Medication
If you’ve broken a rib (or several), one of the best things you can do is simply rest. This will not only reduce some of the pain but also help your body navigate the healing process. Still, you need some level of physical activity for the rest of your body and overall health.
Procedures
Rib fractures — also known as broken ribs — are very common and account for about two-thirds of chest trauma injuries. They’re most often treated at home, can be quite painful, and take 6 weeks to 3 months to heal.
Therapy
Immediate Home Remedies to Heal Bruised Ribs Quickly
- First Thing Is Check Your Ribs. Make sure you don’t have broken ribs. ...
- Apply The Cold Compress. Ice the injured area to heal bruised ribs quickly. ...
- Take The Pain Killer to Ease Pain. In the event that each breath damages, controlling the pain will go a long approach to helping you feel better.
- Take Plenty of Rest. ...
- Manage Some Extra Breathing. ...
- Visit a Doctor. ...
Self-care
Exercises
- Take slow, deep breaths and cough regularly to expand your lungs
- Use an incentive spirometer if asked to do so
- Get up and move around when you’re not sleeping
- Increase activity levels gradually
- See a physical therapist, if recommended
Nutrition
See more
Can I still work out with a fractured rib?
How long does a rib fracture take to heal?
How to heal fractured ribs faster?
How do you heal a broken rib?
What is the best way to find rib fractures?
Why do doctors wrap ribs?
What test will show ribs?
What is a bone scan?
Can X-rays reveal fractures?
See more
About this website
What can you do for a fractured rib?
What's the Treatment?Take a break from sports to allow yourself to heal without hurting yourself again.Put ice on the area to relieve pain.Take pain medicine like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. ... Take deep breaths to avoid pneumonia. ... Don't wrap anything tightly around your ribs while they're healing.
How do doctors treat fractured ribs?
Unlike other types of bone fractures, broken ribs aren't treatable with a cast or splint. They usually are treated without surgery but on occasion surgery is required. For a long time, broken ribs were treated by wrapping the torso tightly.
How long does a fractured rib take to heal?
In most cases, broken ribs usually heal on their own in one or two months. Adequate pain control is important so that you can continue to breathe deeply and avoid lung complications, such as pneumonia.
Should I go to the ER for a broken rib?
If you've been hit hard enough in the chest to make you think you may have broken a rib or two, go to the emergency department or call 911. It's especially dangerous if the patient has any of the following signs or symptoms: Severe shortness of breath. Coughing blood.
How should you sleep with a fractured rib?
Sleeping on your side, back and sitting up straight are the only viable positions for this situation. Your choice will be based on your level of comfort. Some doctors recommend sleeping on the injured side to allow more room for your expansion and contraction of the chest cavity to ease breathing.
Is a heating pad good for broken ribs?
Stop, change, or take a break from any activity that causes pain. Put ice or a cold pack on the area for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Put a thin cloth between the ice and your skin. After 2 or 3 days, if your swelling is gone, put a heating pad set on low or a warm cloth on your chest.
How painful are rib fractures?
A rib fracture can be very painful because your ribs move when you breathe, cough, and move your upper body. The ribs in the middle of the chest are the ones that break most often. Rib fractures often occur with other chest and organ injuries.
Is heat or ice better for fractured ribs?
Apply cold to the injured area off-and-on the first two days. Cold helps reduce pain and swelling. After two days, apply heat (tub soaks or warm wet washcloths) to help the bruise heal more quickly.
What is the difference between a bruised or broken rib?
It's like a bruise, except you can't see it because it's on the bone (though you might also have a skin bruise in the same area). Rib bruises tend to happen with lower-impact injuries, such as a fall. A broken rib, which is the same thing as a fractured rib, describes an actual break in the bone.
Does broken rib pain get worse before it gets better?
The worst pain is usually the first 1-2 weeks and gets gradually better after that.
Causes of Broken, Fractured, and Bruised Ribs
Rib injuries are most commonly caused by chest trauma, as a result of motor vehicle accidents, contact sports collisions, or falling. Ribs can also...
How to Tell If Your Ribs Are Broken
If you’ve experienced trauma to your upper torso or chest area, pay attention to the pain you feel when you breathe in. A fractured, broken, or bru...
Treating Your Broken Ribs at Home
In most cases, ribs are excellent at healing themselves. However, during your recovery time, it’s important that you get adequate rest and tend to...
Treating Broken Ribs: Recovery Timeline & How to Heal Faster - GoodRx
Injury to the ribs can make breathing really uncomfortable and can cause a lot of pain. Even though the body is resilient and will heal, there are some ways you can make yourself more comfortable during recovery. Learn more about broken rib recovery with GoodRx.
How to heal a broken rib?
However, during your recovery time, it’s important that you get adequate rest and tend to the pain to optimize healing. This includes: Taking ibuprofen or paracetamol pain relievers regularly.
How long does it take for a broken rib to heal?
The treatment for a broken rib is simple: it can heal on its own with proper rest, but can take approximately six weeks to completely heal. In the meantime, you may experience a significant amount of pain, which can be remedied with pain relievers and by icing the affected area.
How to stop chest pain from swollen?
This includes: Taking ibuprofen or paracetamol pain relievers regularly. Using an ice pack to reduce the pain and swelling around your chest. Resting when needed, which means taking time off work if your job involves physical labor.
Why do I have bruises on my ribs?
Causes of Broken, Fractured, and Bruised Ribs. Rib injuries are most commonly caused by chest trauma, as a result of motor vehicle accidents, contact sports collisions, or falling. Ribs can also be bruised from severe coughing.
Is it dangerous to break a rib?
Fractured (or cracked) ribs are as painful as fully broken ribs, but they aren’t as dangerous. The jagged edge of a broken rib can damage major blood vessels or internal organs, if not properly treated.
Can a broken rib hurt when you breathe in?
A fractured, broken, or bruised rib can feel very painful when breathing in, which may result in taking shallow breaths. When this happens, it’s important to work through this pain and continue taking deep breaths or breathing regularly.
How to treat broken ribs?
Today, treatment for broken ribs typically focuses on a combination of rest, pain management, and breathing exercises. Indications for surgical intervention include a flail chest (three or more adjacent ribs broken in multiple places) or multiple rib fractures that are causing breathing problems.
What are some ways to heal a broken rib?
playing contact sports. doing any activities that require pushing, pulling, or stretching, including crunches and pull-ups. engaging in high-impact activities, such as running, horseback riding, or ATV riding . playing golf; even that gentle swinging can cause excruciating pain if you have a broken rib.
How to help with chest pain?
To help with the pain, consider taking your pain medication just before you start your breathing exercises. Holding a pillow gently, but firmly, against your chest may lessen the pain. Work on just taking slow, steady, deep breaths.
How long does it take for a broken rib to heal?
How long does recovery take? Each rib injury and recovery period is unique, but in general, broken ribs take about six weeks to heal. That time frame could be shorter if the fracture is mild. If internal organs, such as your lungs, were also injured, a full recovery could take longer.
Can you cast a broken rib?
Unlike other types of bone fractures, broken ribs aren’t treatable with a cast or splint. They usually are treated without surgery but on occasion surgery is required. For a long time, broken ribs were treated by wrapping the torso tightly. But experts have since found that this isn’t very helpful.
Can nerve block help with pain?
If you find that the pain, even with prescription medication, is too much, don’t hesitate to talk with your doctor about your options. A nerve block for pain may be helpful, especially at first. Last medically reviewed on January 28, 2019.
Can ribs hurt your lungs?
Occasionally, rib injuries can cause damage to your lungs. Usually, any lung damage will be diagnosed during your initial exam. But sometimes, lung injuries aren’t noticeable right away. As you recover, you’ll want to keep an eye out for any signs of a punctured lung or pneumonia.
How do I know if I have a broken rib?
The most common causes of rib fractures are car accidents, falls, and sports injuries. Believe it or not, severe coughing is a common cause, too. The risk of rib injury increases with advancing age, brittle bones (osteoporosis), and low bone density (osteopenia).
How long do broken ribs take to heal?
Most simple rib fractures are treated at home. However, others, such as injuries from a serious accident, may require hospitalization first. Either way, you’ll have a pain-management plan in place upon your return home.
What are the treatment options for fractured ribs?
Surgery is rarely used for fractured ribs. It may be necessary when multiple ribs are fractured and there are other injuries present (for example, to the lung).
What pain medications can I take for fractured ribs?
Several options for managing your pain are available, but it’s important to be aware of possible side effects. For example, prescription pain medication along with decreased activity, can cause constipation .
Can I do anything to accelerate the healing process?
The expected time it takes for ribs to heal is fairly standard. Although you can’t accelerate the bone healing process, there are many things you can do for self-care during this time.
The bottom line
Healing from rib fractures is a slow process that requires patience. It usually takes about 6 weeks to heal properly. If you develop new symptoms such as increased shortness of breath, fever, or increased pain, get medical help.
What is needed for multiple rib fractures?
When patients sustain multiple rib fractures, oxygen support in addition to pain medication is sometimes required. A pneumothorax usually necessitates a procedure to drain the air out of the chest with a chest tube. A flail chest can significantly affect the mechanics of breathing and may require ventilatory support to improve blood oxygen ...
What is a fractured rib?
The ribs are connected to each other by several layers of muscles which assist with breathing. They are also attached to the spine for added stability. A rib fracture, simply put, is a break in the rib.
What is a rib fracture on an x-ray?
Rib fractures are typically diagnosed on chest x-ray and the severity of the fracture is easily seen. Simple (non-displaced) fractures appear as cracks in the rib or a jagged edge. Displaced fractures appear to lack contour along the edge of the rib on x-ray. Floating segments of ribs, known as a flail chest, can also be easily seen on x-ray.
What causes a lower rib fracture?
A lower rib fracture is more likely associated with injuries to the diaphragm, liver or spleen. The most common mechanism causing rib fractures is blunt trauma (i.e. automobile accidents, falls from height, assault, or even severe coughing). Blunt trauma causes rib fractures by exerting direct pressure on the rib causing it to break.
What is the most common rib fracture?
The most common ribs fractured are the 7th through 10 th ribs. Fractures of the first and second ribs are rare but may be associated with serious damage to the brachial plexus of nerves, the subclavian vessels or associated with head, facial or thoracic aorta injuries.
What is the most common symptom of a fractured rib?
The most common symptom of rib fractures is pain. Pain is typically elicited with breathing or coughing. If the fractures are complex, the patient may suffer from additional damage to underlying structures. The sharp fractured end of the rib can puncture the lung, causing air leakage, a condition called a pneumothorax, ...
Can rib fractures be managed?
Simple rib fractures can be managed with pain management alone. Patients are encouraged to use an incentive spirometer, a medical device used to help improve the function of lungs, and control pain with medication as per their physician.
What causes a rib fracture?
What are the most common causes of rib fracture? We humans have 12 pairs of ribs that wrap around the chest. You can fracture one or more ribs in a trauma, such as a car crash, a fall from a height, or a contact-sports mishap. Rib fractures can even result from repetitive movements in sports, such as golf.
How long does it take for a fractured rib to heal?
Most people with rib fractures are sent home with advice on taking care of themselves. In most cases, a fractured rib will heal on its own in about six weeks. Doctors no longer prescribe compression wraps for rib fractures, because they can restrict breathing, leading to pneumonia, or even a partial lung collapse.
How to treat a lung injury?
You should also be mindful of the following: 1 Stay active while avoiding movements that put pressure on your injury. 2 Always be aware of your breathing. Try to breathe deeply and cough gently at least once every hour. You may want to hold a pillow against the site of your injury to make this easier. Your doctor may give you an incentive spirometer, a device you can use to monitor your lung function. 3 See your doctor immediately if you develop new symptoms, including shortness of breath, fever, or pain that is so bad you can’t breathe or cough.
What happens if you break your ribs?
Lower rib fractures can cause injuries to the liver and spleen. If you have broken or cracked three or more adjacent ribs in two places, you may experience a condition called “flail chest.”. With flail chest, your upper rib cage separates from the rest of the chest wall and can’t hold its shape when you breathe.
Can a fractured rib cause chest pain?
A hallmark of a rib fracture is that a deep breath makes the pain worse. Pain from a fractured rib can even impede your breathing, leading to a chest infection. In addition, since the rib cage protects some of your most vital organs in the chest and abdomen, a rib fracture can be associated with other injuries to internal organs and blood vessels.
Can coughing cause rib fracture?
Occasionally, severe coughing can cause a rib fracture, especially in people who have a bone-weakening cancer, or who are elderly or have osteoporosis.
Can a rib fracture cause blood to the heart?
Your rib fracture may be complicated by other injuries. Upper rib fractures can cause injuries to the large vessels that bring blood to and from the heart.
What is a rib fracture?
A rib fracture is a bony injury to the ribs ( Source ), which is usually very painful ( Source ). Due to its anatomical position, the fourth to ninth rib is most frequently affected ( Source ). Find out here how to help a person affected by a rib fracture, how the doctor can diagnose and treat the rib fracture ...
What is the best medicine for a broken rib?
The pain of a broken rib can be relieved in several ways: For moderate to moderate pain, the patient can take non-steroidal analgesics (including diclofenac and ibuprofen). Opioids (very strong painkillers) are required for severe pain.
What is the most common injury to the rib cage?
A broken rib (rib fracture) is the most common injury to the rib cage, mostly from the 4th to 9th rib (Source). If one and the same rib is broken not only in one place but also in another place at the same time, it is a fracture in pieces (fracture in pieces).
How long does it take for a broken rib to heal?
Without complications, a broken rib usually heals in four to six weeks. If symptoms persist beyond this period, the cause may be delayed bone healing or, in rare cases, painful pseudoarthrosis (no newly formed bone tissue bridges the fracture site).
What causes a broken rib?
Causes Of Rib Fracture. A broken rib (rib fracture) is usually the result of direct or indirect trauma, i.e. an external force. This happens, for example, when someone slips in the bathroom and bangs their ribs against the sink or the edge of the bathtub. A fall in the stairwell is also often the cause of broken ribs.
What is the second pillar of rib fracture?
Physical respiratory therapy is the second pillar of treatment for rib fractures (broken ribs). Here, the patient is instructed to breathe more deeply. In addition, certain breathing techniques, as well as inhalations, help to expectorate bronchial secretions (prevention of pneumonia!). Respiratory therapy can be carried out on an outpatient basis.
Where does blood get into the ribs?
Particularly in the case of rib series fractures, air or blood can get into the space between the pleura and the lung (pleural space) – a pneumothorax (abnormal accumulation of air in the ribcage) or haematothorax (accumulation of blood in the thoracic cavity) develops.
How to stop rib fractures?
You can also apply an ice pack to the area to reduce pain and decrease swelling. Just make sure you wrap it in a thin towel first. If possible, try to sleep in a more upright position for the first few nights after the injury. Very serious rib fractures, such as those that make breathing difficult, may require surgery.
How to stop rib pain?
During healing, however, it is important to walk around and move your shoulders occasionally to prevent mucus from building up in your lungs. Though it may hurt, cough if you need to in order to clear your lungs.
What causes a broken rib?
Those most at risk for broken ribs include: 1 athletes who play contact sports or engage in frequent repetitive motions involving the chest or back 2 people with osteoporosis, a disease that reduces bone density, leaving bones more vulnerable to fractures 3 people with a rib that has a cancerous lesion, which can weaken the bone
How many ribs are there in the rib cage?
Your ribcage consists of 12 pairs of ribs. In addition to protecting your heart and lungs, your ribs also support many of the muscles in your upper body. As a result, breaking a rib can make everyday activities very painful. Given their position in the body, broken ribs are usually left to heal on their own. Read on to learn more about managing ...
How do you know if you broke your rib?
What are the symptoms of a broken rib? One of the most persistent symptoms of a broken rib is chest pain when taking a breath. Inhaling deeply hurts even more. Laughing, coughing, or sneezing can also send sharp pains shooting from the site of the break.
How long does it take for a broken rib to heal?
It takes about six weeks for broken ribs to heal on their own. During this time, you should avoid activities that could further injure your ribs. That means sports and heavy lifting are off the table. If anything causes you to feel pain around your ribs, stop immediately and hold off until you’re healed.
What are the causes of rib pain?
contact sports, such as football or rugby. car accidents. hard falls. domestic abuse or other forms of personal violence. Years of repetitive actions, such as a swinging a golf club, may also take a serious toll on your ribs and muscles.
What is the best way to find rib fractures?
MRI. This can be used to look at the soft tissues and organs around the ribs to determine if there's damage. It can also help in the detection of more subtle rib fractures. An MRI uses a powerful magnet and radio waves to produce cross-sectional images. Bone scan.
Why do doctors wrap ribs?
Compression wraps aren't recommended for broken ribs anymore because they can keep you from breathing deeply, which can increase the risk of pneumonia.
What test will show ribs?
During the physical exam, your doctor will press gently on your ribs. He or she might also listen to your lungs and watch your rib cage move as you breathe. Your doctor likely will order one or more of the following imaging tests: X-ray. Using low levels of radiation, X-rays make bones visible. But X-rays often have problems revealing fresh rib ...
What is a bone scan?
Bone scan. This technique is good for viewing stress fractures, where a bone is cracked after repetitive trauma — such as long bouts of coughing. During a bone scan, a small amount of radioactive material is injected into your bloodstream.
Can X-rays reveal fractures?
Using low levels of radiation, X-rays make bones visible. But X-rays often have problems revealing fresh rib fractures, especially if the bone is merely cracked. X-rays are also useful in diagnosing a collapsed lung. CT scan. This often can uncover rib fractures that X-rays might miss.
