I’m experiencing some discomfort when I breathe deeply, and I can’t figure out why. Tonight, Meg and I went to visit some friends of ours for dinner and shopping in Charlottesville. (Well, Meg went shopping and I enjoyed a tall, frosty beverage). As we were saying goodbye to our friends in the parking lot of the bar we had patronized, I started to feel a dull pain from what felt like under the lower part of my ribs on my right side. I had just gorged myself on some delicious food from Lord Hardwick’s (I highly recommend eating there if you’re in the area), so I figured it was something to do with how stuffed I was, and that it would subside later in the evening. It still hasn’t.
To me, it feels like I’ve bruised something inside, and when I breathe deeply enough, there’s pressure on whatever is sore which causes the pain. I’ve had a fairly good track record at diagnosing my injuries throughout my life, but I just can’t pinpoint what this could be. I’m going to sleep on it, and hopefully things will feel better in the morning. Google wasn’t very helpful (though I’m not even sure how to describe my symptoms), so I may end up having to consult a doctor if things don’t get better. Is it possible to bruise something on the inside without taking a direct hit on the outside? Maybe a killer sneeze?
October 3rd, 2006 at 6:13 am
It is my understanding that rest is the best medicine (up to 3 mos). My doctors didn’t recognize the symptoms and told me to go ahead and stay active. I did yoga and golfed and here I am 9 mos. later, still not well. I have gone from a 10 to a 3 in pain, but I would rather be at a 0. Exercising is also hard on the other muscles that are around the area. I have gone 2 weeks without excercise and although it is slow, I think I am getting better.
October 3rd, 2006 at 1:06 am
I went on a rollercoaster about 4 weeks ago now and I banged into the front bar on my chest/rib area very hard. Well immediatley I felt a lot of pain but for a couple days I thought no more of it. On the third day I felt a lot of pain. It has been really painful for some time although I think the pain has gone a little but it seems to be moving around to my back a bit. I went to the doctors two weeks into the injury and had an x ray done at the hospital. Nothing came back as broken or cracked. So my doctor said it’s probably bruised and the muscles are torn or burised also cause below the ribs it hurts to. So I was told to take pain killers and I was given a prescription for medication to help with pain but I have managed with Tylonale or I just put up with the pain, silly I know but I hate taking medication!
I hate that this has happened because I have had to stop going to work out at the gym cause any movement hurts. Work is hard although I have great co workers who help me out when they can. I work in child care infant/toddler so have to lift children but have managed to get workers to help out. I feel like I am getting so out of shape not being able to go to the gym. Could anyone share an experience of having hurt ribs and when they were able to go back to exercising? In a few day I wonder if I don’t try some light exercise but I don’t want to prolonge my recovery if that is what exercise will do. Any suggestions on recovery of this injury is appreciated.
Thanks for reading and I wish everyone a speedy recovery, I feel your pain!
September 30th, 2006 at 9:45 am
Does anyone have any recovery stories? I would really like to learn that this will get better.
September 26th, 2006 at 7:24 am
How long is recovery time? please email me at littlejoe777@aol.com
September 24th, 2006 at 9:12 pm
Since I was doing the wallpapering last weekend I have had a pain in my left side - I was on a ladder, stretching across a tall boy chest to paper round an electric socket (I’m only 5ft so it’s not an easy thing for me to reach) with the bottom of my rib cage pressing against the edge of the top of it. Suddenly I heard a crack but didn’t really think anything of it - thought it was just the bone slipping over the edge - but now a week later I have a pain in my side which hurts when I cough, sneeze, laugh etc - and just can’t get comfortable at all to sleep - hence why I’m writing this at 2 in the morning. I already have painful arcs in both my shoulders which are taking ages to sort themselves out so this was the last thing I needed! - I’m off to the docs to get some pain killers this week as the pain in my side is getting worse and I guess it’s just got to be brusied or cracked ribs!
September 23rd, 2006 at 8:18 am
I can beat you all on stupidity! I often asked my husband to crack my back and he would push as hard as he could until we heard cracks. I did this for approx. 3 - 4 months. The last time I felt some incredible pain and could hardly catch my breath. I figured I had injured myself before and he must have bothered it. Later I realized that he must have hurt me. I remember hearing a loud pop and feeling it on my right side. After over 6 months of doctoring (Chiro and sports doctor) and lots of web surfing, I have diagnosed myself with a seperated rib. The doctors said not to stop my activities, even golf. But I think that is wrong and that is also why I am not getting better. The pain when I go from lying down to sitting up is so much better. I treated w/ ice and heat for months. I still have lots of pain around my ribs though. Breathing hurts and it hurts whenever I change position. I have ordered a rib belt and hope that remaining inactive will heal it. I still can’t figure out why the doctors weren’t able to diagnose me. Maybe I am wrong, but the symptoms are there.
September 18th, 2006 at 7:59 pm
Just an update on my bruised/cracked ribs. It’s been almost a month since I landed on my fist with my chest and I am starting to feel normal again. 3 days ago I did some gentle lifting in the gym, presses and such. I was still sore, but not too bad.
I read somewhere that the second week after your rib injury is the worst and dang that is true! 10 days after I biffed, I couldn’t sneeze without sharp pain. I would blow all the air out of my lungs and then (ineffectually) sneeze. I had to stop riding and I was worried that I had something very seriously wrong. Lying down on the bed hurt a lot too. I found that stretching my rib cage by deep breathing and pulling back my arms helped a lot, even though it hurt to do so. At the end of the 2nd week, I could feel a clicking or catching in the area that I thought I injured. Leaning back, slouching or bouncing in the car would cause it, but I couldn’t reproduce it 100% of the time.
Anyways, I am back on my bike and I have a story about stupidity and pain to share with my friends. It does get better. Just take it easy.
August 30th, 2006 at 1:00 pm
I had a state board test on Monday 8/30/06. While being extremely nervous & stiff I must have moved the wrong way and pulled/bruised a rib, because the next morning I was feeling pain. Today, (2 days later) I can barely reach for anything and going to the bathroom & bending are brutal. I don’t wish this pain on anybody. I would rather have strep throat than deal with this pain. Even breathing is a chore. I feel for whoever goes through this pain. Best of luck. AIM
August 29th, 2006 at 8:10 pm
I HAD A RUNAWAY SURFBOARD HIT ME DIRECTLY IN THE RIBS AT ABOUT 20 MILES PER HOUR!!! AND THIS WAS A SHORT BOARD WITH A VERY SHARP TIP. IT DIDN’T HURT TOO BAD AT FIRST AND I ACTUALLY WENT SURFING THE NEXT DAY FOR 5 HRS. I NOTICED THAT I HAD A LOT OF TROUBLE CATCHING WAVES AND WASN’T ABLE TO BALANCE AT ALL. I HAD NO PAIN AND JUST THOUGHT I WAS HAVING A BAD DAY SURFING. THE NEXT DAY I WOKE UP AND COULDN’T EVEN GET OUT OF BED. I WAS IN SO MUCH PAIN. I FOUND OUT THAT I HAD 3 BRUISED RIBS AND HAD ACTUALLY SEPERATED ONE RIB FROM THE MUSCLE OCCORDING TO THE DOCTOR. IT TOOK ME OVER 3 MONTHS TO FULLY RECOVER. I GAINED ABOUT 20 LBS AND WAS THE WORST TIME OF MY LIFE. I DON’T WISH THIS ON ANYONE.
August 28th, 2006 at 8:33 am
Here’s my story:
On August 24 I decided to attend my first Jui Jitsiu class. Considering that I had ’some’ self-defense background I thought I knew what I would encounter. Within the first 5 minutes of class, I had bruised my ribs. The instructor, who weighs over 200 lbs, decided that I should wrestle him. I weigh 115 lbs. Anyway, I was attempting to get out from underneath him and he rested or pushed his weight onto me with his elbow. I got him to stop cause I was unable to breathe well. The class continued for 2 hours and ’silly’ me did not stop. It hurt but nothing like it did the following morning. I had much difficulty breathing and trying to get up…well, it is difficult not to moan and yell when I try to get up. It is difficult to breath, which is compromised further because my breasts, which are heavy and large, rest atop the compromised area. My back is sore not only due to the injury but because I cannot wear a bra that provides the proper support. Similar to others, it hurts to breathe, cough and sneezing is scary!! At this point, with regard to future exercise, I am hoping that the area is not weakened to the point that it continually re-injuries itself during serious physical exercise. Does anyone have any thoughts on that? Also, I am a little confused regarding the use of applied cold packs or heat packs. Which works better or should both be used?
Thanks and happy healing : D