I went over the bars Sunday on the MTB and landed hard on my side. Pretty sure I bruised a couple of ribs, maybe cracked one, I don’t know, but it hurts when I sneeze, laugh, or move the wrong way. Tried running yesterday but the up and down motion was too much to bear. Just got back from the pool and could not execute a stroke without pain and could only kick. Anyone had a similar injury? How long did it take to get through it and is there anyway to tape or compress the ribs to minimize the pain in order to run? Rest is not an option 
Ouch man, that sucks. I went OTB on a Cheyenne Mountain decent over 7 years ago… Cracked a few ribs, bruised a few, too… Similar pain, sucks to move, sucks to breathe…
The “medical staff” basically just told me to take it easy for a week or two and put some tiger balm/atomic balm on it… Took about 4 weeks until I could move without any discomfort… So I’d recommend taking it a little easy, but it’s not an option… Duct tape fixes everything, right?
What if you used a super tight fitting Underarmour type shirt to compress? Only problem might be putting the thing on and taking the thing off could agitate the ribs
Heal up quick, TJ56
I broke 2 ribs snow boarding back in March. While it hurt in the moment the following few weeks were much more painful. I did nothing except walk the dogs for about a month and then took it slow coming back.
Yes, multiple times, normally from crashing. There’s not much more you can do to heal ribs (whether bruised or cracked) other than giving them time.
Within reason, it’s OK to train through the pain a bit as long as you listen to your body. I.e. a bit of aching and discomfort caused by deeper breathing while exercising is OK, sharp stabbing pains not so much. I normally find I can cycle again pretty quickly, swimming takes a bit longer, running longest of all.
Possibly worth a trip to an osteo or somebody else who’s good on skeletal alignment to make sure everything is still basically in the right place. If you start ramping up the training again while out of alignment you can cause other problems. E.g. I tried to train too quickly after a crash once, and still had a strained stomach muscle which was pulling my floating ribs out of alignment. That led to my lats getting very tight on that side, which eventually caused my lower back/lumbar region to seize up almost completely and I suddenly found myself doing no training for nearly a week.
Having bruised my ribs this summer (and sprained my toe,thumb, and index finger) falling off my horse, I was in this same pickle. I thought for sure I’d be fine in two weeks–not at all. It was a good three weeks till I could run, and 5 weeks till I could swim comfortably. I also couldn’t push hard at all. The first two weeks were bad–couldn’t sleep. I can’t imagine the pain of broken ribs.
plan for it to be sore for six weeks. it often will get slightly worse rather than better after a couple of weeks, before then slowly getting completely better.
Rest is the only option 
Took me about 2 weeks before I could run and about 4 weeks before I could swim. Even then any real swim efforts were extremely painful.
I was hoping I’d hear better success stories but what I’m reading sounds like my new reality. I’m going to try spinning on the trainer today. I expect that to go better than swimming. As long as I can convince myself I’m working on something I won’t go nuts waiting for this to pass.
It never affected my cycling except on some rough roads but it was minor. Running was fine for easy runs but not hard efforts. Swimming took a long time.
It never affected my cycling except on some rough roads but it was minor. Running was fine for easy runs but not hard efforts. Swimming took a long time.
^^ditto. I expected to swim right off the bat. Every time I tried, I had a set back. Don’t push it. I had an Olympic tri planned 3 weeks after the fall, it couldn’t happen. I did do an easy effort 70 mile bike ride. Just expect that anything you do will be easy. You will be winded.
I crashed and broke 2 ribs, 3 weeks before my first 70.3. The first week, I just rested. The next week, tried swimming and running, resulting in tears, bike was just fine; so I biked that week. Then the next week I introduced some easy swimming, mostly just rode. Never did try running again until the 70.3. Race day went well till about mile 9 of the run. I was done, and in pain, but ended up finishing thanks to my training partner running with me.
Give it 4 weeks. You’ll be fine. My experience is that riding hurts the least (if at all).
Thanks! I just got back from the gym. Walked the treadmill ~4mph and was adding elevation. I tried a couple of jogs every few minutes. Best I could do was to put the treadmilll on a negative 3 degrees and get up to @5mph. If nothing else this injury will teach you to run smooth
After 40 minutes on the treadmill (~2 miles) I went over and tried the elliptical. That will be my new friend. Seems to mimic the running motion with no jarring. It took me 20 minutes to go what it said was one mile so I guess I’m going to switch to exercising for time instead of distance.
So far I’ve learned that, for me, its better with this injury to keep moving as it seems to hurt most after getting up from sitting or laying down.
Have had some of those. Discussed with my doctor; except new hits on same place there is nothing to do to make it grow faster - or slower.
No real problem to continue the workouts - just a lot of pain. Even if it hurts a lot during the workouts, my experience is that it stops faster.
Had a bad bike crash 6 weeks before IM - just continued to following my plan despite the pain. Was OK (and qualified) in the race.
Did the same as you about three years ago. Next day got in pool and forced myself to swim. Hurt like hell but wanted to keep shoulders and muscles between ribs loose. Would also do chest expansion exercises. Think I started back running, short 1-3 miles, after two weeks. That was probably the most painful. After about 4 weeks was able to tolerate all running but things were sore. At 6 weeks everything was fine
I crashed at Edmonton ITU worlds this past September. A glorious bail. Managed a separation @ the 5th rib, 7 weeks later I could palpate with a decent pressure and have no pain, but before that it was hard to breath and move etc.
I cracked a couple ribs over July 4th, and it took about two months for full recovery. I could ride after a day or two but no very hard efforts. Same with running. Swimming sucked. Don’t do any flip turns or hard pushes from the wall. You will pay dearly for those mistakes.
I have to admit that I was moving around pretty well last night, cleaning house, making dinner, etc. Went to sleep on my back and had to get up to pee. That was painful. Got back to sleep, only on back, and now sitting here in front of keyboard drinking coffee and feeling very sore. Need to get moving again!
Go for a long walk. I was doing up to 1.5 hour walks almost daily when I went through this in the Spring. It kept me sane and the dogs lost a little bit of weight
Crashed 3 days before IM Chattanooga, went over the handlebars, deep cuts in left leg/knee and bruised left rib cage.
Still “raced” but paid for it afterwards. Getting in/out of bed was the hardest and most painful task. No training for 2 weeks than eased back into it. still feeling it every now and then but back at it “full throttle”
plan for it to be sore for six weeks. it often will get slightly worse rather than better after a couple of weeks, before then slowly getting completely better.
OMG thank you for this! I was searching ribs as i did something and every day the pain has been worse and worse.
to make you all feel graceful as fuck, i was in the Huenited STates (we live in teh tropics) on “vacation”. I was in a pool (normally swim in the sea) and had hoisted myself out of the pool to get a better look at the workout board and did Something Stupid (honestly Who Knows…) and came down hard on teh bottom of my rib on one side. I heard popping/crackling and that side has a very different feel than the other side (like part of that bottom rib is missing…cue music of doom) but i would think I would be in MUCH more pain than I’m in if it was really broken.
I finished the swim workout, rode that day, swam and ran the next (though I wanted to die the first couple miles of teh run) and today (yesterday spent in airports) the swim took about 1500 m before i felt like i wasn’t going to die (not from pain but pain and fear and guarding) and hoping to get 5 k in this evening once it cools down a bit. have an IM in 2 weeks otherwise I’d be warming up the couch…
anyway, thanks so much for putting my mind at ease as every day the pain is worse and not better. i’m was thinking of taking NSAIDs but i’m only in good pain when moving and my job is pretty sedentary, so i didn’t want to take them if i didn’t really need to…
also for those of you with broken ribs - was the broken one floppy? my very bottom one seems to be missing part and is very floppy…very different from teh other side.