Do I Have Broken Ribs? (NSR)

[Lane Meyer]

Here's the deal - (I know I can look this up on WebMD, but with all the hucksters here I figured someone would have some experience with this):

My first mistake was joining a hockey league in Sparks. My second mistake was joining B league when I clearly belong in C league. The third one was just part of the game - I ran into someone on the other team at the red line full-steam when we were both going for the puck.

We hit my left side to his right thigh as we tried in vain to dive around eachother. No big deal at the time, in fact the few days afterwards (this was last Tuesday night), no real pain. And then two days ago, my side has slowly built itself into a cacophany of pain. Deep breathing hurts. When I roll over onto that side while sleeping, I wake up. Sore to the touch.

So a) how do I find out WITHOUT A $500 X-RAY if I have busted ribs, b)even if they are busted, what can I do about it? c)how long can I expect it to take to heal?

Thanks
LM

[basom]

i have never broken a rib, nor am i a doctor.

i do know that the only thing that will help are pain meds and ice and time.

[homerjay]

My understanding is you can't do shit about broken ribs anyway. They heal on their own. I think I cracked one flaling on skis a few years ago, it hurt like hell for about a month, and went away. Coughing and sneezing are particularly agonizing, if I recall.

[meatdrink9]

All I know is that if you remove your lower ribs it will make your boobies look bigger. Totally worth passing on organ protection.

[TomK]

Sounds like cracked or seperated ribs. Unlikely its fully broken so no worries about a lung puncture
Nothing to do but put up with the pain.
Mine took almost 3 months for them to stop hurting all the time, still get twinges at 6 months. Doc said expect occasional discomfort for up to a year.

[Tippster]

...So a) how do I find out WITHOUT A $500 X-RAY if I have busted ribs...

Hold ON! You jump offa bridges n'shit for fun and don't have medical insurance???!!! WTF?? Are you retarded?

[Vinman]

Not a doc either but sounds more like bruised ribs too me. If you had broken the rib(s) the pain would have been immediate and intense. Painful to breathe right away, painful to move right away. Since the pain did not become intense for a few days suggests bruising and swelling over time.

If you did opt for the x-ray and find out it is broken, there is not much that can be done. The only treatment for simple rib fractures is time and rest. Sometimes light compression to the area with an ace wrap can make you more confortable as it will slightly support the area and reduce the amount of expansion of the rib cage.

Normal rib fractures will heal in 4-6 weeks just like any other fracture. Generally after about 3 weeks you will feel confortable enough to being activity again, but I would stay away from collision/contact sports for awhile. In a couple weeks after the inital pain subsides you can go back to aerobic activity as tolerated.

As far as OTC pain meds stick with Tylenol/acetominophen. Reason: NSAIDs like ibuprophen, naprosyn, aspirin etc can cause delayed healing of bones as the inflammatory process is necessary for bones to heal.

good luck

[Droopy]

Hold ON! You jump offa bridges n'shit for fun and don't have medical insurance???!!! WTF?? Are you retarded?

This is true, you are stupid...

And yes Maryland Basketball is fucking awesome

(but football is disappointing this year, i so thought they had that WVA game, and what are they doing losing to GT??)

Terp fans unite.

[Tippster]

...Are you retarded?

Quoting myself (SO CORE!!) for clarification: I don't mean retarded as in licking windows/riding the short bus retarded, but more the conversational sense of "not too headsy in my opinion" retarded.

There. I said it... licking windows.

[Dexter Rutecki]

All I know is that if you remove your lower ribs it will make your boobies look bigger. Totally worth passing on organ protection.

I knew those weren't natural. I bet you've got the Botox going on, too.

[Trackhead]

If you have pain with inspirations, be sure to keep taking deep breaths (atleast 10 every hour) to avoid atelectasis. Shallow breathing with rib pain/fracture can lead to pneumonia. But if your young/healthy/active, that is unlikely.

Like everyone else said, rib fx's are treated symptomatically. Treat the pain. If you get shortness of breath, elevated pulse, etc, then go to the ER right away. Those are signs of a pneumothorax (collapsed lung) where your rib, if fractured, can puncture your pleural lining. You should be fine now that you are 48 hours past intial injury.

Heal up fast.

[sandytheskier]

Not a doc either but sounds more like bruised ribs too me. If you had broken the rib(s) the pain would have been immediate and intense. Painful to breathe right away, painful to move right away. Since the pain did not become intense for a few days suggests bruising and swelling over time.

I agree fully. Been there, had that. No reason in getting an x-ray. They would just tell you to take it easy if it was simply bruised or regretfully separated.

[Game Over]

Your back could be tweaked and pinching a nerve, I have had rib pain because of a tweaked back that I get all to often after fucking it up. Is the muscle inflamed?

Find a good reputible Chiropractor. They have x-ray machines too.

I do understand that reputable and chiropracter go together as well as honest and lawyer...

[kchri]

Cracked two ribs while landing on camera during stupid-ass show-off jump. Hurt really bad when it happened, but I still managed to ski down to the base. I couldn't ski for 4 weeks of miserable HELL. Not because of the rib pain, but because I couldn't SKI!!! It healed in 4 weeks though...I did learn not to carry my camera loosely around my waist.

First week was the worst and eventually I could poke my finger right on the spot where the ribs were cracked to isolate exactly where the pain was eminating. This didn't make me feel any better but at least I could verify that it was the ribs and not something more serious. It is strange that you didn't notice pain right away but it could be that all the surrounding tissue and muscles are sore from compensating for the damage.

Like everyone has said there is nothing to be done but wait for healing...

[Lane Meyer]

Thanks everyone. Looks like I wait it out. Umm, I do have insurance, really good insurance, I just can't take time off to use it (long story) yet. And I've compressed vertebrae in my back twice over the years, and that sucks too but similarly, there's nothing you can do about it. But hey, I'm the first one to admit that I'm not the brightest bulb in the box. I mean, who plays hockey in Sparks?

[72Twenty]

There. I said it... licking windows.

I just......pictured myself doing that....................

[summit]

If the pain continues to increase, definately see a doc.

If you develop trouble breathing or shorthness of breath, definately call 911.

[Tical]

Sounds like broken ribs to me.. I have had them broken twice.. They should heal on there own.. Probably will take 1-2 months to be back to normal..

[Blurred]

If you develop trouble breathing or shorthness of breath, definately call 911.

You may not be able to talk and just weez into the phone, but I'm sure the scare you give the dispatcher would be funny....and that would make you laugh....and that would hurt....nevermind...

[LAN]

Nurse Ratchet here.

Sounds like you have some broken or cracked ribs. Nothing you can do about it except wait for them to heal up. Usually at least 6 weeks to heal, although the pain can last longer, especially if you have a nasty contusion (bruise).

Anti-inflammatories will definitely help. Take the Rx dose of advil - 600mg every 6 hours. If you have a doctor, or a friend with access to drugs, you might be able to score some Toradol, which works pretty well (it's not a controlled substance, just a very nice prescriptive anti-inflammatory).

Soreness and stiffness is normal. But ... if you experience sudden shortness of breath, or even a deterioration in your breathing, get checked out by a doctor. You don't want at pneumothorax (collapsed lung) because then you have to sit in the hospital for a week with a chest tube.

Hope you feel better soon!

[IE]

Piss on them... I heard that helps.

[schuss]

its obviously ebola, we'll have to amputate your torso.