Fractured ribs: treatment at home

When a rib fracture occurs, home treatment can be a good addition to basic therapy. Naturally, if a rib is fractured, you need to discuss any treatment methods with your doctor, especially from traditional medicine, so as not to lead to complications from the injury. A crack in the rib is an incomplete fracture, therefore, if there is a strong blow to the chest, you need to see a doctor and have an X-ray examination.

There are twelve pairs of ribs in the human chest, fractures of which, as a rule, account for fifteen percent of other bone injuries. This injury occurs during accidents, fights and domestic accidents.

Specifics of fractures and treatment

A rib fracture can be closed when the skin remains intact and open when a sharp bone fragment breaks the skin. In addition, when an injury occurs, a single fracture can occur, when the integrity of one rib is broken, or multiple fractures, during which several ribs or one rib are broken in several places.

In children, a subperiosteal fracture is more common, when the rib breaks internally, but the periosteum covering it remains intact. Such fractures are difficult to diagnose even with the help of x-rays, since they are not visible on the image. In this case, the injury may be mistaken for a regular bruise. But for proper treatment, it is necessary to determine exactly what is happening, a rib fracture or a bruise. For this purpose, a small patient may undergo a computed tomography scan.

The treatment of a rib fracture does not use splints and plaster casts, as in the immobilization of other broken bones. Often, rib fractures are treated at home, provided that there are no complications in the form of damage to the lung tissue or pleura. Open displaced fractures must be treated with surgery. Most often, a rib breaks in the area where it has the greatest bend, that is, on the side of the human torso.

What to do and how to treat?

To achieve maximum effect, treatment of rib fractures is carried out comprehensively.

For uncomplicated injuries, it is enough to take painkillers , means for quickly removing sputum and immobilization - the chest is fixed with an elastic bandage using a circular bandage.

In a hospital setting, the patient is prescribed:

Injection of 1 ml of 70% ethyl alcohol with procaine in the projection of the fracture;
Oxygen inhalation for suspected respiratory failure;
Puncture of the pleural area to drain blood and air in case of extensive hemothorax and pneumothorax, which is performed under anesthesia;
Antibiotics for complications such as pneumonia.

Surgery may be required in the following cases:

pneumothorax;
severe lung contusion;
open chest wound;
hemothorax;
damage to abdominal organs;
foreign objects in the wound canal;
significant displacement of bone fragments;
bleeding or damage to large vessels or the heart.

To restore pulmonary ventilation , a week after injury, the doctor prescribes special gymnastics. Physiotherapeutic procedures are useful for fractured ribs.

In case of unilateral damage, the doctor may recommend placing mustard plasters on the healthy side to eliminate the risk of pulmonary congestion.

Nutrition for fractures should be rich in vitamins and microelements, especially protein and calcium, for rapid healing of bones. It is recommended to include cottage cheese, jellied meat, beef bone broth, fish, milk, soybeans, rose hips, cheese, bran bread, sesame seeds, hazelnuts, persimmons, jelly and green vegetables in your daily diet.

Additionally, you can take a vitamin pharmacy complex .

The duration of healing of an uncomplicated rib fracture is: in children - up to 2-3 weeks, for adults on average 3-4 weeks, with a weakened body and in the elderly - up to 7 weeks. In severe cases, recovery may require a longer period due to the need to eliminate complications of the fracture.

Pain syndrome can persist and manifest itself for 6 months after injury. Return to sports activity is possible after 2-2.5 months. Physical activity should be added gradually.

Causes

More often, rib fractures occur in the adult part of the population, because the chest of children is more elastic and has greater mobility. Damage can occur in the following cases:

during a traffic accident, you can hit your chest on the steering wheel, or get hit by a car;
when struck in the chest with a blunt object, such as a stone, pipe, stick or fist;
when falling with your chest on something hard;
during training or sports competitions during collisions, impacts and falls;
when the body is squeezed by two objects, one of which is moving.

In addition, the risk of such an injury is slightly higher in older people with weak bones, in patients with a lack of calcium in the body, as well as in people with osteoporosis, bone tuberculosis or cancer.

What are the causes of rib fractures?

Typically, a person receives such injuries due to the following injuries:

falling from height;
road accident;
sports injury;
squeezing (in production);
gunshot wound;
a strong blow to the chest.

There are also pathological factors that can contribute to rib fractures:

metastases in cancer;
osteoporosis;
rheumatoid arthritis;
genetic abnormalities.

People with such problems must be extremely careful and attentive to avoid injury.

Clinical picture

Not everyone knows how to identify a rib fracture, because if the injury is not complicated, then similar symptoms may occur with other injuries. And yet, there are some signs that distinguish a fracture:

The patient breathes shallowly; in the area of damage, the respiratory rhythm does not coincide with the movement of the chest;
A person feels pain, which intensifies when breathing, coughing and body movements;
The tissues around the injury become swollen, hematomas appear;
The skin around the hematoma is pale, which is due to the drainage of blood from damaged vessels;
The bones rub against each other, causing a characteristic rubbing or crunching sound to be heard.

A person with a fracture has to sit, leaning towards the painful side, as this reduces pain. If a lung or other internal organ is damaged during an injury, the patient coughs up blood.

Damage classification

Rib fractures are divided into several types, which differ in characteristics such as:

Integrity of the dermis. The fracture can be closed or open. Accordingly, without damaging the skin and creating a wound.
The degree of bone injury. Complete fracture - the rib is broken along its entire thickness, subperiosteal - the integrity is partially preserved. A crack also refers to a fracture.

Important! Treatment at home for a rib fracture after an examination and a visit to the surgeon is the easiest treatment option.

By location. Fenestrated - fractures are located on one side and there may be several of them. Bilateral - located on both sides of the rib and is especially dangerous, as it can damage the patient’s lungs.
According to the number of rib injuries - single and multiple.
Over the wreckage. They can be with or without offset.

Treatment is prescribed by a specialist, taking into account all the signs, but for this it is necessary to understand whether the victim has broken a rib or not. How to determine a fracture?

What complications may there be?

If a person breaks a rib, this can lead to damage to the heart, kidneys, pleura, spleen, lungs or blood vessels. Such damage results in:

to hemothorax, when blood enters the pleural cavity and pneumothorax (air entry);
to pleuropulmonary shock that occurs with extensive wounds during an open fracture;
to respiratory failure, which is expressed in increased heart rate, pallor of the skin, as well as asymmetry of the sternum;
to pneumonia, which appears due to prolonged immobilization of the chest and the inability to breathe normally;
to internal and external bleeding;
to infectious lesions.

First aid

Knowing what to do and what not to do if you have a broken rib, you can shorten the recovery period, minimizing the risk of complications. To do this you need:

Place the person with his back resting on a hard surface. It is impossible for the victim to lean on the healthy half of the chest, as this can lead to increased respiratory failure. In addition, it is extremely undesirable for a person to lie down, because sharp fragments can damage the organs located in the chest cavity.
Open the windows to allow fresh air to flow into the victim, and also remove clothing that may impede breathing (tie, belt, unbutton the collar of a shirt).
When pain occurs, it becomes difficult for the victim to breathe, which also leads to respiratory failure. To prevent this, a person needs to be given a pain reliever, for example, ketanov, ibuprofen, diclofenac or paracetamol, and also apply cold to the fracture site. To do this, use ice (apply it through a cloth) or a cold heating pad. A cold compress will not only reduce pain, but also prevent the formation of edema and large hematoma.
When a rib is fractured, the chest should move as little as possible. This can be achieved using a special bandage or a tight bandage with an elastic bandage. Under such a bandage, the sharp ends of broken ribs will move less and, accordingly, will not be able to damage internal organs. It is necessary to bandage the chest at the moment when the victim exhales.

If the victim’s condition allows, he can be taken to a trauma center for examination. If a person’s condition is serious, an ambulance should be urgently called.

When is emergency hospitalization needed?

If a rib fracture occurs, treatment at home is quite possible, but there are situations when the patient needs to be urgently taken to the hospital. These include the following signs:

difficult, rapid, shallow or noisy breathing involving the neck or abdominal muscles;
too much pallor of the skin and a bluish tint to the fingers, nose and lips;
the appearance of bloody foam from the mouth when breathing;
there is an open chest wound;
the patient complains of dizziness and thirst;
consciousness is impaired or lost.

These symptoms often indicate the development of complications, and if medical attention is neglected, the injury can be fatal.

First actions

A lot depends on the correct provision of first aid to the victim, so every person should know what to do in case of a costa fracture:

immobilize the injured person as much as possible;
give him painkillers;
It is best to be in a sitting or semi-sitting position;
free your chest from excess clothing to make breathing easier;
call an ambulance;
make sure to get the victim to the hospital as soon as possible, where he will be examined by a doctor.

Diagnosis of injury

At the appointment, the doctor asks some questions, clarifies the height of the fall, what caused the blow, and so on. Next, a visual examination is performed, during which the doctor evaluates whether the right and left sides of the chest move evenly during breathing. The doctor will be able to distinguish a fracture from a bruise by the symptom of “broken breath,” which is present only when the ribs are fractured. To detect it, the doctor asks the patient to take a deep breath. During this action, severe pain forces the person to stop breathing, which is an indicator of a fracture.

This is followed by palpation of the injured area, during which the doctor can feel that the ribs are broken. Under the doctor's fingers, the ribs will be deformed in the form of steps. After this, the patient is sent for radiography. The image shows exactly how many ribs are damaged, what type of fracture it is, and whether there are segments in the chest cavity separated from the rib. In addition, an ultrasound examination is performed, which allows the doctor to assess the condition of the internal organs.

Trauma Markers

The main symptoms of rib fractures are as follows:

significant pain when inhaling, with bruises of the ribs there is no such sign;
increased pain when moving or coughing;
when inhaling, a crunching or clicking sound is heard;
bruising or soft tissue swelling.

If the fracture is located in the posterior part of the chest, the signs are less pronounced due to the weak mobility of the fragments during breathing.

Treatment

A rib fracture can be treated quite simply at home. The bone heals in about a month and a half. Surgery is only required if there are complications or broken pieces of bone inside the chest, but this does not happen often. In order to speed up recovery, it is necessary to take medications, primarily painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs. If the patient has to breathe shallowly due to pain, then an infectious process may develop in the sternum area.

Pain syndrome can be relieved with ibuprofen, ketanov, aspirin (for patients over sixteen years old), naproxen and other drugs. The medicine should be taken constantly, and not just during periods of pain, this is the only way to achieve the desired effect. Gradually, as the severity of pain decreases, the dose of the drug is reduced until it is completely discontinued. In addition to taking medications, you should do breathing exercises, which consists of ten slow inhalations and exhalations every hour.

Periodic application of a cold compress reduces swelling of the chest and helps resolve the hematoma. For the same purpose, you can use cooling absorbable ointments with an anti-inflammatory effect.

During treatment, you should try to breathe as fully as possible.

In situations where the rib cannot heal for a very long time, the doctor applies a special plastic splint to the area of injury.

How to treat a broken rib at home

External means

Compresses based on natural decoctions and tinctures promote blood flow to the injured area (not of a warming nature). This increases the speed of recovery and minimizes the likelihood of complications, such as pneumonia.

At the same time, homemade compositions do not cause allergies, unlike synthetic pharmacological ointments. Compresses are applied for several hours, no more than twice a day. This treatment is carried out daily for 2-3 weeks.

Severe shortness of breath and a whistling sound accompanying breathing may indicate a violation of the integrity of the lung. Pneumothorax requires immediate hospitalization of the victim.

An alternative option for treating a rib fracture at home involves gently rubbing medicinal ointments and oils prepared at home (not warming) into the injured area.

Here are the most common compositions for external use:

tincture for compresses on the golden rod;
decoction of pomegranate peels;
For the same purposes, prepare a decoction of geranium;
Comfrey has beneficial qualities;
Instead of ointment, you can apply raw mashed potatoes to the compress.

For therapeutic rubbing, you can mix mumiyo with rose oil. The composition is used twice a day, and the jar of ointment is stored in the refrigerator. Essential oils are used in the same way. Compositions based on fir and tea tree esters are best suited.

How to treat rib fractures at home depends on many factors. Therefore, it is better to coordinate your actions with a doctor: traumatologist, surgeon and therapist. In any case, traditional methods are an excellent additional treatment that promotes a speedy recovery.

Products for internal use

Along with local remedies, you should drink medicinal potions and tinctures:

For fractured ribs, boiled onions help well, as well as any foods with a high calcium content, because this trace element accelerates bone healing.
Within 10 days after the damage, you can drink tea with rose hips. The healthy berry is rich in vitamin C and other important microelements.
The fusion of bones is facilitated by a collection based on nettles and coltsfoot. During treatment, you should take a glass of decoction after each meal.
The best source of calcium is a potion made from ground eggshells (preferably white), mixed with lemon juice in the proportion of 1 lemon per egg and kept until the powder is completely dissolved. Take one tablespoon after meals with water and two tablespoons of honey.
During treatment, it is necessary to drink an expectorant to prevent the development of pneumonia. Home methods include a decoction of licorice root (10 grams per glass of boiling water), an infusion of coltsfoot (1 tablespoon per glass of water), a decoction of elecampane rhizome.

Treatment for a rib fracture at home involves a large number of remedies. However, at the same time, it is recommended to take analgesics, giving preference to professional remedies: Ibuprofen, Analgin, Ketanov, etc.

How to sleep when injured

When a rib is broken, the hardest thing is to accustom yourself to sleep in the same position - on your back. Sleep should take place on a firm and level bed, ideally on an orthopedic backboard. There are some tips for sleeping with a chest injury:

Use a pillow that is not too large;
Place a cushion under your knees;
Using pillows on both sides of the body (they will prevent sudden turning during sleep);
Do breathing exercises before bed.

Following these recommendations will help you sleep peacefully and avoid pain at night.

About nutrition

If you have a rib fracture, you must follow a therapeutic diet. The diet should be enriched with foods high in vitamins and calcium - an element necessary to maintain the normal condition and functioning of bone tissue.

The basic rule of a therapeutic diet is to exclude foods that negatively affect bone and cartilage tissue. These are alcoholic drinks, coffee, marinades and pickles. A limitation is placed on salt; it should be used as little as possible. When preparing dishes, it is necessary to limit the amount of spices and fatty sauces. Among drinks, preference should be given to compotes, weak tea, and jelly.

Patients who have suffered rib damage are advised to consume as many jellied dishes as possible. The presence of gelatin in these products has a positive effect on bones and cartilage, accelerating the process of their healing and strengthening, promoting the restoration of connective tissue. Calcium is taken from fermented milk and dairy products. If for some reason a person cannot consume these products, they are replaced with calcium tablets.

Treatment for a rib fracture at home is based on the presence of the required amount of protein in the diet. This element is present in lean meats and fish. Nuts, vegetables and fruits, fresh or baked, and seeds should be consumed daily.

During treatment for a rib fracture at home, it is recommended to avoid the following products:

Sweets, chocolate;
Confectionery products with cream filling;
Flour products;
Coffee, strong tea.

These foods will significantly reduce the rate of recovery. You can return to your usual diet only after complete recovery. Dishes prohibited during treatment should be introduced into the diet gradually. Dairy products with a high calcium content should occupy a major place in the diet for a long time.

Recovery period

How long it will take to restore motor activity depends on how severe the injury is and how well the patient follows all the recommendations of the treating doctor. If the fracture is light, in which one rib or two ribs are damaged, then the bone tissue is restored in approximately one month. Displaced fractures and other complications take twice as long to heal.

During the recovery period, when the acute phase of the injury has already passed, the patient is prescribed physiotherapeutic procedures, expectorants and painkillers. Daily walks in the fresh air and breathing exercises prevent the development of complications and speed up full recovery.

Knowing how to treat a rib fracture, it is also necessary to know how to eat properly with such an injury. You should eat foods that contain a lot of calcium. This will help the cartilage tissue grow faster. Eating cottage cheese and other fermented milk products, as well as eating jellied meat, jelly, marshmallows, marshmallows, Turkish delight and other oriental delicacies are good for this purpose. In addition to nutrition, you can fill your body with vitamins using pharmacy complexes.

Although a rib fracture can be treated at home, having received such an injury, it will not be possible to completely avoid medical help. At the very least, you need to get tested.

What should you not do if you have a broken rib?

To prevent complications that can be caused by a rib fracture, treatment at home should be carried out with extreme caution.

To avoid harming yourself, you need to know what not to do:

You should not use tight corsets for more than 5 days, as this can disrupt the functioning of the lungs and cause congestive pneumonia;
Under no circumstances should the cough be suppressed. Sputum must be expectorated. How to relieve a cough if a rib fracture hurts, what to do in such situations? You just need to press a pillow to your chest and thus relieve pain during coughing attacks;
You should not overheat the injured area, but it is also undesirable to apply cold for more than 2-3 days;
unless necessary, you should not take potent drugs with anti-inflammatory effects, especially those belonging to the group of hormonal drugs;
intense physical activity is contraindicated, especially in the first two weeks after injury;
You need to sleep in a semi-sitting position or on your back. If you previously slept on your stomach, then during treatment of a fracture you should temporarily abandon this position;
Tight clothing should be discarded, as it interferes with free breathing;
What do they do if the ribs are broken if the victim experiences a lack of air and discomfort due to the bandage? In such cases, it is better to remove it, but this must be agreed with the attending physician;
You cannot perform a massage yourself or use different methods to check whether the ribs are fused;
During therapy, do not drink alcohol and stop smoking.