Wtf is wrong with my ribs

[money]

Here's a quick timeline :

July 9 BJJ - rolled with newbie spaz around my size. In an effort to get out of my guard he lifts and slams me back down on the right side of my back. I felt it, and figured it would hurt the next day. I was right, was a bit sore, got better after a few days.

July 14 BJJ - rolled with a few folks, then drilled some cross body escapes with a guy 1.5x my size. Side started to hurt again, but in a "could be hurt" way rather than sore. It hurt the rest of the weekend.

July 16 - Was still hurting so I was twisting around and stretching a bit to try and loosen it up. Started hurting a lot more, skipped class and went to the doctor. Doctor did an x-ray, not broken but he said it was bruised, told me to take a week off and prescribed Ben Gay, heating pad and Aleve.

July 20 (today) - hurts as much or more than it did at the begining of the week. Feels like there's a rock digging into my side/back most of the time.

Anybody have any idea wtf I've done? I'm thinking about going to another doctor for a second opinion, since this guy was more interested in my heart murmur than what I actually came there for.

Symptoms : no marks at all, tender in various spots all around the lower to mid ribcage on the right side of my body, both front and back. The pain seems to be in a different area from day to day. One day the front hurts, another it's the back, yesterday it was more towards my armpit.

I need this shit to go away, I hate sitting around not being able to do anything.

[ironlurker]

I need this shit to go away, I hate sitting around not being able to do anything.

I'm not a doctor, and don't play one on TV, either, but it sounds to me that you might have something like a slipped rib, because a) it's not fractured and b) activity (especially as you mentioned twisting and streching) makes it worse. The side/back area you mentioned seems like a rib injury for sure.

Slipped Rib Syndrome
Slipped rib syndrome, sometimes known as rib subluxation

http://www.healthyroads.com/mylibrar...ibsyndrome.asp

It could be that or something similar. The two main recommendations seem to be rest and ice, and rest and ice.

[money]

Yeah, that sounds exactly like what's going on. I've also seen recommendations to go to a physical therapist or chiropractor in order to fix it, so I might do that.

[elipson]

Ya to me it sounds like a dislocated Rib (slipped). I had that last year, same thing, just an ever present pain in the front and back. It hurt to sleep, hurt to breath. I waited two months before finally going to the doc. X-rays showed nothing, so he sent me to a physio therapist.

It hurts in the front and back because the way the rib is shaped. Its not just either/or that pops out, because of the U-shaped structure, both the front and back pop out. Go talk to a good physio therapist, or maybe a chiro, about it. They had me fixed with two or three visits.


Hahaha, he asked me, "Do you remember getting slammed or having any other jarring impact that might have caused this?" Hahaha!! I said only a few dozen times a night!!!

[jay c]

I started judo this summer and have had three separate ribs come loose. There's nothing protruding, and each time it heals within a month or so. I thought it was a pinched nerve at first, because pressure anywhere on the one rib would cause pain right where the rib meets the spine. A chiropractor told me he'd fix me right up, but he just made it worse. I went to the doctor who took x-rays and said it looks like arthritis in my upper back. But then it happened twice more with different ribs on the opposite side in the front, each time accompanied by a distinct crack, so it seems to me that it has to be subluxations caused by momentary dislocations. The first two times it happened when someone executing a hold put a lot of pressure on my chest. The third time (a few days ago) happened when I was thrown hard and had my arms tied up so I couldn't slap the mat to break my fall. Each time it happens I spend a few weeks on the sidelines watching when I really want to be working out.

My question is, what can I do to prevent this? Better upper body strength? Rib guard? Glucosamine?

[ironlurker]

My question is, what can I do to prevent this? Better upper body strength? Rib guard? Glucosamine?

Taking the glucosamine chondrointin wouldn't be a bad idea. However, I'd really focus on building up your core strength- abs, lower back, obliques, etc. There should be some good threads around here on core strength work outs.

I would really emphasize the core strengthening because if you don't already have arthritis, you're going to have it soon from those slams you're taking and the resulting damage. If this keeps happening it might indicate you have anatomical issues that make you susceptible to the injury. Also, make sure you're not rushing to get back too fast. It's better to sit out a little longer and risk getting rusty then to come back too soon and have to go back out again.

[Tonuzaba]

I am still pondering about a visit to my doctor - I've eaten two very nice turning kicks to the right side of my ribcage 2 weeks ago and feel it even today...
I can breath normally, it mostly hurts when I laugh, cough, sneeze or lay down and stretch. Used some analgetic cream, but doesn't seem to go away.
Then again, being a chunner and all, maybe I'm just a pussy.

[Craigypooh]

Took me about 4 weeks to recover fom the last turning side kick that I blocked with my ribs. Try alternating between an ice pack and a heat pack. I was taking both paracetamol and ibuprofen to dull the pain.

[Epicurus]

I don't know, but I had an EXTREMELY similar injury myself, and it appears the only cure was rest. Everything aggravated and prolonged it.

[kwoww]

So to summarize:

The cure: rest.

Future prevention: core strength/not getting slammed.

Some good info in this thread, I'll make sure to not dislocate any of my own ribs.

[pauli]

how have we gotten this far in a discussion of rib injuries without mentioning posture?

[jay c]

So to summarize:

The cure: rest.

Future prevention: core strength/not getting slammed.

Some good info in this thread, I'll make sure to not dislocate any of my own ribs.

Hmm. Wish I'd thought of that. :laughing9

[ironlurker]

Then again, being a chunner and all, maybe I'm just a pussy.

Not at all Tonu, if you practice t3h d34dly you can expect d34dly injuries, if you play with fire you'l get burnt :new_uklia

Besides, I think you're the number one Slovakian WT expert on the forums.

[Lily]

how have we gotten this far in a discussion of rib injuries without mentioning posture?

Pauli, care to elaborate on this?

I have excellent posture but have fractured and slipped my ribs. My injuries have been due to being slammed around on the ground and some submissions which have put pressure on the area (which I love and am not going to stop anytime soon). When I'm slammed on my back especially, I feel it through my whole ribcage and the pain/slight impairment to movement and breathing can radiate through the front and side of my ribcage. The only related note on posture is its hell wake up in the morning.

Personally I've never taken any solid amount of rest when I've had slipped ribs which has probably caused further structural damage. So if you have the patience Money, give it a rest. You can still do other exercise but choose what you do wisely.

[money]

What fixed it for me is rest and deciding not to roll with folks over a certain weight for a while. I reinjured myself twice when I'd finish off class rolliing with someone 170-190 (I'm 125) and they'd drop on it or get me in a tight crossbody and it'd pop.

A muscle relaxer and some good anti-inflammatories helped as well.