Possible rib bust but doctor thinks not?

[Jackal]

I lowsided a motorcycle about four weeks ago. Not a huge accident but I lost a bunch of skin and (I thought) bruised a rib fairly badly.

Now most of the skin has grown back, but the rib actually seems to be getting worse. Painful to sleep on, stretch, breathe deeply, cough, lift stuff and do sit-ups with.

The doctors I go to suggested a few weeks ago that if it did not improve to get an X-RAY and bring it to them, so I did that today and apparently I do not have a crack, break or fracture. He suggested that I had caused a muscle contraction on impact and that is what is causing the problem.

I am not certain for two reasons:

A: The x-ray was shot from the front and the injury is almost exactly in the middle of my side/flank - and that area did not get shown up very well on the film.

B: Pretty sure I have no significant muscles on that part of my ribcage (second solid rib from the bottom right)

New x-ray? Or do I just start using heat rub on the area and see what happens?

 

[misteee]

ahh very tough situation that one,

i use to ride push bikes competitively and once i came off extremely bad and broke my wrist, the force it put my body through was very very ruff.

anyways, i had the same situation my ribs seemed to have been all cracked, but it wasnt the case, the force i hit with jolted my back and re arranged my posture, i was conviced my (well 2 middle ribs) were cracked but it wasnt the case.

anyways, i seen a chiropractor and he went to town on me, the pressure that came off was unreal almost as good as sex.
in saying that i would probably get a second opinion of your ribs b4 getting cracked like me, cause if anything it may have potential to make it worst.

just my previous experience

 

[Jabberwocky]

I have had friends with "cracked ribs" that were just told to avoid any strain. What I wonder is what they will be able to do for you if the x-ray and do find a crack, fracture, etc. For sure if the discomfort gets worse you should see someone but if you do I'd be interested in knowing how they treat the pain or the underlying cause.

 

[n3ophy7e]

Yeah that's the tricky thing with broken ribs, the only thing that can really heal them is time and strict rest. A new x-ray may or may not confirm a cracked rib, but will that change anything??

jude, by the fact that you are aware that it hurts when you lift things or do sit-ups, it sounds like you're doing too much activity for a suspected cracked rib. Give yourself some SERIOUS rest for at least a few weeks, then reassess the situation.

No lifting, no exercise, no movement which puts any strain on your chest or back whatsoever.

Obviously if you're even resting properly and the pain gets worse, go back to your doctor or find a new one who will investigate further.

 

[blues runner]

What a coincidence. I have a broken rib now. I was running through a jungly area here in Goa two weeks ago and was suddenly, instantly slammed down, all the wind knocked out of me. Intense, sharp, incredible pain just to the right of my right pectoral muscle. Huge bruise. How? It was really dark and I ran into a Hindu stone statue, right at its corner. I went to the doctor the next day, had two x-rays taken, and the report said, "There is evidence of fracture to the right 7th axillary". Cracked right in two, not a hairline fracture. Fortunately, it didn't puncture a lung.

But yeah, there's nothing I can do for it. Only time takes care of this, and it really hurts. Every time I take a breath it hurts, it's easier to stand than to sit, turning around is a bitch, etc. Really sucks. First broken bone I've ever had.

 

[Jackal]

Yeah that's the tricky thing with broken ribs, the only thing that can really heal them is time and strict rest. A new x-ray may or may not confirm a cracked rib, but will that change anything??

jude, by the fact that you are aware that it hurts when you lift things or do sit-ups, it sounds like you're doing too much activity for a suspected cracked rib. Give yourself some SERIOUS rest for at least a few weeks, then reassess the situation.

No lifting, no exercise, no movement which puts any strain on your chest or back whatsoever.

Obviously if you're even resting properly and the pain gets worse, go back to your doctor or find a new one who will investigate further.

Yeah, that's fairly solid advice.

I have a bar though, so naturally I have to set up and break down every afternoon and early morning, plus lugging cases of beer around etc. . .

Guess it's time to crack the whip on my staff and have them do some (more) of the donkeywork

Thanks guys.

 

[n3ophy7e]

Mate surely if you explain the situation to them, they'll willingly put in a few more hard yards than usual for the next few weeks!

 

[carl]

Yeah, that's fairly solid advice.

I have a bar though, so naturally I have to set up and break down every afternoon and early morning, plus lugging cases of beer around etc. . .

Guess it's time to crack the whip on my staff and have them do some (more) of the donkeywork

Thanks guys.

If you can afford a day or two away, the public hospitals in BKK are cheap and better than any care in PP, ime. Even the public hospital in Trat is better than Calmette, and I've experienced both. Having new film taken, from more than one angle, on the digital machines in BKK, might provide a more crisp picture from a radiologist to make a diagnosis. But n30 has it right; treatment, if it is cracked, is rest. Treatment, if it's seriously bruised, is rest.

Mate surely if you explain the situation to them, they'll willingly put in a few more hard yards than usual for the next few weeks!

lolitdoesntworklikethatinthridworldcountries

 

[panic in paradise]

your calcium may of gone nutZo in an attempt to heal, which can be painful, and identifiable in a CBC. any forming scar tissue in the pleura cavity is pretty damn painful also. youd need an MRI or CT to see most hairline fractures, which can lead to pneumonia, bronchitis, chest infections; if any of this does occur, PLEASE mention your accident, because that would be the only way to really cure, and prevent.

this is thinking a bit a head, but you immune system could of gone array, and drained your pleura cavity, causing dry/wet pleurisy,,, this sucks, but is ordinarily temporary, pleurae fluid would have too fill in the dry spots, which causes friction and rib/chest pain.
its identifiable with a certain pain description, stethoscope, trained ear, and chest wall percussion tests, treatable with painkillers, and penicillin.

 

[Jackal]

lolitdoesntworklikethatinthridworldcountries

Haha, so true. My staff earn something approaching $2.50 per day( which is about 25% more than standard for a business like mine) but still . . . cannot expect wonders from them.

I am first in and last out most days.

But yeah, I will take it easy and see what happens in a few weeks.

 

[NotQuiteAnonymous]

this is thinking a bit a head, but you immune system could of gone array, and drained your pleura cavity, causing dry/wet pleurisy,,, this sucks, but is ordinarily temporary, pleurae fluid would have too fill in the dry spots, which causes friction and rib/chest pain.
its identifiable with a certain pain description, stethoscope, trained ear, and chest wall percussion tests, treatable with painkillers, and penicillin.

^^I started my post then realized pleurisy was already mentioned, I hope you don't mind me mentioning what happened to me.

I had a nasty impact to my ribs a few years ago. Over a few weeks time it seemed to get worse. I had problems breathing and honestly didn't want to breathe too deeply because it hurt so badly to do so. When I finally went to see a doctor, x-rays were taken. They didn't come out great but I was told I did not have a broken or cracked rib, even though I was almost certain I had because of the sharp pain I had upon breathing in. I was given a diagnosis of pleurisy from the films.

 

[wizekrak]

you might have torn an intercostal muscle (the muscles that connect the ribs together) its a very painful injury and takes a while to heal. Even if you had broken a rib there isn't much that can be done for them aside from pain control while it heals itself.

 

[Busty St Clare]

Might be a bit late now but I would suspect a rib cartalige injury or costochondral separation. Doesn't show up on an x ray per say, hurts like fuck and heals very slowly. Not much you can do other than firm strapping or bandage to restrict movement and rest.

 

[Jackal]

Well, it stopped hurting maybe two weeks ago. I have a large hard calcite deposit at the point of injury and think it may well have been fractured. Getting out of bed was a bitch, but all better now