Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
Jerry Dodrill
climber
Bodega, CA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 31, 2007 - 07:51pm PT
|
Not sure if it's broken or not. Put on my old Kaukulators to go bouldering last night, hadn't worn them in years. They failed me miserably. Popped a foot and took an off angle fall. I never even hit anything and stayed on my feet, but got thrown sideways hard. Crunched a rib or something. Hurts pretty good. Anyone have experiece with these things?
|
|
turd
climber
|
|
|
Mar 31, 2007 - 07:53pm PT
|
Locker edit:
Whatever you do, don't tape them!
|
|
Jerry Dodrill
climber
Bodega, CA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 31, 2007 - 07:54pm PT
|
Tape? It would take so much I'd look like a mummy.
|
|
turd
climber
|
|
|
Mar 31, 2007 - 07:56pm PT
|
Radical edit:
Look, some of the old farts may tell you to tape, but it just isn't done anymore.
Trust me.
|
|
Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
|
|
|
Mar 31, 2007 - 07:59pm PT
|
Jerry,
I have broken ribs three times and they usually feel better after three to four weeks if I take it easy. Two years ago I guided El Cap a week after breaking two and it really hurt and didn't feel better until about four or five weeks after getting off.I was stupid. Hope you heal quickly.
Ken
|
|
Jerry Dodrill
climber
Bodega, CA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 31, 2007 - 08:05pm PT
|
Breathing is ok. Sneezing would probably hurt. I almost did earlier, but prevented it.
Thanks Ken, I'll try not to guide El Cap next week. It'll be hard. ;-)
|
|
Mimi
climber
|
|
|
Mar 31, 2007 - 08:13pm PT
|
Take a wide leather belt and cinch it around your cage. Tape would be painful if you have any body hair and a pain to deal with. You may have only separated the ribs from the cartilage. Good luck. Expect a few weeks or less if they're not broken.
I need to resole my Kaukulators too with something sticky. Nice boot but slippery rubber IMO.
|
|
jstan
climber
|
|
|
Mar 31, 2007 - 08:25pm PT
|
Impossible question to answer without knowing more, I think. Of course at your age you will heal virtually overnight. About four months ago the doctor said I broke all but two ribs on one side and i noticed only a little pain and some reduced mobility. But then a couple of weeks ago i was jugging up into my 70 foot weed in the back yard and picked up some more pain. Full recovery may take awhile.
An interesting aside. Archeologists say Neanderthal remains show a very high incidence of broken ribs and other bones. Obtained while killing large game using pointed sticks. We have it easy.
|
|
Brutus of Wyde
climber
Old Climbers' Home, Oakland CA
|
|
|
Mar 31, 2007 - 08:26pm PT
|
Jerry, Sorry to hear that. Get in touch with Nurse Ratchet. She's the current expert on ribs here at the Home.
Sounds like (worsrt case) you could either have a fracture, or possibly an anterior rib dislocation.
But [Locker-style Edit] since you didn't hit anything, yup, pulled intercostal muscle or dislocation is more likely than a fracture. Pulled muscle heals way quicker & needs no special treatment at all. Let's hope that's what you got.
The medical literature is divided as to treatment. Doktor Brutus recommends wrapping with either a 6" - 8" elastic ace-type bandage or Rib Belt (can be purchased at a Drug Store but call around as they're hard to find) during exercise, and not wrapping during the remainder of your day. A few deep breaths should be performed per hour (in addition to your normal breathing of course!) to prevent complications including pneumonia.
[L-S E]
I still like wrapping during exercise (climbing chimneys, backcountry telemark skiing) as it allows me to continue my favorite (and rather strnuous) physical activities with less limitations due to pain, and less chance of re-injury. The remainder of the time, as turd and radical point out, it is far better not to tape. Heck... I wrap my knees for tele and OWs even with no injury.
RICE is usually recommended in the first 48 hours following injury. Warm soaks in a hot tub thereafter are beneficial. We use Ibuprofen to control inflammation and pain.
Be very careful to avoid accidents until it heals: additional trauma at the site of a broken rib can easily result in damage to internal organs (pneumothorax, punctured liver, punctured spleen come to mind)
Other than that caveat, activity is fine right up to the point that you will voluntarily curtail due to pain.
For fracture or dislocation, expect anywhere from 6 weeks (to resume normal activities) to 6 months (for full recovery, no weakness or pain even when stressed) before it gets well.
There is also a homeopathic remedy involving Leopard's Bane (Arnica) that Nurse Ratchet highly recommends, e-mail me if you want details.
Brutus
|
|
Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
|
|
|
Mar 31, 2007 - 08:36pm PT
|
ribs
|
|
turd
climber
|
|
|
Mar 31, 2007 - 08:37pm PT
|
Yeah, what radical said.
Who tapes ribs anymore? The guy that told you that has his head up his ass and you can tell him I said so.
|
|
LuckyPink
climber
the last bivy
|
|
|
Mar 31, 2007 - 08:40pm PT
|
Jerry I bet there is a sweet person over there who will put a couple of kisses on it for you! best remedy I can think of..isn't it beer thirty?
PS ARNICA is great and will work for you! (another RN Ratchet)
|
|
Brutus of Wyde
climber
Old Climbers' Home, Oakland CA
|
|
|
Mar 31, 2007 - 08:51pm PT
|
"Who tapes ribs anymore? The guy that told you that has his head up his ass and you can tell him I said so."
So noted.
Brutus,
Rib Ward,
Old Climbers' Home
|
|
bachar
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
|
|
|
Mar 31, 2007 - 08:54pm PT
|
Jerry - yeah, I tweaked my intercostals (muscle between the ribs - costals) once on the trail when I slipped with a heavy pack on. Man I thought I broke some ribs - they hurt bad when I did just about anything. My doctor told me there's nothing you can do about it - just ignore the pain and keep going - you really can't hurt anything anymore than they are. Lasted about 6 weeks then everything was fine.
Anyway, kind of sounds like what happened to you - a sudden pull when you landed off balance.
Those are my two cents - cheers, JB
|
|
healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
|
|
|
Mar 31, 2007 - 08:58pm PT
|
My partner Tangen-Foster broke four last year in a fall and it took him about 4 weeks to be functionally somewhat normal, and I believe about 10-12 to be up for doing anything serious. I also seem to remember him saying that current thinking about healing ribs had changed and they don't want them taped these days and want you to do a bunch of coughing and deep breathing.
|
|
Nefarius
Big Wall climber
Fresno, CA
|
|
Arnica is awesome stuff, Brutus! I use it on my hands all the time. Helps the gobies heal much faster, and just generally makes them feel better after working them out pretty good in cracks...
|
|
Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
|
|
Jerry;...I broke one rib on a 5 month climbing trip to Europe;.....I couldn't barely move for 2 days, could barely walk for another 2 days, and after 10 days, was back doing easy climbs..pretty much mint after 3 weeks..it hurt like a mo fo. Good luck and speedy recovery;... be patient. Do some drugs and watch T V.
|
|
bringmedeath
climber
la la land
|
|
I have messed them up before and it healed fast and by a month I forgot it ever happened. But this time it's been 2 months and they still hurt, thank god they didn't have to you use the tube to reinflate my lung cause that would have been worse. But anyways sometimes it isn't too bad other times it seems that more time is required to feel fully normal again.
Pain killers help for a few days and then you would need so many whats the point anyways. I used tiger balm and other hot cold style patches. Seemed to help me sleep.
|
|
426
Sport climber
Buzzard Point, TN
|
|
Too long, in my experience...
|
|
burp
Trad climber
Salt Lake City
|
|
Howdy,
Just found this post ...
Cracked a couple of ribs (w/ related muscle contusions/strains) playing indoor soccer in February. For just over a week, it hurt like @%$$ to breath deep, get out of bed, and cough ... but then it started to gradually feel better. The worst was two weeks out when I came down with a bout of hiccups for 5 painful minutes. After about 5-6 weeks I could breath deep enough without pain to run again. Now ... after about 2 months, I still can tell I broke them, but I've been able to resume most activities pain free. Just a matter of time ....
Heard arthritis sets in later in life though.
burp
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!