Rolling With Bruised Ribs

Aaron Perls

Aaron Perls

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I got the injury rolling, aggravated clinch-fighting, and then finally "broke it" deadlifting (taking not enough time off between).

So I took a little over a week off. The swelling is gone. The ribs are still "tender". I really can't stand missing anymore training.

Is there any reason not to "jump back in" if I can deal with the discomfort? I don't want a perpetual injury... on the other hand, this is driving me nuts. I already missed a tournament this Saturday.

Thoughts?
 
Hey buddy, I feel your pain.

Dealing with something similar right now. I think I tweaked the intercostal muscle. I waited about a week before doing any exercises. I just got back on the mats yesterday and it hurts when I twist a certain way.

My suggestion is to wait until the spot is not tender and you have no issue breathing/sneezing. Even then, it's going to be sore when you get stacked a certain way. Stay on top...
 
Honestly, it's not worth it. I know it sucks but your ribs will never heal until you give them time without strain.
 
Badabing1234 said:
Hey buddy, I feel your pain.

Dealing with something similar right now. I think I tweaked the intercostal muscle. I waited about a week before doing any exercises. I just got back on the mats yesterday and it hurts when I twist a certain way.

My suggestion is to wait until the spot is not tender and you have no issue breathing/sneezing. Even then, it's going to be sore when you get stacked a certain way. Stay on top...
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No pain while breathing, or even sneezing anymore. Not tender to the touch either. But I can still "feel it".

Jaxxxa said:
Big thread on rib injuries:

http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f12/torn-cartilage-ribs-1450129/
Click to expand...


Will review. Thanks.

Edit:

The injury no longer hurts "day to day". When I first wake-up it feels sore, then I really have to "look for it" to feel it throughout the day (flex the right muscles on purpose).

I don't think anything is torn. Is there a way to tell if it's just a bruise (being something I can work through) vs. something broken or torn? I last injured it the Saturday before last so a week and a half ago. And have been treating it and off it since.
 
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I've been out for two weeks now and I'm feeling much better... I understand where you're coming from, I'm going stir crazy as well... Think about this though, rib injuries are some of the easiest to re injure. Do you really want to go back two weeks too early and then have to be out for another month?

Wait until you feel 100% and then wait another week - Come back slowly, just ease back into it and you should be fine. Good luck!
 
Hellboy31 said:
I've been out for two weeks now and I'm feeling much better... I understand where you're coming from, I'm going stir crazy as well... Think about this though, rib injuries are some of the easiest to re injure. Do you really want to go back two weeks too early and then have to be out for another month?

Wait until you feel 100% and then wait another week - Come back slowly, just ease back into it and you should be fine. Good luck!
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My reality is that my school has a crazy-long "Christmas Break", so I could make three classes the rest of this week, and then three next week, and would then be "forced" to take another two weeks off... that factors into my thinking... (would deff. skip open mat as much as I hate to).
 
Going through the exact same thing right now. Haven't trained since last Thursday and it feels like FOREVER. Rib still hurts bad when I sneeze. :(
 
Haha... so many rib injuries. I dont think mine is the rib tho... more like the abdominal muscle? I dont know... it sucks.
 
Badabing1234 said:
Haha... so many rib injuries. I dont think mine is the rib tho... more like the abdominal muscle? I dont know... it sucks.
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That's sort of why I'd like to figure out how to diagnose it. The debilitating pain the first day after the injury was clearly just inflammation of region, that took a few days of hot/cold to eliminate.

Now I'm left basically feeling fine, just aware that something in there is still "bruised".

If something is cracked or torn, I need to stay off it.

If my muscles are just still sore/beat-up or a rib is bruised, then I don't.

How do I tell? I pass the "hurting all the time" test, and the cough/sneeze test. That makes me think nothing is broken or torn, because that abrupt movement/contraction isn't causing pain...
 
i was doing a stacking drill today and heard a weird pop from my rib area when i was on the bottom. It didnt hurt and i checked my ribcage and everything is in place.


Now that im home a few hours later it hurts a bit when i turn in certain directions. My neck also hurts from the same situation as this guy was pretty big and not really stacking me properly.


Guess im out for a bit, really dont want to be but im not playing around with these injuries, see how i feel tom and go from there.
 
I was out for over 3 months. The problem was I tried to take "just two weeks off". Ribs take a long time to heal. Go back to rolling before they are healed and you'll only make it worse. Trust me. Take at least 6 weeks off. Then ease back into it.......SLOWLY.
 
redaxe said:
Going through the exact same thing right now. Haven't trained since last Thursday and it feels like FOREVER. Rib still hurts bad when I sneeze. :(
Click to expand...

Sneezing is the worst... Feels like I re injure myself every fricken' time. Also, for the love of g-d, don't watch the second season of Dave Chapelle with a rib injury... Fcuking brutal!
 
lechien said:
I say about 4 weeks total rest.
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Wow, 4 weeks of no BJJ? Inconceivable to me. I would only take that long off if I broke a bone or tore an important ligament.

I hurt my rib before and I took about a week off.

I hurt it a little worse this time (on the other side) and I plan to take about 10 days off.

I broke a toe and didn't miss any training. I got a minor shoulder separation and took about two weeks off, training "light" for a couple more weeks.

Am I returning to training way too early after injuries? Or do I just heal fast? I guess it could be the latter since I'm only 26.
 
My ribs are sore frmo a brutal superbodytriangle (or whatever, it hurt), it's gonna huert more in 20 minutes when I go to advance grappling.
 
Take all of christmas off and a couple weeks of the new year.

I seperated a rib 4 yrs ago, same deal, popped it, kept training, popped it some more then BAM it came apart when defending a sit-on armbar.

Since then its always stuck out and I broke it again in March probably worse than when it seperated.

My advice is not to rush back.
 
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