Slipped on Friday and landed on a corner of a tub enclosure on my ribs. Primarily hurts on the right on the lower part maybe 3 through 5 if you count from the bottom. Doesn't get particularly worse with deep breaths or coughing. Really sore and feel a little weird with certain movements. No bruising or anything else I can tell symptom wise.

Trying to decide if I need to go to a doctor and if so what kind. Hurt badly but not enough for narcotics, though aleve and such doesn't seem to do much.

Going on a cruise on Thursday which is good as far as taking it easy, but would hate for some complication to arise then.

Thoughts on best course of action?

Tia

Go to PCP. They usually have access to a basic x-Ray without sending you to a diagnostic center. Ribs can sprain or crack without a full break.

I once dislocated a rib falling down. It had to be pushed back into place, made a loud pop, then felt better immediately. Took a week or so to figure out the problem. Just something else to rule out. Good luck.

MouthBQ98 said:

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Go to PCP. They usually have access to a basic x-Ray without sending you to a diagnostic center. Ribs can sprain or crack without a full break.

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If you crack a rib, you broke it

Do you mean a NONdisplaced rib fracture from a DISPLACED rib fracture?

I'm not a doctor. I'm just saying Ive seen people with clean breaks that misaligned the broken ends, or cracks in a rib that didn't completely break through the rib, leaving some portion still "hinged" to maintain the alignment of the bones. Either way it apparently both hurts like hell breathing coughing laughing, and can heal.

Assuming it is something less than a displaced fracture, which I believe it is, do they do anything more than treat the pain? Online it suggested not. That secondary issues were the biggest concern. I have poked and prodded pretty aggressively and nothing seems to be moving around in a way that feel abnormal.

My pcp cannot get me in before I leave town tomorrow evening. Do places like care now have simple xrays? Worth going into one of them? I'm kind of leaning toward no, other than to get a stronger nsaid, but not sure that is worth the deductible cost if they are not going to do any more than say take it easy and let it heal.

Absolute said:

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Assuming it is something less than a displaced fracture, which I believe it is, do they do anything more than treat the pain? Online it suggested not. That secondary issues were the biggest concern. I have poked and prodded pretty aggressively and nothing seems to be moving around in a way that feel abnormal.

My pcp cannot get me in before I leave town tomorrow evening. Do places like care now have simple xrays? Worth going into one of them? I'm kind of leaning toward no, other than to get a stronger nsaid, but not sure that is worth the deductible cost if they are not going to do any more than say take it easy and let it heal.

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Meh. Isolated single nondisplaced rib fracture is mostly pain control. Doing incentive spirometry is also helpful, but that's also to keep lung inflated while providing tension to the fractured rib- almost like PT for your chest wall

I broke a 3 ribs on my right side whilst showing off for the wife at the lake a few years back. Pain was pretty miserable anytime I coughed or moved too quickly. Doc in a box place did an x-ray and confirmed the breaks, prescribed lots of ibuprofen and a muscle relaxer. The x-ray tech described the left side of my rib cage as "unremarkable" which also kinda hurt a little

Even for displaced rib fractures, we generally do nothing other than pain management and incentive spirometry.

The only time you are getting any sort of procedure for a rib fracture is if you have a significant pneumothorax, hemothorax, or flail chest, which are not common outside of major trauma or in the elderly, or those taking blood thinners.

This.

The key is pain control. Schedule 1000mg tylenol and 600mg ibuprofen every 6 hours, taken together. And a about 5-10 times an hour take 5 slow, deep, inhalations and try to fully expand your lungs as much as possible. If you're pretty lean, a lidocaine patch may help.

If the pain is truly unbearable with that, then talk to your PCP for something stronger like morphine pills. Urgent cares also have xray machines usually if your PCP doesn't.

Thanks for the advice.

Ended up stopping at a care now yesterday to check, had gotten really painful yesterday with a full day of Inspections. No fractures. Not painful enough to need narcotics. Will plan to do the advil and Tylenol (didn't know you could take both) and ice.

Luckily after this morning's inspection we leave tonight for a cruise. Had nothing strenuous planned, so great timing to rest and take it easy and let it recover.