Rib Injury

[disinfo]

Has anyone ever had one?

About 6 weeks ago I came off my bike on the way home from work, I was ok apart from bruises and scrapes but I knew i'd done my ribs in.

The second week was the worst and then the pain got a bit more managable but even this week its still been difficult getting up from lying flat.

This afternoon I was watching TV while lying on my side and I heard and felt a crack from the area of my ribs (I thought it was a bed spring until the pain kicked in) and now i'm finding it difficult to walk around properly again.

I've not taken any time off work or being to the hospital / doctor at any stage but i'm thinking I may need to do something.

Has anyone been to the hospital for a rib injury? Surely there is not much they can do and I dont want to waste anyones time.

 

[wineo]

Call NHS DIRECT, they'll be more help than a diy forum.....

 

[disinfo]

Call NHS DIRECT, they'll be more help than a diy forum.....

Lol

 

[ColJack]

the hospital will be able to tell you how many are broken and if they are displaced fractures..
not sure they can do anything for ribs other than tape you up.. ( helps with the pain so I've been told. )
if it's a displaced fracture ( ie the ends no longer meet ) then I recon there might be a proceedure involved to re-align them ( otherwise surely they'll never heal ? )

it might ba a good idea to not lie down on that side, and possibly sleep sitting in an armchair for a while

there's also the possibility of puncturing a lung if the break is displaced..
so best to get it seen by professionals..

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/ate/musclesjoints/201343.html should've probably healed by now

 

[ColJack]

if you're after a DIY option, it involves a bottle of strong alcohol ( for drinking ), a stanley knife blade, a pair of long nosed pliers and either a few bits of mechano and some small screws, or a staple gun.. ( you need the stapler anyway unless you have some superglue.. )

boil all the tools to sterilise ( preferably before drinking.. ) and then get liquored up..

 

[disinfo]

if you're after a DIY option, it involves a bottle of strong alcohol ( for drinking ), a stanley knife blade, a pair of long nosed pliers and either a few bits of mechano and some small screws, or a staple gun.. ( you need the stapler anyway unless you have some superglue.. )

boil all the tools to sterilise ( preferably before drinking.. ) and then get liquored up..

Laughing is not good, seriously!

 

[Thermo]

get them checked out. Not much can be done in terms of getting them to heal, but they can cause other problems.

 

[disinfo]

Cheers guys,

Gonna leave it while tomorrow.

Don't fancy pinderfields hospital on a Saturday night, not the safest place to be!

Not had a day off work in seven years, but it looks like thats gonna change.

 

[conny]

Get it x-rayed to see if any are broken. I've only cracked 2, a while ago, and it is bloody painful!
As said there is not a lot they can do unless it is displaced then it may need surgery to bring them closer so they can knit together. As also said if they are broke there is a danger of internal inury, (punctured lung), so it does need to be looked at. They won't strap you up as it has been found to constrict peoples breathing and lead to complications. Take some pain killers and lay off the booze till you get it sorted. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[RF Lighting]

I've cracked a couple.

There is not a great deal the hospital can do. They didn't even strap mine up as they were near my shoulder.

It would be sensible to go and get checked out though just incase there is anything more serious which you may not have realised.

Don't forget to take a good book with you.

 

[CortinaV8]

As people have said, nothing you can really do or the hospital for that matter, just need to man up really.

I do feel your pain, I managed to do something similar a few monthd ago downhill mountain biking in Scotland, came down too hard on the front wheel blew the innertube, bent the front wheel and popper the compression cartridges in my forks, I think I dropped too far and was carrying too much speed.

Anyhow, hope you get better soon, oh and dont do what I did and catch a cold too........not good

 

[JohnD]

although there is probably nothing they can do if the ribs are just cracked, it is certainly worth checking in case you have anything worse, there is nothing manly about avoiding hospitals.

I've had them several times, and it is pretty painful, especially if you cough or sneeze, but if they are still cracking when you move about, there may be more than a simple cracked rib.

I was quite amazed that my Osteopath was able to ease the pain by manipulation the time before last

 

[WDIK]

on that note, i thought id pulled a chest muscle.
six days later still hurting, turns out id had two pulmenary embollisms

 

[ColJack]

that reminds me..
didn't one of th captains on "the deadliest catch" bang his ribs up?
was spitting up blood and when he eventually went to hospital they told him he had had a clot go through his heart and it could have killed him?