Consequences of a rib contusion

A rib contusion is usually a harmless but painful clinical picture. Although it can be annoying for the person affected for a few weeks, it is rarely accompanied by serious health problems. In rare cases, however, rib contusion can lead to dangerous secondary diseases, such as pneumonia.

Due to reduced and flattened breathing due to the pain caused by movements in the chest, many find it difficult to breathe deeply and cough. In older patients in particular, this can lead to pneumonia due to the reduced ventilation of the lungs and the accumulation of secretions. In addition to the contusion, the violent impact on the ribs can also lead to so-called “contusions” of the heart and lungs. Swelling of the tissues can lead to severe organ dysfunction, which can manifest itself as breathing problems or cardiac arrhythmia.

Sporting activity for rib bruises

In the case of a rib contusion, sports activities of any kind should be avoided completely, as this can lead to a further worsening of the symptoms and the healing of the rib contusion can be significantly delayed. For most patients, any kind of sport is not possible due to their pain alone and their everyday life is already significantly restricted by the pain. However, even for patients with less pain, it is advisable to take a break in order not to hinder the healing process.

Especially during sports, a fast movement or a fall is possible, which can both cause a rib contusion and can worsen an already existing rib contusion. The situation is different, however, with physiotherapy, which in many cases can be positive for the healing process. Especially in severe cases, breathing exercises can help to positively influence the healing process of the rib contusion by changing the movement pattern.

In addition, breathing exercises serve to prevent pneumonia, which can occur when the pain makes it impossible to cough up secretions. In addition, manual therapy can be carried out as part of physiotherapy to prevent a permanent restriction of movement – a consequence of the changed body movement and posture caused by the pain. Here, the focus is mainly on the joints of the chest in order to maintain the full range of motion by means of capsule stretching of the joints.

Once the bruising of the ribs has completely subsided, sport can be slowly resumed. Sports such as cycling, swimming and gymnastic exercises are suitable for getting back into sports. In these cases it is important to stay well below the usual performance level in order to bring the body back to the load after the break.

Therefore, before re-entering a team sport, it is recommended that you build up your performance independently to avoid overloading. For ball sports, martial arts and winter sports, it is advisable to wear a chest protector, since rib bruises are more frequent, which can be prevented by this simple measure.After a rib contusion, it is possible that the pain has already subsided in everyday life, but may reoccur during sports. In this case, you should wait until the start of the sport and only start building up your performance when you no longer feel any pain under light load.