The ER doctor said I had probably fractured or bruisded a rib and told me to take painkillers and ice the area. Pretty standard advice I guess. It hurt to breathe for about four weeks, but when the rib felt better, I went for physiotherapy for an unrelated (or so I thought) mid-thoracic back problem. A rib fracture can be caused by trauma such as a car accident or fall. Trauma can increase your risk for organ damage when your rib is fractured. Stress fractures in your ribs happen in your upper or middle ribs. Stress fractures can happen when you have a forceful long-term cough. Other things that increase your risk for rib fractures include.
I had a bad fall about a month ago. Broke 3 ribs. I'm slowly healing, doing better. Tho the ribs are around back, I have pain in front from sternum outward. I've been told I probably tore Costochondral cartiledge - the connecting cartiledge to the breastbone and between ribs. I've had good answers from my docs, with one exception.. A weird popping or thunking sensation around my ribs in several places.Broken Ribs Clicking
Sometimes when I move there's a painless pop, or thunk, or clunk kind of feeling in different spots. It feels kind of linear .. Like along a rib. I've googled a lot to find explanations, and get partial answers, but nothing that quite describes what I feel.
Anyone have experience with this?
Thanks.
Yeah, not uncommon. Perhaps you'll be luckier, but mine never went away. It doesn't hurt, right? You'll get used to it, and a day will come when, while you will still be aware of it, it won't bother you. No big deal.
posted by halogen at 9:31 PM on February 3, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by halogen at 9:31 PM on February 3, 2017 [1 favorite]
Halogen - just where you broke the rib or in other spots too?
posted by ecorrocio at 9:35 PM on February 3, 2017
posted by ecorrocio at 9:35 PM on February 3, 2017
I fell and broke my leg three years ago, right across the neck of the femur. It was surgically repaired, and when I could walk again, my hip would occasionally pop. It felt and sounded much like cracking a knuckle, but quite a bit louder, presumably because it's a much larger joint. It's been gradually going away. I think it's been several months now since the last time it happened.
posted by Bruce H. at 12:06 AM on February 4, 2017
posted by Bruce H. at 12:06 AM on February 4, 2017
I had the same pops and thinks when I broke two ribs a year ago, so my NotADoctor assessment is that it's probably typical. They did eventually go away, but it took quite some time, six months maybe.
posted by scantee at 6:56 AM on February 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by scantee at 6:56 AM on February 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
Just getting back to feeling 99.9% normal after breaking three ribs in early December. (side note: do NOT get the flu on top of broken ribs. UGH!) I had the same pops and thunks throughout the healing process. Very strange feeling, especially the thunks. Beginning in January they started to diminish and find that I might have it happen once a week or so especially when exerting myself.
My doctor said this is totally normal.
posted by WalkingHorse at 7:09 AM on February 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
My doctor said this is totally normal.
posted by WalkingHorse at 7:09 AM on February 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
I broke a rib lifting weights (spotter walked away) many years ago. Still occasionally get a knuckle-crack-like pop in my sternum.
posted by notsnot at 7:29 AM on February 4, 2017
posted by notsnot at 7:29 AM on February 4, 2017
Data points: took months to go away for me, and years for a friend.
posted by Leon at 10:39 AM on February 4, 2017
posted by Leon at 10:39 AM on February 4, 2017
I had a pin put into a broken bone beside a joint (in a limb) and I got the 'thunk' sensation too, for months afterwards. It felt to me like a ligament was twanging over the end of the pin. In my case it hurt like crazy but gradually hurt less, then not at all, then eventually either stopped or I stopped noticing it. Might be something like that with soft tissue rubbing over the end of a broken bone?
posted by spraypaint at 12:23 PM on February 4, 2017
posted by spraypaint at 12:23 PM on February 4, 2017
Thanks bone breakers!
posted by ecorrocio at 4:33 PM on February 4, 2017
posted by ecorrocio at 4:33 PM on February 4, 2017
Fractured Ribs Symptoms
Thanks for this question. Costal cartilege injury seems to be the answer for my chest pain - I couldn't find the right answer with google.
posted by bendy at 5:55 PM on February 4, 2017
posted by bendy at 5:55 PM on February 4, 2017
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ANSWER
Most broken ribs take about 6 weeks to heal. While you’re on the mend:
If you have a more serious injury, you may need additional treatment or possibly surgery.
Fractured Ribs Clicking Sound Like
- Put ice on the area to ease pain.
- Take pain medicine like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. If you need something stronger, talk with your doctor.
- Take deep breaths to avoid pneumonia. Your doctor may give you a device to encourage you to breathe deeply.
- Don’t wrap anything tightly around your ribs while they’re healing.
Reviewed by Tyler Wheeler on December 24, 2018
SOURCES:
American Association for the Surgery of Trauma: “Rib fractures.”
Arduino data acquisition into excel for mac. Mayo Clinic: “Broken ribs -- symptoms and causes,” “Broken ribs -- diagnosis,” “Broken ribs --treatment.”
Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine: “When and how to image a suspected broken rib.”
SOURCES:
American Association for the Surgery of Trauma: “Rib fractures.”
Mayo Clinic: “Broken ribs -- symptoms and causes,” “Broken ribs -- diagnosis,” “Broken ribs --treatment.”
Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine: “When and how to image a suspected broken rib.”
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