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?
July 16th, 2005 at 12:12 am
Hope you feel better.
July 16th, 2005 at 12:21 am
Thanks. The pain has definitely subsided since it first started hurting, but it’s taking its time to fully heal. The thing I don’t like the most is not knowing what I did that caused it. Oh well, I should be back to normal by the end of the weekend!
August 21st, 2005 at 10:48 am
Yeah, i just got back from the hospital, i bruised my ribs and splene pretty bad from falling off my skateboard., it hurt, but i liked the morephene!, they said take itt eazy for a couple weeks and itll be fine, i hope you feel better in a couple weeks.
August 31st, 2005 at 5:16 pm
Thanks, Brianna, I ended up feeling better a few days later.
I am quite amazed, though, by how many views this post gets. There must be a lot of people out there experiencing discomfort in or around their ribs. I wish I had some helpful advice for a remedy, but the internet is definitely not the best place for medical advice. If your pain persists, make sure you see a doctor.
September 7th, 2005 at 10:40 pm
Hello Chris,
I’m Kurt from the Toronto, Canada vicinity, and I’m a RMA) (Registered Medical Assistant) student.
I found your blog while doing a search for external pictures (not x-rays) of humans with bruised ribs and broken ribs, and related causes.
I know that the chance are slim, but would you by any chance know how the injury was caused, you doctors diagnose and/ or any pictures of the injured area?
If so, would you please let me know?
Sincerely yours,
Kurt Kristian
September 8th, 2005 at 10:59 pm
Hello Kurt. To be honest, I immediately get a little suspicious whenever someone asks for pictures of any kind, especially over the internet. But I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, and I’m sure your intentions are as you claim.
With that said, I actually never went to the doctor or had any tests performed. I typically like to wait as long as I can before I rush out for treatment or a diagnosis, and after waiting a couple of days my symptoms disappeared. There was no external bruising, so nothing would have showed in a picture anyway.
Good luck with your research!
September 9th, 2005 at 9:09 pm
I would be suspicious of anyone whose initials were “KKK.” Just my $0.02.
September 29th, 2005 at 6:09 am
Yeah,
I am also looking for helpful cures that mite help me better understand the symtoms. I was teasing my dad as you do and it came to him bear hugging me and trying to pick me up but, he got hold of my by each side and lifted me. It just feels weird like your side is bruised but you cant see it? I am worried that he has broken a rib but i’ve been told it would hurt allot and would course pain all the time. I am getting pain when i tighten my muscles and I can still breeth without it hurting so, am guessing he’s just badly bruised it hopefully. Am very caution to work around now incase i bump into somthing or anyone toutching me incase it hurts, I can apply a bit of preasure so i think it mite be bruised =(
So I found this interesting and am gonna give it a few days(3-4) and if its still playing up I’ll go see a consultant althought i heard they can only surply you with medication?
May 2nd, 2006 at 3:48 pm
Ok so like a big clutz I took a fall the other day. I was just stepping up onto my driveway and as I was doing so, my sandal began to slip off and caught the edge of the concrete as I was stepping forward. I began to fall. My left hand tried to break the fall but it happened too fast. I went straight down onto my left hand, then onto my left knee and as I hit the concrete, I had my keys in my right hand and somehow managed to fall flat onto my chest, with my fist balled up holding my keys jamming me somewhere around the upper left of my chest. Needless to say, I am bruised in that are but that’s not what hurts. Its like under my breast that it hurts. Hopefully that’s not tmi but it really does hurt. I’m wondering if I could have cracked or really bruised one of my ribs up there. It hurts to stretch, cough, bounce in the least…. any thoughts guys?
May 2nd, 2006 at 5:30 pm
Yeah just rest and take it easy and keep pumping yourself with pain killers. I was skeptical about seeng the doctor at first since he would be jabbing me to see where the pains at so I just waited for a week then the pain gradually faded into nothing after 2 weeks. I recommend you see the doctor if the painkillers arent enough to get you through the day. hope ya feeling better soon.
adam
May 13th, 2006 at 7:43 am
hey you guys. guess what, im only 14 and ive badly briused my ribs. the momonet i touch it it hurts a lot. its not THAT painful, i dont scream of pain, but it does quite hurt, and im scared i probably broke it. But i can move, breathe and do anything without it hurting, so i fell really normal. im just a little worried. do u guys have any good advice? and how long will it take to heal? can u guys write as soon as possible, please.
May 13th, 2006 at 7:45 am
i havent even gone to check on it, so i dont know. My paernets say its ok, if i broke it, i would have dificulties breathing.
May 13th, 2006 at 8:18 am
kelly a rib will normally start to heal within 2 weeks but if its bruised it should only take maybe 4-5 days to stop been uncomfortable, I would just not toutch the area and to sleep on your back until it stops hurting.
May 25th, 2006 at 7:50 pm
same problem, figured it was a bruised rib, minus an acutal bruise.
I have a 2 year old - he’s now old enough to start sleeping on his own, after one morning it felt like he kicked me good. couple days go by, not so bad, he wakes up and wants to sleep w/ mommy and daddy, needless to say he belted me again in his sleep, I never wake up from it, just in the morning i feel the extra discomfort of a direct hit.. - new rule is mommy is my new shield if he gets in our bed.. owe, 2 weeks really.. man..
Mainly it hurts to breathe deep, sneeze, blow my nose and cough.. and I had the sniffles earlier this week to.. bahh..
my spare change..
May 30th, 2006 at 9:48 pm
I took a hard fall waterskiing this weekend and bruised my ribs. I have a tournament this coming weekend and am wondering if I were to tough it out and ski with the pain am I pronlonging the injury or will it heal while I am still active? If strenuios activity takes place will it get worse? I know it typically takes 6-8 weeks to heal but we are coming into the heat of the
season.
thanks
June 7th, 2006 at 10:17 pm
I was looking around for some info that I could show my boss, on why it’s taking so long for me to get back to work. “Amanda” on May 2nd, comes the closest to HOW my ribs got bruised.
I was backing up in my driveway with a hand truck in my hand. I caught my foot on the concrete step behind me. On my way to the ground, I wheeled around, trying to catch myself on my hands. I couldn’t get my arms under me fast enough. My fist wound up between my left pectoral muscle and the concrete. My wife and daughter helped me up, once I could breath.
That night the full pain set in. My wife drove me to the hospital. The X-rays showed a severe bruise. I was relieved it wasn’t a break, but it didn’t make a difference, according to the doctor. The pain is the same.
He gave me 3-4 days rest. I said: “I won’t need that long. I have to get back to work”. RIGHT! It hurts to bend, stoop, extend my arm, reach, breath, swallow, and coughing is out of the question! I just suppress it. I can’t drive. Just try farting… Basically, it hurts to live. I can sleep, (when I can knock myself out senseless on Vicodin), on the sofa. And that has be at a 30 degree incline. After the first 3 days of ice, heat helped. So did mild massage. So did exercize, but only when I was stoned out of my mind. I got my first look at the affected area, today. Boy, is it colorful!
Tomorrow, I’m going to try to go back to work. Wish me luck.
June 8th, 2006 at 8:24 pm
A week ago I was doing my daily 20 minute walking in the woods.I was walking very fast when I tripped over a tree root.I landed on my left side of my ribs.Oh it hurt terrible.I must have layed there for 15 minutes.when I got back up I could not stand strait up,because it hurt to bad.My car was 50 yads away even though it seemed like a mile away.It hurt to breathe,to extend my left arm,to get up and sit down and to touch the area.I went to the ER and they told me that I had bruised ribs and gave me 500 mg of Vicodin and told me to put ice and heat.At present it hurts so bad to lay down that I have to sleep in a recliner.I used to walk 2 hrs per day and now I only walk 1 hr per day(6-20 minutes per day) I am only10-20% better after a week.should I stop exercising?
June 13th, 2006 at 3:54 pm
I was thrown off my horse this weekend, they took me to the local ER thinking I had a back injury, I kept complaining of chest hurting, when released over 12 hours later all the docs said at the ER was that I was “bruised”. I am now so sore everywhere, it hurts to “live” basically. And breathing, coughing, getting up or down from a chair is “excrutiating”. How long should this last? Do I need to worry about a wrong diagnosis? Could I have a “cracked” rib instead? I am in dire pain, pain pills are not really helping. Thanks for feedback.
June 13th, 2006 at 7:44 pm
I am not a doctor. However, I’ve had over 50 years of injuries-industrial, sports, military, and just plain klultz-related! DO NOT; I say again; DO NOT stop exercising. Cut down on it, to cut down on the pain, but don’t stop it altogether. I went back to teaching after 8 days off. But in the interim, I didn’t and couldn’t stop living. I walked 30 minutes a day. Eventhough I felt like my internal organs were going to bust though my thorax. I still ask my students to pick up items that I drop, but I try to pick them up, first.
Normally, arthritis sets in after an injury. (Welcome to “old age”). But stopping all movement, will accelerate the development of the arthritis. It’s now been 9 days since my fall. I’m laying flat in my own bed, again. I can take semi-deep breaths, cough, grip things, and even leave wind without screaming in agony. I still grunt and groan, but that’s going to go on for a while. (My poor wife puts up with it). If you can bear the pain of light exercise, you’ll speed up the healing process; I figure by 75%.
June 16th, 2006 at 7:03 pm
I was doing anwater aroebic class today. I jumped on the side of the pool to get my water bottle. I had to reach a little father and jumped up and banged my lower right ribcage so hard I heard it pop. Boy o boy it almost made me sick right then and there. Like a fool I continued to do the class. I can’t pick up things on the floor, breathing is hard and i can hardly get up out of my recliner. I have osteoporosis so I think I broke it for sure. I have already broken my low back, both hips and both knees. The docotr said one more broken hip and I am done. Sore, sore, sore and hurting today. What helps it to heal faster, and should I continue exercising or quit until it is healed? Does anyone have experiece with this.
June 19th, 2006 at 4:36 pm
I fell on the 10th of June. 9 DAYS LATER the discomfort from bruised ribs is no better. My sleep is diturbed as I cant roll over easily. Getting up is really difficult, simple things like BREATHING have become momentarily very exhausting. Work has been really awkward. No treatment, just ibuprofen. Boy oh boy these bruised ribs are really uncomfortable. It happened during a booze induced lads n dads game of footie after the England Paraguay match. Hence I have had little sympathy from my better half, just sinister chuckles!! I should ave known better n all that…..
I swear I can sense movement in there at times. And sneezing, well it feels like your blowing a hole in your rib cage. You really have to brace yourself. OUCH!
July 5th, 2006 at 10:46 pm
I fell on the first night of my Bahama vacation…didn’t get my hand down in time to break the fall and landed on my left side. You guys have perfectly described the pain I’m feeling..it’s excruciating. I waited until I got home (5 days later ) to get an Xray….no breaks, only bruising. I’ve been taking Advil, but sleeping is extremely difficult. They gave me a prescription for VIcadin, but I’m afraid that it will make me nauseas. I can’t even imagine having to get sick.
It’s now been a full week with no improvement at all. My family has no sympathy and can’t understand how I could have such pain with no broken bones. Thanks for letting me vent.
July 8th, 2006 at 5:22 am
I hate to say this, but I’m glad I’m not the only one whom is suffering from bruised ribs. Before I stumbled on this blog, I was ready to go back to the hospital and ask “what the hell is wrong with me?”
I took a bad fall on my left side a week ago friday, and the pain only seems to be getting worst. Doctors said nothing was broken, just a bad bruise. The really strange part is.. the pain seems to be on the move. It started out behind my left breast, (pain level 6) then moved through to my side and into my back. (pain level now a 10) And today, the pain is consuming my entire left side. Taking a deep breath is almost more than I can bare.
Even everyday simple tasks like getting dressed takes a well thought out plan. Pain medication Tramadol has done NOTHING, except caused me to be sleepy, dizzy and have nausea. A simple aspirin seems to give more relief. I start a new job on monday. Now I’m hoping for a miracle.
July 9th, 2006 at 3:01 am
I had a waterski accident and was yanked down onto the water on my right side then back while still attached to the rope at 32 mph - I couldn’t breathe and was so mad I went again and got up through the pain, made 6 passes and had to drop. I went in to the hospital two hours later only to be told they no longer believe in taking xrays nor do they wrap the ribs (that is old school) I was given a shot to stop the muscle spasams, given 10 mg tablets of Cyclobenzaprin (1 tab 3x daily for muscle spasms, Naproxen 500 mg tab (t tab 2x daily with food) and Percocet 5-325 mg - 1 tab every 6 hours for pain.
I had to sleep in a sitting-up position for about 10 days. I had a bilateral mastecomy in March and that pain was nothing compared to the rib pain from the waterski accident. The words that could be used are excruciatingly and horrible. It is in my lower right rib cage and in the lower ribs in my back. It felt like a broken popsicle stick was poking in my chest. I finally went to a Dr. and told him I wanted an x-ray. Turns out no bones were broken but I had inflamation in the cartildge (my colarbone and ribs now go clunk clunk). The Dr. said torn cartlidge or bruised ribs are much more painful than an actual broken bone and the only thing that would heal it is time. The clunking is from the inflamation as the bone isn’t working smoothly in the socket due to the inflamation.
However, I now have a fairly good range of motion and will try to start with weight lifting small amounts at a time. The suggestion that exercise will heal you and help you from having arthritis set in sounded good to me so that will be my action plan. I take a hot tub at night which really helps and I also put on the pain patches you can buy at drugstores and change them regularly. Found a OTC spray called Stopain and also use OTC Unisom sleepgels at night. I’m totally impatient with this but feel after two weeks I am starting on the road to recovery. I don’t just jump off the couch - I have to roll to one side and slowly get up. the hospital said I would probably be skiing again in 2 weeks. Who are they kidding?
July 10th, 2006 at 6:16 pm
I agree with all the above. I fell yesterday and I am experiencing the pain of bruised ribs. Tramadol has done nothing for me either so I guess he will just take time. As we all know there is no treatment available. If anyone has any suggestions I would like to hear them.
July 10th, 2006 at 9:53 pm
Same thing but mine was caused by a nasty bike accident — me and the big rock on the edge of the trail. I landed on my left side and head - broke my bike helmet saving my head, but my ribs are causing all the pain described in this thread. I had a head scan, chest xray and ultrasound of my abdomen. No broken bones or damaged organs. My upper left arm is totally purple, but my ribs show no color — just the pains described in this thread. So, will wait the extra time you all mention above and start some exercise. Walking 20 minutes today was a real challenge. I remembered, and actually had to use, the “use your legs not your back” technique to pick up anything from the floor!
July 11th, 2006 at 6:31 pm
Sue, why the hell did the doc not want to take X rays the first time? Thats infuriating and inexcusable. All of you people’s tales are awful, my deepest sympathy to you. I stumbled across this blog on google after mysteriously bruising my rib a few days ago and I have NO f**king idea how! I have an active lifestyle but no impact to the chest. I have no bruises.
It just hurts bad in one spot, only hurts if I take a very deep breath, did hurt to swim. Didnt hurt to bike ride. I’ll try lifting weights tonight and see what I can handle.
From everything I’ve researched this is an injury that medical science can’t do anything for but drug. IMO Naproxen doesnt do anything even in megadoses. The cold packs are helping. I’m going to look for the spray Stopain. I’m guessing it has a topical anestheisic like Lidocaine?
July 11th, 2006 at 6:49 pm
I looked up Stopain, its active ingredient is Menthol which is the same as in Bengay and icy hot which are cheaper in bulk from costco/sam’s or generic store brand.
July 11th, 2006 at 10:48 pm
Hi everyone !
Tomorrow will be 2 full weeks since I bruised my ribs. I can finally say that I’m seeing improvement. Sleeping is still hell…first finding a position and then trying to roll over….excruciating !!! and I still can’t bend or reach without moaning. However, today I didn’t have the constant pain with breathing and was able to take deeper breaths and I even coughed without screaming. That horrible feeling that something is poking you seems to be gone !!! I’m hoping that this is the beginning of recovery !!!
Wishing you all good luck and a speedy recovery.
July 16th, 2006 at 11:04 am
Hi had a surfing accident yesterday and i fell into the side of the board. On my ribs. I too have been in excruciating pain. Vicodin seems to dull the pain a bit. Ice is also helping. Brutal. It’s been 24 hours and i must say if anything the pain is worse.
July 16th, 2006 at 2:26 pm
I can honestly say that i am feeling better, now knowing that im not the only one with this trecherous condition. I was horsin’ round with a friend and he threw me off his back, which left me flying into a lamppost. Matrix style. mf’in ouch! I almost cudnt breathe and my friend had to call an ambulance, luckily it turned out ok, well, not really okay cuz im hurtin like hell. I’ve actually come upon sum new-found rib-spect (hmmm) for my ribzies. Hope i heal within a weak, i wanna play tennis again!
July 17th, 2006 at 6:50 pm
It has been a month since I BROKE THREE RIBS. My first blog I thought that I had only bruised them. But I began seeing blood in my urine. That shook me up. I went to get them checked. They were broke, no wonder it felt like they were sticking me everytime I took a breath. And yes the pain does spread after a few day. The muscles that are guarding the wound get sore from protecting it. It had been a full month and I feel so much better. But I still have to take it easy for another month. DON’T ASSUME THAT THEY ARE JUST BRUISED…My skin wasn’t even bruised. Get checked to be sure that you don’t injure yourself worse than you already are. Pillows are a great help when sleeping. You can sleep on the injured side if you move very carefully. I’m told it is ok to do so. I’m a side sleeper, and have to change a lot throughout the night. Just remember that this too will pass. The best advice I can give is to just get though it the best way you know how, rest, pain meds, distractions help. Each day it gets a little easier. This is my second bout with my ribs. Don’t sneeze it hurts too much, so be sure and take that allergy medicine.
July 25th, 2006 at 2:22 pm
hi everyone……..
I was out on the weekend at a buddys house, drinking of course, and when we started horsing around. He went to take me down, i didnt realize how close i was to the edge of the deck when next thing i knew i was in mid air falling to the ground. 2 feet later I ended up falling flat onto my back with him landing on top of me and his shoulder landing flush onto my lower ribs. He tried to help me up but i was like plz leave me here for a sec cuz i swear i had broken my ribs. After about 10 min. of laying there i decided to get up, i was in so much pain that i couldnt bare it.
I ended up going to the hospital the next day to see if i had broken it, but the doctor said that i had only bruised it and that i should take painkillers and to keep icing it. I swear that today it hurts more than the previous couple, the pain has moved from my ribs to my neck and back, its almost unbearable. I have trouble sleeping, sitting, driving and coughing is totally out of the question! I hope that it starts getting better soon cuz i dont know how much more i can take. If anyone has had any luck with healing quicker than usual plz share cuz i would love to hear it. Thanx
July 27th, 2006 at 11:02 pm
Very helpful info…I seem to have bruised my ribs about a week ago but don’t have any dramatic accident and I don’t remeber falling. Just a pain on my right side, under my breast when I breath deeply…fortunately it doesn’t hurt when I bike ride, my favorite form of exercise…pain pills are all I am taking and probably won’t see a doctor unless pain gets worse in the coming weeks. Just found this site when I asked search for “will a chest xray show bruised ribs?” thanks
July 31st, 2006 at 12:28 am
Ahh, that might be what’s wrong with me! Bruised ribs! I have this awful pain that comes and goes…it’s on my side and I can sometimes feel it in my collarbone and the back of my shoulder and even in my arm sometimes. I’ve had it on and off for the whole month of July - it tends to get really bad at night (pain just shoots through my whole right side to the point where I have cried out in pain trying to breathe or move) and sometimes it hits when I run or just when I am working on the computer. I don’t know how I got the injury - nothing happened to me - but I exercise a lot (running, aerobics classes, yoga, weight lifting), so i wonder if something happened during one of those activities.
August 2nd, 2006 at 4:28 pm
Leigh, yours might or might not be a bruised rib.
I fell dancing on July 20th and landed on the sharply angled monitor. The big bruises I have never hurt but my side in the back did (like where you’d put your hand on your waist). Saturday morning it hurt so much that I went in for xrays and later that week they determined that I had after all broken a rib. At this point, I find a hot pad feels great at night and I like hot baths a lot too.
My pain has never moved around like yours has. It is in a very specific area. I do a slow stretching exercise bending at the waist with both arms forward and move my arms and upper body in a circular (clocklike) fashion. I note when my side hurts (maybe 10:00 sometimes) and ease off. I go in both directions. Some days I can go all the way around both ways. I guess I’m lucky it’s in the back because it doesn’t hurt when I breathe. Maybe pretty soon I can sleep on my side again, but not yet.
In my experience bruised bones can certainly hurt as much as broken ones. I try to avoid sudden movements and situations where I don’t control the movement (probably no dancing for a while, sigh). I find it a little taxing to play the clarinet which displeases me too. Ah well, hopefully this too shall pass.
Be patient with your wounded selves, fellow sufferers. When something hurts, I try to relax and be open to the healing energies of the universe. Its woo-woo, but makes me feel better.
August 4th, 2006 at 12:34 pm
I’ve been unable to take a deep breath or sneeze for about 4 days. I can’t think of anything that would have caused me to bruise my ribs but the pain is exactly as described by a lot of the people on this thread. I can touch and prod the area without discomfort, I have no bruising but have a nagging dull pain just below my left ribs.
Pain increases sharply when I take a deep breath, hiccup, try to sneeze….
It was good to read that other people have experienced similar symptoms - so I won’t waste time going to the doctor unless pain persists or worsens.
cheers from Vancouver BC
August 6th, 2006 at 10:43 am
Hi Matt,
I just read your message. Yesterday, we went to Oceanside Ca, to do some serious surfing. The waves were brutal and massive, my husband says they were at least 8 feet. Anyways, I had a surfing accident as well as you. I fell off the wave, and when I landed, my leash was wrapped around my ankle and I my face and my left side of my body hit my board. I rode in sliding on my back in the sand, and when I made it to shore, I could barely move. My eye is all brusied up and so is my ribs. It is way painful as you know. The best thing my Dr said is to rest, compresses, and some breathing techniques. Good luck brother……it will be okay.
August 6th, 2006 at 12:41 pm
The internet is great, now I can complain through it, too. I bruised my ribs 4 days ago. Or at least I think I did, I don’t really know how I did it. It probably is from when I was moving massively heavy folding tables around at work. I’d have to say that the pain is only worse now than it was 4 days ago. Getting out of bed in the morning is torture. I walk around like I’m 80 years old, and picking things up off the floor is very painful. My dad’s a doctor; he said it’s probably a bruised rib. If it was broken, it wouldn’t make a difference anyway. What I find really annoying is the fun addition to my pain. Yesterday I noticed a sharp pain above my collarbone on one side whenever I breathed in. I asked my dad, and he said that an irritated diaphragm can cause pain in your collarbone. Crazy, isn’t it? I hope I feel better quickly, because it would not be fun to start school with this pain.
August 9th, 2006 at 12:22 pm
two weeks ago broke 5 ribs-the pain has eased just slightly-however, the nights the excrutiating pain is back and sit up until 5am when i am exhausted and then i am able to get a couple of hours of sleep.
August 11th, 2006 at 6:39 am
Here’s my sore / broken ribs story.
I have crashed motorcycles into cars twice and at both times broke SEVEN , yep seven ribs , and both on the right side.Chest hitting the car roof as i went over.Twice.Get all the luck don’t i .
The pain was hell and it took a couple of months to heal each time.That was a few years ago.
Now a couple of days ago , (07/08/2006) , i leant over to open the passenger car door and the handbrake dug into my ribs.Really hurt.
Now 4 days later they are so painful.I have to get outta bed carefully.
I have broken many bones but in my experience (and i have some with ribs you’ll agree) bruised ribs can be as painful as broken ribs and they ALWAYS seem to get MUCH MORE painful after about a week.So just when you think the pain should be going away , it gets worse.And it stays usually for approx 6 weeks.Oh and the pain can spread through to your back so your whole chest is achey , a bit like chest infection.
It will go but remember , broken / bruised ribs are very delicate , the cartilidge between each on is very thin , close to the body’s surface and as we move our ribs each time we breathe , will take longer to heal than a limb that can be rested.
You all take care.
August 13th, 2006 at 8:28 am
This thread gives me releif , i got nailed playin footy and landed on my shoulder squeezin it into my chest i swear from readin this i have broken sum ribs the pain is really bad even typin this usein the otherside of my body, ive damaged my left side and the pain is all around my arm side shoulder and back mainly as i breathe even short breaths think im goin to go to the hospital as its so scary cuz its round my heart. lookin at all ure entries too means im gunna need sometime off work and that means a doctors certificate even tho i kno they cant do anything.
Im scared to cough and literally shittin myself incase i have to sneeze. the biggest arse is that its so painfull when i laugh.
U LOT HAVE BEEN A GREAT HELP CHEERS DAN
August 16th, 2006 at 8:21 am
I’ll join the club aswell I guess. I got myself mortal drunk on Friday night gone (not drunk enough to forget anything tho). I went to sleep in my lovely drunken haze and when I woke up I was short of breath, not only that but I had the most excrutiating pain in my left rib cage. At first I figured, its just a drink related issue, no harm, no foul, but as the weekend as gone on I found the pain to get worse and worse. I thought the worst, I do smoke and I thought that the big C was knocking at my door. First thing on Monday morning I was at the doctors, no x-ray, but a very good check up, my lungs are sounds so its not the big C. I asked the doctor what was it then, he said he thinks I’ve damaged the cartlidge. I asked how do you know I haven’t broken my ribs, with that he simply pushed his fingers into my ribs and said, “If they were broken, I wouldn’t be able to do that” (nice doctors eh!!).
My Doctor then said, nothing you can do apart from grin and bare it. I asked how long will it take to heal itself, he said unfortuntely as there is no blood flowing to the cartlidge then it will take a lot longer to repair itself than say if I had broken the ribs!!! B*gger!!
Now here’s a little guide for all you first time sufferes, I understand from ready through your comments that sleeping is causing the most discomfort, as your finding it very difficult to get comfortable. Lets see if I can help things….when I was a young chap, I suffered from asthma, not nice, but I got rid of it through breathing exercise. However, when I was suffering at night time, I found that lying upright, almost on a 45 degree angle with plenty of cushions for support gave the least pressure on my chest, helping me to sleep. Lying on your front, back, side or head ha ha, causes too much pressure on your lungs. I’ve been taken a couple of really strong pain killers and going to sleep that way, the most I’ve managed is 6 hours straight sleep, lush!!!
My sympathies to you’s all, taking a deep breath, sneezing, coughing, belching, laughing, hic-ups, anything that is causing and violent reaction in your chest is a nightmare.
Wish you’s all well soon
Barry
Newcastle UK
August 16th, 2006 at 10:18 am
finding this thread has been such a comfort, thanks to all! Have been in f***ing agony this past week and seemed to get worse today too.
Knowing what it is has definitely helped although don’t like the sound of the recovery time people are saying. get well soon everyone!
August 17th, 2006 at 7:48 am
About 2 weeks ago my husband and I were trying to put up one of thoughs 3ft pools.we had to pull on it to move it to level ground. my husband lost his grip and….. ( well if anyone has seen a car hit a tree and wraps around it ) that was my husbands back aroung the tree in are yard.He got the air knocked out of him. Ever since then he has done nothing but whine and cry.He is stuborne so he will not go to a doctor or get xrays.is there anything that I can do for him.HELP!!!!!!!!
August 18th, 2006 at 6:32 am
Last weekend I was fooling around with a friend and he bear hugged me too hard. My back ached for a while then few days after got real serious pain right under my right breast where if felt he had crushed against me and I felt my rib at the time. Went to A&E yesterday and they said got ‘bruised ribs’ no X-ray though - would have liked that to put my mind at rest. Now the pain is worse and really aches like mad and sleeping has become difficult - wierd considering was fine for first few nights after. Been told ice packs and pain killers and should ease in 10 days but could take up to 6 weeks if dont rest and take it bit easy. Just looking forward to when pain eases up - but suppose time is the healer and just have to be patient.
August 20th, 2006 at 11:13 pm
I was searching for answers to how long it takes for cracked ribs to heal. I fell off of a hamock, and cracked three ribs. Well a mom can’t take a day off so how long do I keep popping 6-8 advils each dose??? I didn’t get any fun pain reliever drugs from the doc, just a muscle relaxent. They didn’t even know my ribs were cracked until two weeks later when the x-ray guy saw it. I just what to feel normal again.
How long is this going to take?? I’m afraid to work out with my trainer. I just completed my first triathlon and I feel myself getting more and more out of shape each day.
August 21st, 2006 at 12:18 pm
this is my own fault, but i’m paying for it now! was rather drunk friday night and ended up arse over head in the street, felt a little pain in my ribs but thought nothing of it but oh god the next morning i felt like i had been hit by a truck, never known pain like it and it has got much worse, not going to the docs as there is nothing they can do, still not sure if the ribs are bruised or broken though!
Was in my mates car Saturday feeling thoroughly miserable and fed up and some bloke went past on inline skates next thing he’d taken a tumble, it was funny and i tried not to laugh for my own sake but just couldn’t help it, it really does hurt to laugh!
August 24th, 2006 at 5:43 pm
Well, here is my story: I went Mt biking this week and decided to ride a trail that is very technical. This trail is basically a creek in the winter (and is closed to riding at that time) but in the summer it is a series of short dry waterfalls and rocky steps.
Anyways, I didn’t bite it on the obstacles of the trail. I stopped to rest on the way down, at a switchback, and as I went to put my foot down, I tipped over due to the slope of the trail and my fatigue. I got my fist out to catch myself, but I came down on my fist with the right side of my chest. oooooooooph!
I couldn’t breathe for a moment, and all I could think about was that I gave myself a pneumothorax (collapsed lung) in the middle of nowhere. I gingerly rode back to the car and life is difficult now. Bending, reaching, sitting up all cause sharp pains in the right side of my chest, below the pectoral muscle. Thank God for Vitamin I (ibuprofin).
I am a firefighter and I hope that I don’t have to handle any hoselines for a few weeks. ouchy. At least I landed on my own hand and not a sharp rock.
That’s my story - don’t pity my stupidity, but be careful out there.
August 25th, 2006 at 7:02 am
glad i found this site, iwas riding with my granson’s and hit acurb and came crashing down on my right side.
i thought i was healing up nicely then after aweek the pain got worse,the doc said it was bruised ribs..
i still ride every day, but have to by caeful, it’s agood thing i am retired asit would be hell to try to work.
thanks for all the advise……
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
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 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
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.
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 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 26th, 2006 at 7:24 am
How long is recovery time? please email me at littlejoe777@aol.com
September 30th, 2006 at 9:45 am
Does anyone have any recovery stories? I would really like to learn that this will get 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!
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 15th, 2006 at 8:37 am
Hi,
Awesome site, because misery loves company. Here in Minnesota, I was kitesurfing and landed very hard in water on left site from trick gone bad. After 8 days, I’m feeling better with vitamin I and ice. Luckily I did have an impact vest on or injury would have been much worse. Very impatient with recovery, but I see from this site time is required.
Heal on fellow painsters.
j
October 15th, 2006 at 11:32 pm
Hi,
Interesting site. I must say though to those who don’t remember falling or being injured. You most likely are suffering from diaphragmatic pleurisy. It’s an inflamation of the pleural (lining of the lung) in the area of the diaphragm.
About 20 years ago I suffered with it. Now I’m suffering from buised ribs. The pain is about the same but I can testify that you recover a lot quicker from the pleurisy.
Last Sunday my body finaly convenced my brain that I’m no longer able to do the things I’ve always taken for granted. At 57, when I went to step up on a terraced level (3 cross ties high), my right knee gave out. Unfortunately my left foot had only made it half way up. I fell striking my left side on the edge of the top cross tie before falling to the bottom level. P A I N!!!!
The pain moves, pain killers don’t help and it’s allergy season in Tennessee! Woe is me. After 5 hours of ice packs I finaly went to the ER. Found out the only thing they could do for me that I wasn’t already doing was take xrays. Well, one other thing they could do that I couldn’t do, write a Rx.
According to WebMD.com I guess I’m looking at an additional couple of weeks. If I’m lucky?
Get well soon,
Lynn
October 17th, 2006 at 12:16 am
chris,
what happened with your ribs??
i have what sounds like the same thing, surfing related b/c it hurts when i take a deep breath after surfing. Running is fine though.
k
October 19th, 2006 at 11:58 am
Ten days ago I collided w/ my husband while descending Mt Diablo on road bikes. We had both been diverted by a tarantula crossing the road and another cyclist had stopped to view it. It was too late for me to stop and crash, we both got thrown off w/ concussions & other injuries. I went splat on my face/body w/ no broken bones but so sore in rt chest/abd. This morning I awoke w/ extreme pain in rt side , front and back. Thanks to all these replies, I feel now that my breathing pain is the rib involvment in my crash. My head has recovered, and my scratches healing, but now, I won’t worry — my ribs and psyche will heal .
October 20th, 2006 at 1:35 pm
I was walking fast on a sidewalk because it was starting to rain and I tripped and landed on my right side. I was sore but more embarased and figured that was normal to be sore. Well. my right side of my left knee had a knot and a nice bruise and the right knee was sore but the right side of my rib cage fairly high on my side is so sore. Now 10 days later knees are ok but when i take a deep breath it hurts and it hurts if I try to pick up something with my right hand and it hurts to sleep on my right side. I told my friend I may go to the Dr. but he says he was kicked on his right side a few years ago and it is a bruised rib and will take 2-3 months to heal. He says the only thing the Dr. can do is xray or give me pain pills so I am going to try to hang in there and see how it goes. Do you know the difference between a cracked rib and a bruised one???
Thanks
October 30th, 2006 at 10:35 am
I have a doozy of a story. Last Friday night we met another couple at our local hangout. After a few vodka drinks my friend and I started goofing around and ended up outside. She drop kicked me onto the beach and we rolled around a little while laughing all the time. I must have fallen onto her knee or elbow? I woke up in severe pain Saturday morning and it still hurts on my right side. After reading all these stories I feel it’s a bruised rib. Not only is it painful but embarrassing! I am 41 yrs old, married with a son in college and daughter in high school. My advice, stay away from vodka.
November 1st, 2006 at 3:03 pm
Guys,
I am 5′6 and 135lbs. My 13 yearold son is 6′1 and 187lbs. We were wresteling and I got him in a head lock, about that time we lost our balance and went backwards in to the couch (thank goodness) yet, his shoulder plowed me between my breast. Now, Right behind my left breast (feels like my heart) I’m so sore inside. Not on the surface, it’s more internal. I can not take a deep breath without stoping myself because of the pain. The pain goes straight threw to my back and when I move my left arm it really hurts to. It feels like a real bad internal bruise. Ive not been to the doctor. Do you guys think its my ribs. By the other stories it sounds like it. Thanks, Stacy
November 1st, 2006 at 10:04 pm
Just looking for some answers myself. I have been noticing the same pain in my lower ribs on the right side. Like you, I felt it when I sneezed. I have some allergies , and it can be quite bothersome, especially when you have to sneeze 4 or 5 times and row and the pain is intense. Almost inbearable. It just started the other day and I am going to call a doctor, but I was going to try to find some answers or similar symptoms from others. If anyone has any suggestions(besides a impact cause or a bruise…I do not believe that has caused mine) please let me know!! Thanks
November 2nd, 2006 at 4:02 pm
Hey, i’m a wrestler at a Junior college in california and was wondering if anyone might konw what’s up with my back.
I started running on an Elliptical machine for a few weeks. After a while I started experiencing some lower back pain right above my left hip. Like something had to pop. I would just stretch more and try to ignore it for about a week. It only got worse, the pain was more sharp. After a wrestling practice one day I got tossed and landed on my back, which was already in a bit of pain. I couldnt really move for the rest of the day and decided to take a week off completely.
I go back exactly one week later, after having seen a chiropractor (I don’t really believe in the practice myself but I needed something more than mortin.) I go for about a 4.5mile run and around the 3rd mile my ENTIRE back begins to just sieze up and starts cramping. From my lower back area to my traps, it just feels like bruised ribs. Everytime I inhale i’m in pain. I’m about 3miles out on a 4.5mile run. I had to finish it. Later that night the pain goes down so I try to run again on a treadmill. Less than 1 mile into it, the pain comes back and worse than before.
I’m only describing the pain as a bruised rib. I know for a fact none of my ribs are bruised becuase i’ve never hit myself on anything and the pain, aside from the lower back pain mentioned from before, is only present while i’m doing a physical activity(Like running).
I know not to workout on injuries and normally I wouldn’t. However, i’m in-season now and can’t afford to take too much time off because our team is undefeated(and has to stay that way) and I’m nearing the end of my season actually.
If anyone might know why my back went from lower back pain to ENITRE back pain; from a misaligned hip joint(the chiropractor told me) to a siezing up every muscle along my the center of my back to my traps then please feel free to let me know something. During my week off, aside from pushups and crunches, I literally sat around and did not workout.
Thanks in advance
November 3rd, 2006 at 9:29 am
Well I landed on the ground 4 days ago, same feeling when I feel off the ladder and landed on my back. Same,ditto can’t breathe, sleep, I can not do anything. I have done nothing during this time good thing then I do not have a job. I know I am bruised vs. broken. I am taking Arnica by mouth and rubbing the area with the gel, this is a homopathic remedy good for trauma, bruises. I am also using Pain-A-Trate from a wellness company called Melaleuca, can only order if you are a member. This product is menthol based, so I am sure Tiger Balm might help also.
The good thing is that we will all heal one day. Happy Healing All.
November 9th, 2006 at 5:50 am
i was doing trampolening at school!!! i tried to do front drop but went wrong and my back went into a ‘u’ shape and my body rippled. My ribs are sore and it hurts awfully bad when i breath!! i have been told i have bruised my ribs, does anyone a good source of pain releif as i am not sleeping very well and have got to stay off school till it has heeled
i am now in agony :’( helpppp!!!!
November 14th, 2006 at 12:50 pm
Again, thanks all for your comments, it has helped me also. Some people have commented on the fact they have the same symptoms but without a specific rib injury. I have also had muscular aches which feel very similar to the rib bruising and it usually goes away a lot quicker, a few days usually with rest depending on the muscle injury. You will feel difficulty breathing sometimes and it hurts when you cough etc., same type of thing.
I had my ribs damaged by another person and I didn’t go to the doctor but I know they are bruised. I have a physical bruise on the rib the size of a golf ball right on the rib. I was worried about the pain and was going to see the doctor today but after looking online I realize there is nothing they can do for a fracture or a bruise. I experience the same pain under the ribs going down to my stomache and sharp pains almost like bad gas go through my stomache into my lower back. It is excrutiating and you wonder what is wrong, like your belly, lower back and ribs are all going through some strange things and you are having some internal bleeding or something. The pain is more severe at night I believe because my Tylenol has subsided. I have such pain I have to get up because laying down hurts, walking hurts and sitting hurts so I cry, and I never cry. The pain is quite unbearable at night but after taking a couple Tylenol the pain subsides to managability and I go back to bed. I found that if you find a position by moving around a bit when the pain is severe you can usually find something that will make it a bit more comfortable. I sat on the couch, legs straight, turned my body so my arms were both right, twisting my body slightly, arms on the couch, head between resting on my arms, this position worked until the medication set it. It hurt a little to get there, but seemed the only position that wasn’t killing. Try anything that will help it subside. I had some strong medication the first night but just the Tylenol has helped tremendously as well as good rest. Again, thanks from all the RIB SUFFFERERS…….makes it feel like I am not alone. I am recovering, so there is hope!!
November 21st, 2006 at 9:53 am
I am 42 YO and I am a educator on the middle school level. I, like and idiot, was sustitute teaching a 6th grade PE class and myself, the other coach and the school’s on campus police officer, thought it would be cool to take on the entire class in Dodge Ball in the gym. What an idiot!!!! I was back-pedaling with a ball in my hand and fell backward onto my butt with no breaking of the fall from my arms or hands. It bent me in half. Hips were sore a little bit, but oh boy! the right side of the ribs at the top. Wow! I’ve broken my collar bone in a moto accident and it is nothing like this. I am taking Bayer Back and Body(real asprin so not bad for your liver) and I double up on my daily vitamin (Centrum for men). It is helping and I stay active at a reduced pace to keep up mobility and sanity. Everything you have all said has been very helpful. I am going to try the icy blue menthol rub today and see if it helps. Stay positive, I get better everyday and I have learned my lesson. Be smart, know your limits, and live long! Hope this helps someone…hang in there!!!
November 23rd, 2006 at 12:29 pm
I think I’ve bruised my ribs!!!Ouch!!!I’ve been suffering with a chest cold for the past 3 weeks.I believe I did something to my ribs from coughing to hard maybe.I’ve taken tylenol..not much help I’ll tell you that much.I applied a cold bluegel formula as well in hopes of some relief but alas it does’nt help much.It is more annoying than anything,the consistent dull pain and the discomfort.If I have to cough I have to double over like I got punched in the gut by someone,just so it does’nt hurt as much as if I was standing up to cough.Has anyone else experienced this when you’ve had a chest cold?
November 25th, 2006 at 3:58 pm
Hi there,
I put a post on here a while back telling people I got a rib injury due to hitting the front bar on a rollercoaster very hard. It was a couple days before I felt the pain and then it really started hurting. Well it’s been over 3 months now and I still have pain. Two weeks into my pain I went to doctors had a rib x ray done and nothing showed up wrong. Now it’s been over 3 months and I had another x ray done cause I still have pain. The doctor said I could go back to gym and do light exercise but not upperbody such as weight lifting. The second x ray came back with nothing showing wrong. It was a chest x ray this time.
What I want to know has anyone gone back exercising with them still having a little pain in their ribs/muscles around the rib? I really don’t know if I should go back but really want to as I use to go regularly and don’t want to gain the weight I lost before the injury happened. But at the same time if exercising will make my injury worse or it’s not a good idea to exercise if I still have some pain . I was thinking may be going on the treadmill would that be okay? My doctor wasn’t much help in knowing what I should and shouldn’t do.
Thanks !
November 27th, 2006 at 8:38 pm
I also have bruised ribs. I had fractured six ribs in a motor vehicle accident four years ago so this is not quite as bad. I suggest Lidocaine patches to help relieve the pain somewhat. These have to be prescribed by the doctor as they don’t sell them over the counter. I also suggest rolling on the side and putting your legs out before you get out of bed. Anti-inflammatories will also help a little for the pain.
December 5th, 2006 at 6:53 pm
I whacked my ribs surfing over a week ago. After an x-ray the doc I went to told me that my ribs were not broken but the pain has increased daily. Sneezing and laughing are the worst. My doc told me to pick up a rib belt at the dug store. I am gonna try those minty patches too.
December 11th, 2006 at 12:04 pm
Hello a few days ago early in the morning I was “swiped” by a woman driver while crossing a street. It was my left side. Of course I was knocked down & I was shacken up a bit but I did not feel too bad. I had a sharp pain on my left side but after a few minutes the pain subsided. Later in the day I started having a dull pain in my lower rib area. I took some aspirin and the pain subsided for awhile. I am able to lift my left arm up over my head with no issues but the pain remains almost constant if I don’t take some sort of pain killer. The pain in my rib area is very intense if I attempt to pick something up off the floor but again goes away once I am standing straight. Anyone else have issues like this?
December 13th, 2006 at 10:29 pm
I fell in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant. I stepped off the curb and hit the pavement with my right knee and lower rib area. I did not feel any real pain in my knee although it is now very blue and swollen.
My rib cage hurts, but no discoloration. I am sore, but x-rays showed no
real damage to knee or rib cavity. I am not coughing, but the RN advised me to breathe deeply so as to reduce the risk of pneumonia. Hope this advice may help someone to be extra careful when leaving these type places because I have had this experience twice in the last two years. It can happen in a heartbeat!
December 29th, 2006 at 10:49 am
My girlfriend got a bad cold (sneezing, coughing, etc.) then she cracked her ribs! Double whammy.
She works in retail selling perfume. About a week ago a mother and young daughter were shopping for cologne. The girl was sniffling and coughing without covering her mouth. Three days later my girlfriend came down with a sore throat and fever.
She kept working because they were short staffed over the holidays. Her cold grew worse. She lost her appetite, stopped eating, and cut back to drinking only liquids. She finally gave in to the cold and left work early.
After falling asleep on the couch, she woke up around 1 a.m. She went to brush her teeth and get ready for bed. She did not feel well at all. That’s when she blacked out and collapsed onto the marble floor.
She must have come to quickly because the water was still filling the sink, but in those few seconds of an uncontrolled fall, her left side smashed into the bathroom counter cracking some ribs on her left side.
She managed to crawl into bed and then waited until 7:30 in the morning before phoning me for help.
At the hospital her blood pressure was a a low 98 over 60. I think she fainted from lack of oxygenated blood flowing to her brain. When she fell on the floor, her head ended up at the same elevation as her heart and then the fresh blood flowing into her brain must have revived her.
They took blood tests, gave her a cardiogram, and x-rayed her chest. She’s back home with pain pills and told to rest for a week. When she moves, her pain is acute. When she coughs, sneezes, or blows her nose because of the cold, her pain is indescribable.
December 30th, 2006 at 3:05 pm
I fractured ribs on my left side as a result of a fall-the first of September. Doctor said it was broken ribs which would heal in 2 months and that seemed to happen-no complaints. Suddenly 2 nights ago I had such pain on my lower left side up to my shoulder that I had to go to the emergency room where I was told there was bood around my lower left lung and a bit of blood inside the lung and it would slowly reabsorb. Pain is now under control with Rx but do I have this to look forward to from time to time? Will seem my family doctor next week with questions but–good grief!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 5th, 2007 at 11:27 am
Hi i fell of my moped on my way to school and landed on my chest, i had a proper motobike jaket on so i think that helped. When i had gotten to the hospital they did an x-ray, that showed no broken ribs. I have been researching on the internet and seen the syemptons for broken ribs which match some of the syemptons i have for example it is very hard to breath, and when i cough or sneeze i am in great pain.
January 19th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
Try webMD.com - I use this site to get helpful tips concerning Peyton’s reflux.
I hope this doesn’t have something to do with your lung; does Whitey have to come drive you to the hospital again a la Senior year from 1036K to Rockingham?
January 25th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
Bruised my back ribs in Hockey Dec 15/06 Pain was excrutiating for 4 or 5 days. Then was just a dull pain for another 3 or 4 weeks. It is now Jan25/07 and I still feel a very slight pressure in the area. I am 52 years old. Hope this helps someone. P.S. I’Ve had a number of broken ribs and they healed way quicker.
January 30th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
I fell at the (major discont store) deli where I work. My foor got caught in a cord pluggged in the lower socket. Instead of the cord being plugged in up high like it was supposed to be the electricians had left the scale plugged in low after they gave up on trying to fix the problem. I was not made aware they had not completed the project or that no one in the store knew where the wiring drawings were\ so they could complete the repair. Unlike the rest of you I was transported to the hosp where x-rays of my left ankle which was twisted asnd my neck where I had jammed my shoulder into it. NOW my right side of my chest hurts so badly I am unable to wear a bra (and I really need one!), laugh, sneeze, cough or blow my nose. It hurts to reach above my head for anything - even a small plate or a cup. It has only been 5 days since I fell. They people heard me fall from 30 feet away in a noisy deli with all the blowers and electrical hums. I did not even dream I had hurt my ribs until the third day after the fall. Now I am looking at returning to work for light duty in two days. I cannot see how I am going anywhere without a bra. Guys I know you just will not understand, but the older women will!! I found out about the bra today whn I was attempting to get dressed for a funeral. Putting ona pair of pantyhose is no easy trick either! Then the darn car would not start. All that effort and I really mean EFFORT for nothing. Anybody goit any cheese to go with my whine?
January 31st, 2007 at 4:11 pm
My 50 lb dog jumped on me while lying down. I immediately heard a real nasty crack (crunch) under the right breast!!!!! It is hurting more every day… Now has moved to my back and into right arm!! Doctor said nothing they do anymore unless they are puncturing lung. Then nurse called back and said he wanted to see me because of my health problems! $$$ My inlaws and husband say if the skins not bruised, its not broke!!
What do you think??
February 2nd, 2007 at 8:24 am
Between Christmas and New Year, I woke up feeling as though I’d squashed myself really hard or twisted myself somehow and had sharp pains in my ribs just under my right breast. It calmed down after a couple of day, but it’s still really tender. I don’t think it’s helping that I’ve just developed a cough and a cold. I’m coughing like crazy 1st thing in the morning and that’s when I really feel it. Aside from that, it hurts a bit when I stretch up or take a deep breath. I’m going to the doctors on thursday to check I’ve not got some terrible illness. It just seems to be taking a long time to go away!
February 13th, 2007 at 11:34 am
I got into a car accident jan. 17. I got t-boned really hard. Car destroyed.Went to hospital and nothing broken or cracked. My left side bruised on the outside but not near my ribs.they pumped me full of morphine and sent me home the next day with no care instructions and no pain medicine. It’s now the 13th of feb. and around my rib area it is so tender and painful sometimes. More so if i go to lay down or do too much. how much longer will this go on and why was there no bruising at the site where it hurts? I got lucky but just because there is nothing broken doesn’t mean i am not hurting and doctors aren’t always helpful.. any advice? thanks
February 17th, 2007 at 10:59 am
Well, here I am in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia taking one of my evening bike mountain bike rides on what they call streets here and I decided to straddle-walk my bike over a 1 meter footbridge (made out of large sticks) that traverses an open sewer mae out of heavy block stone walls. Anyway, halfway over the bridge I changed my mind and started backing up on foot as my right foot went off the side. With the bike I fell over to the right and raised my arm to protect my head from crashing into the stone walls. My elbow and right side of my chest made direct, initial and hard contact. There I was with my legs still connected to the bike and my chest pressed against these block stones in a perfectly horizontal position. My hips were just barely suspended above the flowing sewer water. As I started to feel some pain, a crowd of about 30 gathered behind me (the streets and alleyways here are usually full of people) and I could hear a few of them laughing (I guess I did look pretty ridiculous trying to use a sewer like this). Eventually, one guy came to my assistance and helped lift me up. As I stood up I was completely dazed, and it took about 5 minutes befoe I could move. My elbow and the skin abrasions hurt at first. It is now Day 3–a Saturday–and I am in a lot of pain, even as I lay in bed all day long. I am weak and it feels like I have the flu. I am quite confident that have cracked, broken or bruised a rib or two. I think when I stop feeling so weak I will start moving around more per the advice in some of the previous entries.
February 17th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
I injured my ribs in a basketball game about 3 1/2 weeks ago. I went up for a lob pass and tripped and drove myself into the base of a concrete wall, ribs first. I went to the er that night because I could not breathe. It was extremely painful. I missed 2 days of work because of it. I had bruised ribs. The xrays did not reveal any cracks. After a couple of days I began to feel better, then progressively got worse at about day 10. I am getting to the point now where I can take a full breath without feeling much pain. Sleeping was the most difficult thing because I am used to sleeping on my left side. It really hurt to sleep on my back and was not too bad on my right side or belly. I am thinking about going back to the gym next week. I will start out slowly. All in all it took about 1 full month of recovery time. Hope you feel better and take it easy……
March 2nd, 2007 at 6:51 am
Go see a CHIROPRACTOR…what most of you are experiencing is a very slight dislocation of 2 or 3 Ribs on the right or left side of your spinal column…I got the pain under my right pectoral muscle…went to see a Chiropractor and he instantly diagnosed that indeed I was a side sleeper and that I had slept on my side one night with my elbow tucked under my ribs…3 quick sessions with Dr. Wilkie in Calgary (he has worked on Jack Nicklaus and most of the Women’s Olympic Skeleton Bob Sled Team)…and the pain went away…what was explained to me was…there are nerves that begin at the spinal column and extend outwards along the ribs to the front of the body…if the rib is disjointed…even slightly…moderate to severe pain can be felt in the front of the rib cage…
If you decide to go see a Chiropractor…be sure they are trained in IRT (Injury Recovery Therapy)…It is a muscle memory resetting technique to help your injured muscles recover to a normal state around the affected area….muscles tend to remember your injuries and will tend to pull your bones back into their “previously injured” position again…
Hope this helps…been a month since my last appointment with the Chiropractor and I have been pain free and my breathing improved dramatically as a side effect…;b)
March 4th, 2007 at 10:13 pm
I wish I could go see a chiropractor. I have advanced degenerative disc disease and a fusion in my lower back. I have no soft tissue from C2 down quite a way. It is confirmed at least 6 soft discs are missing with a possibility of 8 missing. The chiropractors where I live have refused to treat me. I am thinking of acupuncture or a kiniesiologist. I am envious you achieved so much relief so quickly.
However, the orthopedist is having me go to therapy three times a week for my back and neck with the rib cage thrown into the mix. I am hopeful the pain subsides soon. I did transfer out of the Deli where I work to a different department, one without so much bending and lifting. I would not wish all or any part of this on anyone. My heart goes out to all the other sufferers.
March 8th, 2007 at 11:45 am
I was ejected from a vehicle during a car accident! Suffering from multiple contusions and 6 bruised ribs on my right side. In answer to #87 catheine Its been 13 days im still in pain and i do at least 20 pushups a day. Hurts like hell but it can be done. Muahaha
March 8th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
Well, I have never had so much pain in my life, I fell backwards on a large flower pot ‘don’t laugh’ I fractured my ribs lost my breath for some time and would prefer chronic tooth ache instead, the muscle contractions were unbelievable and for days I could not even get out of bed the pain was so bad, I couldn’t cough, laugh, sneeze and could only walk like a 90 year old, my doctor signed me off for 2 weeks, but best of all my wife who is Russian suggested I put CABBAGE on my wound! Yep I said, but 5 days later I have minimal pain, no contractions and I can get out of bed with ease, all I can say to fellow suffers, try this insane method and let all know, I found this was my savior. wrap the cabbage around you pain area with a bandage and see the results, I also had a infection on my finger, when covered with a piece of onion, 2 days later it had healed,
all the best,
Misha.
March 17th, 2007 at 11:46 pm
Misha - WOW!
nanainbfe and most all - OW!!!!!!!!!
QBIK - YOU go see a Chiro you ambulance-chaser!
Paul - It could have been worse, right? Up to your neck, so to speak……….
All - thanks for all your help. I have diagnosed my problem thanks to you.
And yes, I hurts like H E - double toothpicks!
March 18th, 2007 at 1:47 am
I am now going into week 5, post-crashing my rib cage into a sewer wall side. A local US doctor (osteopath) stationed with us believes 1 or 2 ribs were fractured and another 3 or so were bruised, along with subluxations of the rib and spine. At week 3, he adjusted my spine and it is improved. Yet, the damaged ribs still prevent certain movements, and one of the fractured ribs is no longer bow shaped, with a curvature to it. Rather, it lays flat and is indented compared to the others. What is still counter-intuitive about my rib injuries is that the rib area that had the worst skin abrasions is not the area that suffered the fractures. That fracture area had no external skin lesions. I believe that given the continuing discomfort (although not on breathing), it will be another 4 to 6 weeks before it is healed and I can get back to normal physical activity.
And JUJU–you are right. I was lucky I did not smack my head into the wall.
March 21st, 2007 at 4:34 pm
hello ive bruised my ribs , i was just wondering how long it would ruffly take for the pain to go away because i have a football match saturday and i got the injury last sunday if you could e-mail me back that would be great.
would you advise to go to school?
April 7th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
i fell of a horse i was going to look at she reared up and i fell straight onto my belly, i was wearing a back protector but my ribs feel very sore especially the lft side. I don’t think they’re broken bur its more muscle pain. can some one please tell me how long it will take for them to heal. ASAP!
April 25th, 2007 at 11:20 pm
HA HA. LOL
Your site/blog/whatever came up first when I did a search. You are worried about bruised ribs after a full meal, lol.
I took a head over heels tumble off my bike when my front tire disappearred in some mulch and I ended up flipping over the handlebars and slamming all 240 pounds down flat on my back right shoulder on a concrete sidewalk. For two days I can’t take a full breath, nor sit upright for 30 minutes at a time, and my kids are getting freaked out. Nice rlevant search results.
How was the soup? LOL!
>> Search Result NEXT>>>
April 27th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
While I agree that it has always amazed me that my site continues to rank very high for searches on “bruised ribs”, I find it even more entertaining that you searched for “what do bruised ribs feel like”, were directed to a site where there are 90+ comments from users describing their situations with injuries to themselves that often result in bruising the area around their ribs, and yet you’re having difficulty determining the relevancy of your search and this page…
Anyway, thanks for sharing your story!
April 30th, 2007 at 4:42 am
Hi
I was doing stretching for about 30 mins and towards the end I felt a pain in my rightside, which I thought was just a stitch. The pain got worse and even lifting my Right arm above my head is unbeareable, and coughing and sneezing is a definite no no. It’s now been a week since it happened, and I can now breathe and cough a bit better, but the pain is still there. I can’t do any stretching, and tried swimming yesterday, but woke up this morning with severe pain. It’s so frustrating as I want to get back to my exercise and stretching, oh and be able to sleep without pain (my right side is my favourite). Any ideas and what my injury is and how long it will take to subside?
April 30th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
There seem to be a lot more questions than answers here but hopefully I will get lucky….I was in an altercation over 8 days ago. I dont remember anything specifically happening to my ribs but in the heat of the moment, you dont always remember. About two days after I noticed pain and slight bruising on the left rib cage. Breathing is minimized, coughing and sneezing unbearable. The pain has now radiated to my back and I also have a strange neck pain which may or may not be associated. I have not been to the doctor. Please give me some insight…thanks
May 2nd, 2007 at 1:15 pm
Heyas, I was wrestling/tickle fighing with my girlfriend over the weekend on my bed when at one point i went for her feet and she ended up kicking me in the side of the chest. I think I heard a pop or noise of some sort and was in really bad pain. The pain subsided a bit but was still pretty bad so she called one of her relatives who’s a doctor and she said it probably isn’t cracked or broken b/c I would be in alot more pain and it would hurt when I took normal breaths, whereas it only currently hurts when I take deep breaths or move certains ways/bend over.
This happened Saturday and yesterday, Tuesday, I tried to go back to the gym for the first time. I started out doing some cardio on the eliptical to get the blood flowing and my chest started hurting, I don’t know if it was from the movement or the rapid breathing. I then went to start lifting, biceps, and was in even more pain so I stopped.
My question is how long should I wait until I go back to the gym? I hate to stop going at all but I don’t want to irritate my chest more and prolong this, since I seem to be in more pain today then I was before I went to the gym yesterday.
Thanks
October 3rd, 2007 at 1:12 pm
I know exactly how I cracked? bruised? broke? my ribs, tripped on my grandson’s skateboard. Didn’t go to dr. because everything on web says they don’t do anything for any of the above, just rest and immobilize. It’s now two weeks and I sill hurt but not as sharp as originn=ally. Any idea how long this lasts?
October 9th, 2007 at 12:01 pm
This seems to be a common problem. Last year i was playing rugby when i got caught at the bottom of a ruck with the ball under my body. The weight of the pile of people on me pushed the ball into my ribs which in turn pushed inwards which hurt like hell for about 5 minutes. As has been said already, the pain subsided for a couple of days, but on the third morning i woke up and literally couldn’t even sit up in bed. I actually had to roll out onto my hands and knees and get up that way. Strong painkillers helped, but the pain spread from one point at the front all the way round my back until breathing was painful. Overall it took 3 weeks to get well enough to play sport again.
Ironically, i now have the same injury again , this time from being elbowed playing football (I am in the UK so you would call it soccer!) . The injury is in the same place and the symptoms are the same, but i have had a bad cold so the sneezing has been agony. It seems to be taing a little longer to heal , but then again i am a year older now (31).
I think recovery time very much depends upon age, and complete rest (the doctor above must have been mad to say you should keep playing sport through an interciostal injury, no wonder it won’t heal properly). The last thing you want is to develop scar tissue in the area, as this will cause further problems.
November 10th, 2007 at 10:08 am
Hi, Guess i’ve joined the gang as i was injured while my husbard was trying to avoid a car accident a couple of days ago and i was thrown into the armrest and injured the left side of the ribcage just under the breast and the pain seems to be getting worse instead of better. I tossed around the idea of going to the doctor but after reading all of the above i think i will just wait it out. I was just worried about doing any damage to the heart as there is so much pain when i breathe, move or cough in that area. The pain is worse today than it was yesterday. I don’t like medicine but i may have to resort to a pain killer of some sort.
November 12th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
A question in the category of bruised ribs. I dropped 250 lbs of weight on a barbell about ten inch onto my chest. It knocked the wind out of me. The Doc perscribed me Vicodin, which has been helpful. Its been two weeks since I’ve done any chest exercise. I’ve kept up with all other exercises except any pressing motion off the chest, i.e., close grip tricep press, bench press. The muscle seems to be fine, now the side of my ribs have slight pain, sometimes greater than slight. My question is, after two weeks am I safe to go back to my chest routine in a moderate manner although there is still the small degree of pain. Can I tough it out and be fine without further injury?
November 13th, 2007 at 5:39 pm
I went to see a friend the other day who hugged me & picked me up off the ground an inch or 2 when he did. Nothing hurt at the time. I was a little sore when I got home, really sore when I went to bed, and worse by morning.
I asked the doctor while at an appt. for something else the following day, and he said he wouldn’t bother taking X-Rays, since they don’t tape people up anymore, (it causes more trouble than it helps.) He said if it was a bruse I should start feeling better in 5-6 days, if it was a break or fracture, then 5-6 weeks! Apply moist heat, and sent me on my way.
It DOES hurt though, you don’t want to think about a sneeze!
November 15th, 2007 at 1:47 am
Well at least my broken or bruised ribs don’t hurt as badly as they would if I wasn’t using a Fentanyl patch for another injury. In fact it’s enabled me to discover that the best thing for bruised ribs is to stay active as possible. THEN at night when there is alot less activity I can really appreciate the difference in the lessened severity of pain.
December 6th, 2007 at 11:44 pm
I have reasently encountered somethig similar to your case. I am 14 tears old and i was lifting weights with our football coach one day doing dead lift and i experienced some pain in my ribs (lower right side). I didnt say much to coach just a brief man my ribs hurt a little. but as i went back the next day to do my squats i was on rep # 18 when all of the sudden this excrusiating pain hit me in my ribs, and i immediatly stopped and told coach he sat me down to look at me and he asked me how it hurt. I told him that when i exhaled that it hurt really bad and also when i would bend over or tighten my chest so i went to the school office and called my mother but she was about 30 mins away so she called my grandmother to come get me and my grandmother brought me home as i layed on my bed in horrable pain and waited on my mother and father to take me to the hospital. I went to the local hospital where they x rayed me and said that they didnt find any evedance of a break of fracture but they did find that i had torn the cartlidge between two of my ribs and also that it was inflamed prety badly i am still in pain but the doctor prescribed me a muscle relaxer and it is helping a good bit sorry to here about you accident i hope you feel better and you might want to go let a doctor check you out well hope you feel better
February 23rd, 2008 at 6:51 pm
about 3 years ago was at work and had bad pain in chest. now 3 yrs later still undiagnosed and looking for answers. have had mri, cat skan, xray, still no one knows what’s up. have pain now in back, chest and right arm. heart is healthy. what could this be? separated rib syndrome? the docs think it’s in my head and my family may start thinking that soon too! HELP!!!
February 27th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
As we all are sailing on the same baot, i think i can give few advice after experiencing a rib bruise.
At first, one might feel that they have surely broken a brib as it pains like anything. Coughing ,sneezing, sleeping postures, bending can be excruciating!!! But it is very highly likely that you have bruised your rib rather than fractured it. Because in the latter case you cant even move.
Anyway, after having an x-ray the doctor gave me few pain killers and suggested me for a cold and hot therapy. I have been using hot therapy belt and i feel better day by day. i am into my 5th week of injury and i think rest is the best cure for the bruise.You need to be patient and i know it can be very daunting to cut-off your favourite sport but i think you can rather go for lower body excersises.
I hope i have helped in some way.
cheers
April 25th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
While cleaning our cement porch last weekend, I was standing on a step stool. I misjudged and put the step chair to close to the edge of the porch. When I shifted my weight down I went! Thankfully my right arm went out which broke some of the fall. Unfortunately, I twisted my right side, leaving my ribs very badly bruised. I don’t believe there is a fracture. I began using a heating pad thirty minutes on/off during the night. Also, I’ve been taking ‘Arnica Montana’ for the pain; as well as using Arniflora gel for pain, swelling & stiffness. This was working very well until last night. I was only feeling pain when I went to stand up or sit down and that was limited. Last night I started to cough or tried to but the pain was great. The pain seemed to be more in the back of my ribs. Now I feel that I’m back where I started in regard to pain. Any thoughts or is this just part of the healing?
Thanks
May 27th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Hi! Please help. I fell down this past Sunday and no big deal I thought I was fine (yes I was at a wild party and I was drinking, which is probably why I didn’t feel the pain initially) The next morning when I coughed the pain on my left side between ribs and hip was so severe I started to worry. The pain woke me up repeatedly and it was hard to move my position without severe pain. It is still here, but I wanted to give it a day before I run out to doctor. It is not bruised on the outside, but it almost feels like I have bruised something internally, sometimes I feel like a roll and pop thing when I rub my hand down the stretch of the pain. It hurts all the time, especially if I cough and when I breathe deeply it emphasisezs. I am going to ice it and take an nsaid for now, but if anyone has ever experienced this and knows stuff, please respond. Thanks so much, Annie
May 28th, 2008 at 3:14 am
Finally a blog where I can complain as I sit here in severe bruised rib pain. I can’t sleep or find any position that feels decent. Anyone who is getting pain like this should go to the doctors and make sure there is no fluid build up around the lungs etc…no need to be alarmed but it’s worth the piece of mind (and good to check if there is any breakage). The worst part is I tore some tissue around my ribs from golfing of all things. I was just on a golf blog and it’s apparently very common. It didn’t help much that I also went mountain biking multiple times after the injury not knowing at the time I was injured. Anyway’s, this is the worst pain ever and I’m only 3 days into it. It actually feels like it’s getting worse but I’m expecting it to start to improve sometime within the next week or two (that’s what the doctor’s say). The night I woke up with the ‘bruising’ it was so bad I actually thought I was having a frickin’ heart attack as I could hardly breath in. Since then I have been checked out and it’s apparently all good but what a pain in the ass this bruising business is. Good luck everyone…give it time and don’t do anything active while trying to repair your injuries…..I know it’s super difficult to not be active but it will be worth it in the long run to have a full recovery.
Vancouver, Canada……trying not to cough
June 23rd, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Ok, well i’m 41 yrs. old and let my kids talk me into giving the Slip N Slide a try. We had been experiencing a heatwave here (110 degrees) when we are normally 70’s. So, of course, i went to try it and jumped and thumped! Didn’t slide an inch. Well i can’t sleep good, I sure as hell can’t cough, or talk loud or laugh. Pain all around my ribcage. I’m not going to the doctor since I think he will just give me pain pills, and i don’t think i broke anything cause breathing is fine, but boy to i hurt. Reading all these blogs, i see it will last some time huh? Great!
July 8th, 2008 at 6:55 am
Hi fellow sufferers it nice to know that one is not alone with this very painful injury. My story is also Vodka related like Suzie’s’ story. 4th of July I was in the Humbolt Redwoods of Northern California, camping. I was making killer vodka, tonic and cranberry drinks with lots of ice and lots of vodka around the campfire. Everyone pooped out and went to bed around midnight but not me I wanted to go for a walk down to the river. So I went by myself and was fired up since the area is famous for Bigfoot encounters. I stumbled through the woods and lost the trail but no worry I will just walk down this giant Redwood that had fallen. I was at least 4 feet above the ground and whoops my foot slid out and next thing I knew I was headed to the ground ribs first. I never had a chance to roll and landed on a large branch laying on the ground with my ribs. At first I didnt think it was so bad but that was just the booze, and I kept on walking down to the river in the dark in Bigfoot country. It was worth though since I saw an unbelievable starry sky. When I got back to my tent that was when I first felt the real pain. It was excruciating to get down onto the air mattress. I seemed to sleep ok on my right side but forget the left where my new bruise was forming. The next morning my wife had to help me get up and out of bed since the pain was wicked. I’m on day 3 and it was the worst but as I type I feel better and I have hope on a fast recovery. We shall see. I am also trying not to cough.
July 22nd, 2008 at 9:32 am
I had a skiing injury (cartlidge damage to lower left rib cage) over 25 years ago and since then I haven’t been able to sleep on my left side, which drives me crazy. When laying on that side it still feels like a lump and bruised after all of these years. X-rays shows nothing. I think I would have been better off fracturing my ribs than living with this.
August 7th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Hello, I’m 14 and I’ve bruised my bottom ribs recently and I’m in terrible pain, my stomache is now in minor to moderate pain, I’ve been doing alot of working out on my chest and stomache, could the stomache pain be from damaged organs or would it be soreness from workout?