Bruised Ribs - What's your experience?

I had it once when I got the bright idea to tuck my 5 pound weights underneath my armpit so I could open the front door with my key.

It felt like someone was stabbing me each time I took a breath, but it went away in a few days. I would imagine that with your injury it would take some time for them to heal.

Thank you for sharing, lola... I know the doc said it was a waiting game. I worked out shortly afterwards and irritated the area, so I'm being more careful. I have a hiking and active vacation in North Carolina planned for the end of September/early October. I'm trusting things will improve greatly over the week.

I forget about how sensitive the rib area is. This is my first experience with bruised ribs.

On 9/13/2014 ury said:

Thank you for sharing, lola... I know the doc said it was a waiting game. I worked out shortly afterwards and irritated the area, so I'm being more careful.

Also, your bra band might further be causing some tenderness, so maybe take it off when you get home and give that area a break.

I experienced a bad fall several months ago and landed on my right side. Was more concerned about my bad knee which is my right knee than I was anything else. I realized a couple of days later that something was dreadfully wrong because I couldn't get out of bed the pain was so bad. Was x-rayed and they weren't sure if I had cracked a rib or just bruised it. My doctor advised to wear some armor wear tops or something like spanx to support everything. This really helped. It took at least a month or more before I could even lay on that side and getting in and out of bed was the worst. I still feel a soreness in that area.

Be patient and be careful !!!

Good idea, lola - I didn't think about the band. Will do.

Thanks, Nana. Healing is going to take longer than I anticipated. I have a tendency to think everything will be okay 'in a week.'

Both of you -- have a lovely weekend and thanks again for your input

I don't know what your symptoms are - just soreness, or sharp pain, too? I once had 8 broken ribs. Five were clearly broken, the other 3 diagnosed as "bruised." However, with the pain and incapacitation I endured, drs suggested I do a bone scan, which revealed the other 3 hairline breaks. Yeah, it's only time, and since I had fractures, my time was probably longer than yours will be. To this day I am wary of lifting a carton of milk (I could not do that after the breaks, and had young kids in the house) or a PUSH or PULL on a door (I could not open a door, either) without a tad of trepidation!

As far as the bruising, may I suggest you follow an anti-inflammatory diet. Avoid dairy at least, for a while. I do think that will help you heal faster. Best to you! - Bird

Thank you, Bird. Most helpful. So sorry to hear about your pain. I know how a bruised rib feels, I can't imagine the pain you had. I've been taking deep breaths, as directed. Sharp pain is subsiding now, which is an indicator that I'm healing. I do roll over on my left side and wake up due to the pain. I'll certainly be more careful. It was such a silly fall. Thanks again

The only thing that may help is to wrap your rib cage. A lot of the pain comes from moving and taking breaths. Wrapping the ribs should lessen the pain when you inhale.

On 9/13/2014 ury said:

Posting on Health & Fitness and thought some of you may have experienced bruised ribs. Of course healing is a waiting game, but how long before you were able to resume workout routines, etc.? I'm at week 2 with my bruised rib -- bike wreck -- gawking at beautifully landscaped backyard in the neighborhood and got all twisted up. Handlebar whacked me in the ribs. It's better, but I'm ready to try working out at the gym again. Still some pain. I got back on a bike last week -- slow and focused this time.

Thank you for your input!

Bruised Ribs - What's your experience?

Hi ury,

Sorry to hear you are having this problem to which I can relate completely. I've had a total of 5 fractured ribs and I would be surprised if I did not bruise them many times over. In one hockey game I was officiating a player hit me with his head down(he had a helmet on and looking down did not see me). I was following the puck looking across the ice from him and by the time I saw him he had crashed into my upper midsection head first.

Stopped play for a few minutes to catch my breath and needless to say was in some pain. That was early in the game and I fortunately was in top physical shape at the time. I could take shallow breaths while skating but if I tried to breath deep? Felt like a surgeon working on me with his scalpel sans any anesthetic. In between plays after a whistle I would grab below my rib cage and lift up on both sides. That way I could take a deep breath and allow my lungs to fully expand without much pain.

Went to ER after game and had 2 fractured ribs on my left side and 1 on my right side. Not much they could do other than tell me to use ice and take anti-inflammatory meds. The doctor offered an opiate for pain but I declined.

I never missed a hockey game after this and I never missed any of my running or other workouts. Had to change the way I did some exercises to reduce the strain, but did not quit any of them. The worst part of this was trying to sleep and staying completely on my back. Roll over a bit on either side and "Yeoow" it would wake me up.

This did not feel completely healed for many months. After the injury the pain was acute for at least 2 of those months. When running or skating I could not breath deeply and let my lungs fully expand. I had to stop running or skating/grab below my rib cage and lift up to take a full inhale breath.

While this is painful my doctors told me I would not further injure them by continuing to skate and/or run. He also told me it would be painful, but that was something I already knew about. The only way to further injure them was to get hit again, or in your case fall on the handlebars or something else similar to what happened to you.

Had I not been in excellent physical shape at that time I would not have been able to Ref our hockey games. I could get along for a few minutes with shallow breaths and as long as there were a few whistles, which stops play, I could do the "lift my rib cage deal" and I was off again.

Depending on the location of the fracture(in your case a bruise)how you breath does make a distinct difference. Had a lot of injuries over the years and broken ribs rank right up there with discomfort and interfering with one's sleep.

I had an ice bag wrapped around me quite often when I was at home and sitting or lying down.

Best to you with this,