broken ribs

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  • sheltowee

    Marksman
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    2   0   0
    Aug 18, 2013
    262
    18
    Seymour
    I broke 2 ribs Saturday afternoon. Man do they hurt. What kills me is when I have to cough. Standing up isn't very fun either.
    Has anyone here had broken ribs and how long did it take to where the pain was manageable?
     

    tmschuller

    Master
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    41   0   0
    Feb 25, 2013
    2,738
    113
    Grant county
    I have been kicked in the ribs by a horse and really bruised some That was bad enough and took some time to heal.. can't imagine breaks. Sorry to hear about it
     

    olhorseman

    Sharpshooter
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    1   0   0
    Mar 11, 2013
    617
    28
    Middle of nowhere NC
    I've had ribs cracked twice and healing time was a minimum of 3 weeks. The 2nd time took closer to 6 weeks. Laughing, sneezing, or coughing will often set you back, at least it did me the 2nd time.
     

    Kirk Freeman

    Grandmaster
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    8   0   0
    Mar 9, 2008
    47,968
    113
    Lafayette, Indiana
    Sure, busted ribs in my martial arts career.

    Like doc says, I have used one of those backrest pillows with arms and flip it upside down and then jam it into your ribs when you cough. It mitigates the pain but does not eliminate them.


    36671941743478p
     

    gregkl

    Outlier
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    33   0   0
    Apr 8, 2012
    11,868
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    Bloomington
    I have a broken rib right now. I'm 4 weeks into healing. There was no change in pain levels for the first two weeks. After that it got better daily. I'm pretty much pain free unless I try to make it hurt.

    Doc said I still need two more weeks of mostly rest though before I can start back at CrossFit. I'm still going, but taking it easy.
     

    flatlander

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    18   0   0
    May 30, 2009
    4,184
    113
    Noblesville
    Mine broke in the same place as OP. Follow all advice. Don't try to push it. I felt good at 6 weeks, returned to full duty and rebroke them days later. I now have a lump where it healed.

    Bob
     

    KMaC

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    7   0   0
    Feb 4, 2016
    1,535
    83
    Indianapolis
    I broke two and cracked three in a water skiing fall when I was about 35 (young and healthy enough to deal with it). I was a smoker then and the coughing made me question my life choices. A sneeze would make me speak like the little girl in the Exorcist. I slept in a recliner for the first few days until I realized I could roll out of bed rather than try to sit up. I recall about two weeks of serious pain and about six weeks to recover to something called normal life.
     

    DoggyDaddy

    Grandmaster
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    73   0   1
    Aug 18, 2011
    102,032
    77
    Southside Indy
    I actually cracked two of my ribs from coughing (had borderline pneumonia at the time, and a strained muscle in my back). I just happened to cough at the same time that my back muscle decided to spasm. :n00b: I forget exactly how long it took to heal, but I do remember it was a lot longer than I would have liked.
     

    Bucky623

    Master
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    23   0   0
    Oct 6, 2008
    1,570
    63
    Northern Indiana
    When you have to cough try lacing you fingers together and placing your palms on your sternum. Then bring your elbows down and kind of clamp then around the rib cage. That may help keep the chest from expanding some.

    Coughing with broken ribs is no fun but your first sneeze will send you to a whole new world. Do everything you can to avoid it.

    The first week I had to sleep sitting up. I don’t remember how long it was before the pain subsided. I had other things healing that kept my attention.
     

    mom45

    Momerator
    Staff member
    Moderator
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    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Nov 10, 2013
    47,141
    149
    NW of Sunshine
    Hubby fell out of his tree stand due to a heart attack several years ago. He broke 7 ribs and ruptured his spleen in the fall. I believe it was at least 6 weeks before he was mostly pain free. (He now wears a safety harness when hunting from a stand).

    I hope you feel better soon!
     
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