You are probably not a doctor or, if you are, you are not my doctor, blah, blah, blah.
A week and a half ago, I had a really stupid bike accident. How stupid, you ask? I was riding on a dedicated bike trail that crosses country roads at various points. I was approaching one such crossing, thought I heard traffic, was looking to the left…and switched my attention back to the trail just in time to realize I was going to run smack into one of the stanchions that keep vehicles off the trail. Derp.
Anyhoo…I was bunged up in a couple of places, mostly right ankle and left side. The right ankle is pretty much back to normal – bruising, pain, swelling gone.
The left side, however, is still pretty painful. (There was never any bruising, though.) I am pretty sure it’s not a broken rib, because I’m not in THAT much pain. But it’s painful enough to be bothersome and to catch me by surprise if I move the wrong way.
I am loathe to go to the doctor, because, if it is bruised ribs, there’s nothing to be done other than what I’m doing – taking ibuprofen and trying not to do things that make it hurt.
On the other hand, is there a likelihood that it is something other than bruised ribs that I really should be seeking medical attention for? FWIW, I’m a 57-year-old female, in pretty good health otherwise.
Freckafree, I don’t think that is a really stupid accident.
I have done the exact same thing.
Twice.
Back to your question, it could be many things from pulled muscles to broken rib(s).
As long as those are your only symptoms, I would give it a little more time. If however, you do not continue to get better, or get worse, it would be a good time to see your PCP.
I’ll second that and MAYBE push just a little more for going and snagging an x-ray and professional opinion. But I had to get a bone I didn’t think I broke re-broken/reset surgically once and I never ever want to need that again.
a pulled muscle should be feeling better after a week and a half. based on personal experience I’d suspect a cracked rib. more irritating is that an X-ray can’t always detect them.
two years ago, I was helping take down the race course after our club put on an R/C boat race. I was out on the pond pulling up the bouys, which were anchored with cinder blocks. I leaned over the edge of our boat and as I was bearing down to pull up the bouy I didn’t realize I had one of the buckles of my life vest sandwiched between me and the side of the boat. felt a really sharp pain which was persistent and worst when I inhaled deeply. few days later I went to an urgent care clinic; they did an abdominal x-ray which didn’t show anything. took about two months to stop hurting. at my next physical I told my MD about it. he said if it took a couple of months to go away, it was probably a cracked rib.
If it makes you feel better (natch) there’s nothing else to do even if it is broken, except maybe some stronger pain meds. NSAIDs are generally superior to opiates for pain control in rib injuries anyway though.
If you tend to cycle or do other sports a lot, you might want to find out. Doc might not want you doing very active sports until things are healed.
It’s entirely possible that you cracked a rib, or bruised a rib, or even broke one. Or did something to the 12000 ligaments and whatnot in the area. But, even if the rib is broken, there’s not much they can do. They don’t automatically wrap people’s chests for a broken rib anymore.
For all of it, absent complications, you rest and don’t do that again.
Source: I broke a rib by coughing. I spent the better part of six weeks pressing my palm against that area anytime I coughed or sneezed or laughed. It sucked. Even Percocet didn’t dull it. Aleve at prescription levels did help some, though, as did a supportive piece of lingerie (high-waist shapewear, came up to under my boobs and just covered the area that hurt).