Bruised Ribs.....Ugh...

nana59 · ‎05-12-2012

Had a very scary car accident 2 weeks ago....someone ran a stop sign air bags deployed...car is totalled...x-rays showed no breaks....pain is from seatbelt and air bag....i still have awful pain....and i have very high pain tolerance, but this is just so painful....going to doctor this week....any helpful info as to how long this pain can last.....i know this should be on the wellness board, but many of my helpful friends are here....thanks..

on the bay · ‎03-09-2010

Hi @nana59-

I've had several times where I thought my ribs were broken but they weren't, but yes it sure did hurt.

I think that lasted about 3 weeks and then started to subside but I didn't really stop feeling it until maybe 3 months or longer. Bruised ribs take awhile and sure can hurt. But its good you are going to the doctor and sometimes xrays may not show "hairline fractures" or can be missed.

But I think bruised ribs don't know the difference between broken ones. They can hurt just as much. My mother had several broken ribs and I think she did better than me and I have a high pain tolerance too.

Just as a sprain can hurt a lot more than a break-I know that too.

"If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew. Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? can you paint with all the colors of the wind?"

nana59 · ‎05-12-2012

@on the bay wrote:
Hi @nana59-
I've had several times where I thought my ribs were broken but they weren't, but yes it sure did hurt.
I think that lasted about 3 weeks and then started to subside but I didn't really stop feeling it until maybe 3 months or longer. Bruised ribs take awhile and sure can hurt. But its good you are going to the doctor and sometimes xrays may not show "hairline fractures" or can be missed.
But I think bruised ribs don't know the difference between broken ones. They can hurt just as much. My mother had several broken ribs and I think she did better than me and I have a high pain tolerance too.
Just as a sprain can hurt a lot more than a break-I know that too.

your comment about bruised ribs not knowing the difference between broken ones made me laugh! i certainly need some laughter, but i'm sure you remember what that feels like right now!! guess i just have to wait it out....thanks for your help..l

on the bay · ‎03-09-2010

Yeah, I do remember that Glad it made you laugh (or not-sorry

Hope you feel a little bit better every day, and try not to laugh

"If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew. Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? can you paint with all the colors of the wind?"

Daisy Sunflower · ‎10-26-2010

Just wanted to say that I hope you're feeling better soon.

nana59 · ‎05-12-2012

@Daisy wrote:
Just wanted to say that I hope you're feeling better soon.

thank you......

hckynut · ‎03-10-2010

@nana59

Sorry to hear you were in a car wreck and are in pain. I fractured my rib back in March and it is finally feeling much better. I am familiar with this pain as this is the 6th rib I have fractured over the years.

Not much medically can be done for the ribs to speed up the healing process. I tried different suggested methods over these years and only time healing made any difference.

My fracture prior to this rib, was 2 ribs, 1 right below the other. It happened when I was the Ref in my leagues hockey game, and unfortunately for me, it was the very beginning pf our hockey season. It hurt to even take deep breaths so when there was a stoppage of play, I would grab under my rib cage and lift them up. This would allow my lungs to expand with much less pain.

I can't take any anti-inflammatory meds because of my colon bleeding issue, and I turned down the ER doctor in March when he was going to write me a prescription for Hydrocodone. I refuse to take any Opiod pain killers, so my only option for pain was/is regular Tylenol, which does very little.

If it is a bruised rib it will heal much faster than a fractured rib. Time frames vary depending on many individual factors. My rib fracture in March got more tolerable when exercising lying down in about 6-7 weeks. As I said, now over 3 months out it is much better, but certain movements still give me a "pain zinger".

Be patient and time will heal this injury. If you are able to take Aleve or those types of anti-inflammatory meds, they should certainly help your pain, since you have a high threshold for it.

My best to you and I am happy you did not mention anyone with more serious injuries.

hckynut(john)

hckynut(john)

CareBears · ‎08-30-2015

@nana59 I hope you pain subsides quickly, in the meantime please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers!

nana59 · ‎05-12-2012

@hckynut wrote:

@nana59

Sorry to hear you were in a car wreck and are in pain. I fractured my rib back in March and it is finally feeling much better. I am familiar with this pain as this is the 6th rib I have fractured over the years.

Not much medically can be done for the ribs to speed up the healing process. I tried different suggested methods over these years and only time healing made any difference.

My fracture prior to this rib, was 2 ribs, 1 right below the other. It happened when I was the Ref in my leagues hockey game, and unfortunately for me, it was the very beginning pf our hockey season. It hurt to even take deep breaths so when there was a stoppage of play, I would grab under my rib cage and lift them up. This would allow my lungs to expand with much less pain.

I can't take any anti-inflammatory meds because of my colon bleeding issue, and I turned down the ER doctor in March when he was going to write me a prescription for Hydrocodone. I refuse to take any Opiod pain killers, so my only option for pain was/is regular Tylenol, which does very little.

If it is a bruised rib it will heal much faster than a fractured rib. Time frames vary depending on many individual factors. My rib fracture in March got more tolerable when exercising lying down in about 6-7 weeks. As I said, now over 3 months out it is much better, but certain movements still give me a "pain zinger".

Be patient and time will heal this injury. If you are able to take Aleve or those types of anti-inflammatory meds, they should certainly help your pain, since you have a high threshold for it.

My best to you and I am happy you did not mention anyone with more serious injuries.

hckynut(john)

thank you for all your helpful info, john....you certainly have had more than your fair share of medical issues....you seem like a great guy.....guess i'll just have to be patient....but i'm not one to be a good patient! my husband was driving me to get x-rays and bloodwork for a new arthritis doctor i am going to--but we ended up in the ER for the afternoon! you can't make this stuff up!! he's dealing with the same issues....the both of us have been trying to cope with this awful pain.....lots of yelping going on around here! thanks for your kind words...