Cracked rib recovery time

[Retrobyte]

I posted in the RUOK thread about the embarassing story of my walking pace clipstack resulting in a cracked rib on Sunday, so now my thoughts are turning to how long this means I will be out of the saddle. Some Googling for similar questions points to a 4-8 week ballpark, although some people claimed they could do a flat commute after a week or so.

I have the MS Gong ride coming up in 5 weeks so that's the main reason for asking, given that route has 1000m elevation. But in addition I don't like the idea of not riding for several weeks. Any real life experience on this in the group?

[MichaelB]

I have no idea, but I can guess that it also depends on which rib, how 'cracked' and what your pain tolerance is.

I strongly suggest that the GP/Ortho is your source of info re how to progress.

If it means the Gong ride is missed to have a better recovery, then so be it, as the last thing you'd want is another stack and injure yourself worse.

Sucks though

[g-boaf]

I posted in the RUOK thread about the embarassing story of my walking pace clipstack resulting in a cracked rib on Sunday, so now my thoughts are turning to how long this means I will be out of the saddle. Some Googling for similar questions points to a 4-8 week ballpark, although some people claimed they could do a flat commute after a week or so.

I have the MS Gong ride coming up in 5 weeks so that's the main reason for asking, given that route has 1000m elevation. But in addition I don't like the idea of not riding for several weeks. Any real life experience on this in the group?

Your doctor will be the one who can determine how soon you are back.

Best thing you can do is let your recovery happen. The MS Gong ride is just a ride, you can go ride down that way whenever you feel like it when you are recovered - jump on a train down there then ride every hill you can find until you are totally exhausted.


It could be worse, you could be like me and having to learn to walk again in addition to no riding outside.

You can also try a smart trainer like a Tacx Neo 2T on Zwift if you want to keep riding in a relatively safe way. This is what I'm doing while I'm not able to ride a real bike. It's helping get back muscle mass in my bad leg and also keeping weight under control.

All you'll do by pushing yourself outside is maybe end up losing focus because of the pain and maybe having another accident and making things worse.

Best of luck with your recovery.

[Retrobyte]

I have no idea, but I can guess that it also depends on which rib, how 'cracked' and what your pain tolerance is.

I strongly suggest that the GP/Ortho is your source of info re how to progress.

Thanks Michael - it's the 9th rib, which is one of the floating ribs. I am seeing my GP this afternoon, and he's a very keen road cyclist so obviously his input will be valuable.

[MichaelB]

Thanks Michael - it's the 9th rib, which is one of the floating ribs. I am seeing my GP this afternoon, and he's a very keen road cyclist so obviously his input will be valuable.

Sensible. Qualified and being a cyclist can give proper advice.

Good luck

[g-boaf]

I have no idea, but I can guess that it also depends on which rib, how 'cracked' and what your pain tolerance is.

I strongly suggest that the GP/Ortho is your source of info re how to progress.

Thanks Michael - it's the 9th rib, which is one of the floating ribs. I am seeing my GP this afternoon, and he's a very keen road cyclist so obviously his input will be valuable.

He will know better than anyone. I definitely think it's best to take time out, let it get better. it's only the Gong ride, there are other times for that.

[Retrobyte]

Best thing you can do is let your recovery happen. The MS Gong ride is just a ride, you can go ride down that way whenever you feel like it when you are recovered - jump on a train down there then ride every hill you can find until you are totally exhausted.

It could be worse, you could be like me and having to learn to walk again in addition to no riding outside.

You can also try a smart trainer like a Tacx Neo 2T on Zwift if you want to keep riding in a relatively safe way.

You're right about the MS Gong ride, if I can't do the ride then so be it. And I am fortunate indeed my injury is nowhere near as major as your injury - even though both our mishaps were innocuous and not spectacular accidents. Good that you are making progress, Chris - stick with it.

I actually sold my indoor trainer setup a couple of months ago as try as I might I could never get very inspired on the smart trainer, even with my rocker plate. If too wet to ride outside I've been weight training in the garage instead for some cross training variety.

Will see what my GP says later today - I might just need to start with walking as exercise and go from there.

[find_bruce]

I've cracked a few ribs in my youth playing football & they have taken different times to heal. Perversely they were less painful & quicker to heal when I damaged the rib cartilage.

The main issue I found is that they hurt when you breathe or tense your stomach muscles. IIRC your youth, like mine, is a fair way back & that will slow down the healing process.

The 2nd & 3rd time I broke a rib I found that trying to avoid movements that caused pain, particularly early on in the process meant they healed quicker - its one of those injuries where pushing it too hard too soon just makes it slower to heal.

Good choice of GP who will have a better idea, particularly assessing how badly it is cracked.

[Retrobyte]

I've cracked a few ribs in my youth playing football & they have taken different times to heal. Perversely they were less painful & quicker to heal when I damaged the rib cartilage.

The main issue I found is that they hurt when you breathe or tense your stomach muscles. IIRC your youth, like mine, is a fair way back & that will slow down the healing process.

The 2nd & 3rd time I broke a rib I found that trying to avoid movements that caused pain, particularly early on in the process meant they healed quicker - its one of those injuries where pushing it too hard too soon just makes it slower to heal.

Good choice of GP who will have a better idea, particularly assessing how badly it is cracked.

I too cracked ribs playing footy in my youth, but that's so long ago I can't remember how long it took to get right

I also tore rib cartilege about 20 years ago in Adelaide when I flew over the bonnet of a car while still clipped in. My front wheel hit the left front of the car and crumbled, and I went over the bars ... the slow motion replay I can remember in my head as clearly as it was yesterday was me sliding across the bonnet on my back and looking up at the bike above me, and then landing with a thud on the road on the other side of the car. The car had turned right off a main road into a side street at the exact moment I reached the side street, driver claimed he couldn't see me because of the sun. On that occasion there was no pain in my ribs until around 16 hours later when the adrenaline wore off. I know I didn't ride for quite some time after that, but that was more about the experience of being cleaned up while commuting than the recovery period.

Tensing the stomach muscles is certainly very painful at the moment, so I am working out the best way to get up and down from sitting or bed - am using my legs rather than my core. Fortunately I haven't sneezed yet this time around.

[foo on patrol]

Didn't you say that you had bag full of endone?

You may be able to wrap it with a elastic bandage so that expansion pressure is reduced but ya quack will be able to enlighten you on that.

Foo

[Retrobyte]

Didn't you say that you had bag full of endone?

I have, but it seems like the endone only reduces the pain by around 25%, and it seems to wear off in an hour. I'm only allowed 4 tablets in a 24 hour period

[foo on patrol]

Didn't you say that you had bag full of endone?

I have, but it seems like the endone only reduces the pain by around 25%, and it seems to wear off in an hour. I'm only allowed 4 tablets in a 24 hour period

Bugger, it must be the low dosage one.

Foo

[Retrobyte]

The GP says 4 weeks before I think about getting on a bike again. The main risk is that even with just a cracked rib, if you fall again before it starts to heal that crack could becoming a displaced fracture with pointy ends, which is not a good outcome.

He gave me some slow release endone tablets that last for 12 hours, so I'll see how that goes today

[Tim]

He gave me some slow release endone tablets that last for 12 hours, so I'll see how that goes today

Watch out for signs of constipation on opioid medication.
I spent a few weeks on that stuff once and didn't notice the absence of bowel activity for about 10 days.
I think I know what childbirth feels like. Probably the worst pain and discomfort I've ever felt.
After little more than 3 weeks of use the withdrawal symptoms weren't too pleasant either.

[Retrobyte]

He gave me some slow release endone tablets that last for 12 hours, so I'll see how that goes today

Watch out for signs of constipation on opioid medication.
I spent a few weeks on that stuff once and didn't notice the absence of bowel activity for about 10 days.
I think I know what childbirth feels like. Probably the worst pain and discomfort I've ever felt.
After little more than 3 weeks of use the withdrawal symptoms weren't too pleasant either.

The slow release tablets the GP gave me yesterday have 10mg of Oxy and 5 mg of naloxone, the latter is supposed to help with constipation. Doc says I shouldn't need to be on these for any more than 2 weeks, so fingers crossed.

[trailgumby]

I've cracked a few ribs in my youth playing football & they have taken different times to heal. Perversely they were less painful & quicker to heal when I damaged the rib cartilage.

This was my experience too. I fell on the end of my handlebars, poking myself in the chest near the sternum (perversely, on a flat bit of fire trail ). Hurt like nothing else except my shoulder dislocation. But it was months before I could get full expansion of my rib cage again. It would have been far faster had I cracked a rib. I have never been as fit since.

[Retrobyte]

I stopped the painkillers last Sunday after 2 weeks because they didn't seem to make any difference at all to be honest. For the past week or so I've been making steady progress every day, but then if I have the misfortunte to sneeze it seems to set me back a couple of days. Sleeping is still very uncomfortable but movement generally isn't too bad now. If I walk up a couple of flights of stairs and breathe deeper there is still some pain when my lungs are fully expanded so at this recovery rate I'd say I'm maybe another 2 weeks from feeling ok getting on a bike again.

[brumby33]

Don't do it Retro, give yourself a chance to heal properly, there's always NEXT YEAR!! This ride is on every year so missing out this time around won't disadvantage you too much and may disadvantage you too much if you place too much strain on it.

I you want to be a part of it, jump on a train and be down there for when they arrive or volunteer to be a marshal or something. You don't want to undo the healing you've already been through, these things take time.

[Retrobyte]

Don't do it Retro, give yourself a chance to heal properly, there's always NEXT YEAR!! This ride is on every year so missing out this time around won't disadvantage you too much and may disadvantage you too much if you place too much strain on it.

I you want to be a part of it, jump on a train and be down there for when they arrive or volunteer to be a marshal or something. You don't want to undo the healing you've already been through, these things take time.

That's ok, I'm definitely not thinking of doing the Gong ride in 3 weeks time. I was just thinking I might be able to manage my 10km dead flat commute on the cycleway in a couple of weeks time, or at least take a spin around the block to test myself out.

[find_bruce]

The good thing about ribs is that they let you know if they're not happy, so any exercise you can do without pain is good. It sounds like you don't need to be reminded to be careful to avoid falls etc that might re-injure them

[g-boaf]

Don't do it Retro, give yourself a chance to heal properly, there's always NEXT YEAR!! This ride is on every year so missing out this time around won't disadvantage you too much and may disadvantage you too much if you place too much strain on it.

I you want to be a part of it, jump on a train and be down there for when they arrive or volunteer to be a marshal or something. You don't want to undo the healing you've already been through, these things take time.

That's ok, I'm definitely not thinking of doing the Gong ride in 3 weeks time. I was just thinking I might be able to manage my 10km dead flat commute on the cycleway in a couple of weeks time, or at least take a spin around the block to test myself out.

No no no, careful careful careful! This is where a smart trainer is useful, you can test yourself out in relative safety. If things don't seem right can stop and you are at home with people around to help you out. Sorry if I'm sounding too conservative - but I'm sure you'll understand why.

Edit: I'm putting that in bold to add emphasis!

[trailgumby]

Don't do it Retro, give yourself a chance to heal properly, there's always NEXT YEAR!! This ride is on every year so missing out this time around won't disadvantage you too much and may disadvantage you too much if you place too much strain on it.

I you want to be a part of it, jump on a train and be down there for when they arrive or volunteer to be a marshal or something. You don't want to undo the healing you've already been through, these things take time.

That's ok, I'm definitely not thinking of doing the Gong ride in 3 weeks time. I was just thinking I might be able to manage my 10km dead flat commute on the cycleway in a couple of weeks time, or at least take a spin around the block to test myself out.

No no no, careful careful careful! This is where a smart trainer is useful, you can test yourself out in relative safety. If things don't seem right can stop and you are at home with people around to help you out. Sorry if I'm sounding too conservative - but I'm sure you'll understand why.

I agree 100% with g-boaf. Hasten slowly. As my physio used to say (I was a frequent customer ) go to the point of discomfort, but no further. No point in re-injuring yourself.

[Retrobyte]

No no no, careful careful careful! This is where a smart trainer is useful, you can test yourself out in relative safety. If things don't seem right can stop and you are at home with people around to help you out. Sorry if I'm sounding too conservative - but I'm sure you'll understand why.

Edit: I'm putting that in bold to add emphasis!

All good, I appreciate all the advice and concern. I sold my smart trainer earlier this year because it wasn't getting much use, so that's ironic isn't it! I might pop up to the local gym and do some gentle spinning on an indoor bike to at least get some exercise in the meantime

[g-boaf]

No no no, careful careful careful! This is where a smart trainer is useful, you can test yourself out in relative safety. If things don't seem right can stop and you are at home with people around to help you out. Sorry if I'm sounding too conservative - but I'm sure you'll understand why.

Edit: I'm putting that in bold to add emphasis!

All good, I appreciate all the advice and concern. I sold my smart trainer earlier this year because it wasn't getting much use, so that's ironic isn't it! I might pop up to the local gym and do some gentle spinning on an indoor bike to at least get some exercise in the meantime

I do have an Tacx Neo original version from late 2017 if it's of any use to you. It's set up with a 11 speed cassette.

[Retrobyte]

I do have an Tacx Neo original version from late 2017 if it's of any use to you. It's set up with a 11 speed cassette.

Thanks for the offer but I'll manage without one at the moment. Walking reasonable distances is now pain free, but if I do a few flights of stairs and am breathing heavily there's still some pain. Sneezing is far less painful too, so there's been a lot of improvement. Most everyday activities are now quite comfortable, although sleeping is still problematic whenever I move to a different position.

Tonmorrow marks 4 weeks since the injury, and at this rate of improvement I feel maybe another two weeks away from starting some light exercise.