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Injured my ribs - any tips or advice? (Read 564 times)

    Yeah, I injured my ribs while playing volleyball. I'm not sure if they are fractured or just bruised, but they hurt. It is a bit sore when I take deep breaths and am concerned that this will impact my ability to run (breathing isn't that important, is it? Smile I am also concerned whether the impact of running will impair my healing. Does anyone have any experience with running with a rib injury? Better to run or to rest?
      I injured my ribs after a marathon one time ..My legs were so tired that when I fell into bed, I hit the edge instead of the bed and then fell into a nightstand. Embarrasing, but true. Anyway, I wasn't sure if I cracked a rib or just bruised it, but it was semi-painful to breathe and very painful trying to run or when I sneezed. Wrapping the ribs is not recommended, and from everything I read, the only thing to do is let them heal. This is obviously done best by not doing anything that jars your upper body--like running. I think I was in pain for about a week and a half and then just woke up one morning and everything was fine. I've heard that this is not uncommon...But sometimes it can take much longer. Non-impact exercise like ellipitcal or stationary bike are good alternatives while healing. Good luck!

       

       

        Thanks! Good information, especially the piece on wrapping. I have been considering joining a gym to have access to cross training equipment, so maybe this is the right time to do it. That way I won't lose too much while I recover... Smile


        #2867

          Thanks! Good information, especially the piece on wrapping. I have been considering joining a gym to have access to cross training equipment, so maybe this is the right time to do it. That way I won't lose too much while I recover... Smile
          Yeah, I'd recommend getting checked out by somebody that knows and seeing what they say, but contrary to somebody that knows something saying otherwise I would stick to the bike or elliptical machine. You might even want to try some free weight exercises and see what your ribs can handle...squats and deadlifts may not work very well, but if they do then that is some great cross training. You may also want to try swimming or aqua jogging. I don't know how easy either one would be, but could be worth testing out.

          Run to Win
          25 Marathons, 17 Ultras, 16 States (Full List)

            Cut back on the Sumo wrestling for one. I would certainly start by taking some time off from running, and if you don't see any improvement with a 4-5 days, I would see a doctor. That said, I had a fairly bad injury a few years back that involved both a couple of fractures and lots of tearing of the cartilage that helps keep the who rig together I guess. There really wasn't much treatment at all, other than some pain pills for a couple of weeks. It took about 4 months or so before I could run again. Anyway, my point is, I think all you can do is avoid doing anything that causes pain and wait it out.