've cracked a couple before, and it hurts - a lot. If that's what it is, a couple weeks (3-4) of dealing with the pain and you should be good to go. I got x-rays to make sure they were just cracks, and not dislocated or displaced breaks.

If you have a recliner, try that. That helped me for sleeping - on the bed, every time I'd roll over, I would wake me up on the bed. I needed about a solid week in the recliner before moving back to the bed.

[telepariah]

Yeah, all those hurt. I have broken ribs several times before and this feels a little different. I can't put my finger on one place that is the cause of the pain even though they really hurt in a couple of spots. Got a couple hours sleep once I was really tired. May take a benadryl tonight instead of Allegra for allergies and see if that knocks me out.

The weird thing was I didn't have any impact on that side. If my muscles tensing up were able to break my ribs then I must have pretty advanced osteoporisis. If it doesn't improve in the next couple of days I will have to go get an x-ray. But I know from past experience that they don't do anything for ribs other than advise patience.

[JBird]

Six months out from a couple of cracked ribs and I can still feel the area where they broke, occasionally. From what the doc said to me was, "doesn't matter if they're broken, cracked, or torn cartilage, consider them broken".
For sleep I would recommend the recliner, pain killers, and quiet.

[telepariah]

Yep, it's broken. Shit.

I still plan on skiing sand dunes next weekend if anyone wants to see some real comedy. I just better not fall.

[Theodore]

You go see the doc? FYI our muscles are very capable of breaking our own bones, so it's definitely possible! As for the benadryl, I have a doctor friend that suggests that as the nicest, least addictive way to knock yourself out if you need a little extra help. Just pick up the generic stuff and don't make it a habit! Good luck, rest is your friend!

[telepariah]

This is my 8th broken rib. Some of them resulted in serious internal injuries but this one did not. So I don't think I will go to the doc this time. It wasn't from a direct blow so I am not worried about internal bleeding. It isn't displaced, just a free floating rib cracked near its tip -- weird. The dislocation in back is feeling better. It really isn't in a bad place and I know the routine pretty well. Hard to sleep but so far, scotch has been a help. My allergies haven't been that bad so it's hard to justify taking a benadryl for sleep. Plus I don't want to wake up in a fog and try to work.

Thanks all!

[Jack Burton]

5 nights in an OLD recliner first 4 were ok, recliner tops out about 3 inches below my neck, neck and shoulder muscles are screaming for a couple hours in the am. night 5 was more sitting up in a chair in a somewhat dark room. Tonight painkillers and BED, damn the imminent pain of getting out of BED.

[old goat]

Do you have kids? If so have your wife show you how she rolled out of bed when she was 8 3/4 months pregnant.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

So I crashed on my mtb last week in Bend. Fell off one of those damn skinny logs balance things. About 5 feet off the ground. Knew to not put an outstretched arm down so I went straight down on my shoulder/back. Knocked my wind out etc.

Being on vacation and stubborn I rode the rest of that day and a few days later at the bike park. Crash was 1 week ago. Trouble sleeping, etc. Pain from sternum around to my back. Just 5 minutes ago I reached for something in my glove box and heard a real loud crack in my sternum followed by some pretty serious pain. Now its kinda difficult to even move. Pain going down my right arm too.

Not much pain taking deep breaths. Can't feel anything odd on the ribs themselves, its been a week, etc so I'm not worried about displacement or internal bleeding.

Just gotta wait it out? Any real reason to see the doc besides for him to tell me I probably cracked a couple ribs?

[plugboots]

Well, there's nothing you can do for cracked ribs, but you should go make sure that's all it is.

[zlatham]

If the pain is near the middle of your back your rib could be out of place with the vertebrae. It's called a subluxed rib, you can get it put back in place and you will immediately feel better. Look it up on YouTube.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

At the local urgent care place now. Didnt want to fuck with the ER if I don't have too. Sternum and ribs on right side hurt like a mofo.

Deep breathing is OK, but bending over or twisting is hell. I'm supposed to be working right now.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Pain under/behind right shoulder blade too. Extending over to right next to spine.

[CWAZY]

Hey Whiteroom, I had something similar to you 2 years a go after a wrestling competition. Turns out it was a rib that dislocated in 2 different spots, which explains the pain I had near the sternum but also near the back. I went to see a physio who just massaged it for an hour (very painful) and it helped a lot. I just avoided all upper body effort the first 2 weeks and 6 weeks later i was pretty much back at 100%,

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Just sent over to imaging place for x-rays.

[plugboots]

A couple weeks ago my 80 something-year-old mother-in-law broke three ribs just by falling on a dresser. The x-rays were crazy and the doctor just looked at us and said there's nothing we can do.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

No fractures luckily. Actually got a massage yesterday. Hurt like hell but I think it loosened me up alot. Was hauling equipment around today at work. Dodged a bullet this time.

[old goat]

Was this a test--go to the UC and ask for advice on TGR at the same time to see if we know what we're talking about? No need--we don't.