# cracked ribs?



## snowjeeper

anyone fracture their ribs before? and what does it feel like? trying to figure out if i should make an appt at the dr's this week


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## Guest

I did last year at Beaver Creek. I hit a double rainbow box that was way above me. It hurt like hell and ended my season. I couldn't do anything strenuous and it hurt to sleep certain ways. The doctor said nothing could be done except prescribe some Vicodin (gave me weird ass dreams). I got an x-ray and they couldn't see the crack on it but it still ended up costing me $300 after insurance.


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## Milo303

I havn't.... 

But it's going to hurt like hell to breath and general movements. There's not a lot they can do except for wrap you up as far as I know.

Basically you will know if it's broke. If your "wondering" then it's highly unlikely you've broken a rib.


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## Deviant

Yeah don't freak out about it, if they hurt that bad just take it easy, the only reason I'd go to the docs if I were you would be for pain pills. They don't do much of anything if they are broken, and as long as your're not coughing up blood (punctured lung), you'll be fine in a few weeks.


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## ChuChu

I bruised my ribs about a month ago and it still hasn't fully healed. At first I couldn't laugh/cough/breath deeply/roll over in bed without a jolt of pain. Like Milo said, I think if it's broken it will be pretty obvious to you.


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## rjattack19

yea cracked my ribs falling off of a step down box last year, the part where i fell from was a good 4 feet off the ground and the way i landed on my side caused my ribs to crack near the sternum. then on the way down to the lodge to take a break i got run over by a little kid and landed almost the same way, you know, just for good measure. very painful especially the first few days. just take it easy, if the pain gets really really bad go to the doctor for pain meds and an x-ray, but be warned its gonna cost you a couple hundred bucks for them to just check you out and say "well heres some meds, just take it easy" and if your coughing up blood rush to the emergency room asap.


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## Guest

cracked ribs and collapsed lungs... you can do nothing about. I did both at the same time :/
it just hurts to laugh, hurts to breath, when you breath deeply it makes you cough... which hurts even more


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## snowjeeper

yeah i think they may just be bruised. but it's weird that the pain hasn't diminished in a week yet. we'll see.


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## Guest

LAst year took out my whole season broke 4 ribs worst pain ever!!!! Everytime you take a breath it hurts and dont get me started w/ hiccups. It took around 8-13 weeks to feel 100% I never want to go yhtrough that again.


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## Guest

I am a mechanical engineer and I actually worked on a Rib Plating system at my old job, so I know a decent amount about how they treat it. In most cases, for a cracked rib, they don't do anything. It does hurt a good amount for awhile, but they normally just let it heal. The only time that they decide to go in and use titanium plates, such as the ones I worked on, is if a patient comes in as a trauma and has a completely collapsed chest wall. They will plate the ribs while trying to re-establish the chest cavity because it will make it more stable and allow the patient to heal much faster. At this point, rib plating is a fairly new procedure and it is not being used in all cases because under normal circumstances, your rib can heal on its own.


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## lopro

Bruised mine recently. Sharp pains faded after 2 weeks or so, and it just continues to ache. Damaged ribs is all about managing the pain and taking it easy.


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## snowjeeper

yeah got some xrays yesterday, no cracks just bruised ribs. figured as much, but they still hurt like blazes.


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## Brimstone

I am in the same boat. I either cracked or badly bruised my ribs about two weeks ago. The pain is just now starting to ease up. I went up boarding again for the first time yesterday for a half day. It still hurts, but is getting more livable.


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## Guest

Damn it. I hate rib injuries. It's not painful enough to stop riding but, if I fall it hurts enough to make me not want to board for the rest of the day. 

It's funny that I was able to find snowboarders with the exact same condition as me. Stupid sticky boxes with big drops off the end. :dunno:


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## Camor

damn i'm going thru the same thing... been almost 2 weeks now and still hurts.

Went to the doc and got some meds but that's all haha. He asked me if I wanted to get an xray, but recommended me not to since the outcome of the treatment is the same :laugh:

I did try to board w/ it.... and boy, its shaky. I'm gonna rest up so i can hopefully catch the spring season haha.


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## WhistlerBound

I broke my collar bone and cracked a couple of ribs at the same time. I don't think they even strap you up these days. Coughing, laughing, sneezing, even breathing hurts like hell, basically anything that expands or stresses the rib cage. It took weeks for the pain to get to a reasonable level but it still caught me out on occasion, like an unexpected sneeze. Funny thing is that I didn't even notice the ribs until the pain from the collar bone eased. My doctor told me it was something to do with the brain focusing on the biggest source of pain. :dunno: I could actually live with the pain from the ribs more easily than the collar bone.


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## NYSnow

BoardNbob said:


> I am a mechanical engineer and I actually worked on a Rib Plating system at my old job, so I know a decent amount about how they treat it. In most cases, for a cracked rib, they don't do anything. It does hurt a good amount for awhile, but they normally just let it heal. The only time that they decide to go in and use titanium plates, such as the ones I worked on, is if a patient comes in as a trauma and has a completely collapsed chest wall. They will plate the ribs while trying to re-establish the chest cavity because it will make it more stable and allow the patient to heal much faster. At this point, rib plating is a fairly new procedure and it is not being used in all cases because under normal circumstances, your rib can heal on its own.


Did you work at Synthes? Just wondering since I saw you are in PA. They have a great fixation system for rib fractures and it is a great company.


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## Guest

I cracked a rib in my recent motorcycle accident. It was about a month ago. It pretty much feels fine now and my accident was about a month ago. It still hurts to sneeze of cough. Tell him not to get a cold in-between like I did because it was like HELL coughing and sneezing all the time it still is somewhat sore in the mornings but every day it's gets better. I would say that it is about a full six weeks before a complete recovery which is pretty close for me. I feel his pain!


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## Guest

NYSnow, 

Actually, yes I did work for Synthes


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## Krug

Yep, cracked one a couple years ago and it hurt like hell. Took forever to heal. Spent the rest of the season wearing a Lacrosse rib cage protector to provide some protection. It also put some pressure on it, that oddly, made it feel better. If I am doing anything crazy now, I still sport this just in case. It has saved me a time or two on rails.

AK


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## baldylox

Caught a death cookie a couple years ago and could breath for almost two minutes pawing aT the snow suffocating. No one stopped. It hurt for about a month when I took a deep breath or bent over or turned my steering wheel. White hot pain like your rib cage is being electrocuted. Xray said 2 fractured ribs.


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## SPAZ

i know a guy that bruised his ribs. he said he couldn't breath, but we made him snowboard for the rest of the day. finally he went to the first-aid station and found out he was actually hurt :laugh:


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## linvillegorge

Rib injuries SUCK! I've cracked ribs twice, three the first time and two the second time. 

Nothing you do relieves the pain. Standing, sitting, lying, breathing, whatever. It all HURTS. All you can do is take it easy and let them heal.


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