How do I behave correctly after a broken rib?

The most important thing for the healing process is adequate protection together with sufficient pain medication. In order not to cause any new complaints after the fracture, the physical strain should be increased slowly and carefully afterwards. Since the body concentrates on building up new bone material during the healing process, it needs a lot of the nutrients important for this.

A balanced diet rich in calcium gives the body all the important nutrients it needs to heal the fracture. At the same time, it takes the strain off the body and strengthens the bones. In addition to these measures, the healing process should also be supported by adequate rest and recovery. Healthy and adequate sleep, as well as avoiding sports or carrying heavy objects, additionally accelerate the healing process.

Duration of sick leave

The pain of a rib fracture can take on considerable proportions. However, this is not an exceptional situation, but completely natural. The fractured bone irritates surrounding nerves and penetrates the surrounding tissue, causing pain.

Since the ribs of the lung are in contact with the bone, breathing difficulties may occur in a few cases or even the lung may be directly injured. Depending on which rib is broken, various vessels can also be injured. However, internal abdominal organs or the heart can also be injured or squeezed by a broken rib.

All these accompanying injuries lead to further pain in addition to the actual pain of the broken rib. A broken rib should therefore never be underestimated and should be examined by a doctor. Analgesics and, in the case of very severe pain, opioids may be used to treat the pain.

An alternative to painkillers is also a so-called nerve blockage. Here, a local anaesthetic is injected at the lower edge of the broken rib. This allows the intercostal nerves to be anaesthetised.

However, the local anesthetics usually only work for six to eight hours. While a broken rib usually takes about six to eight weeks to heal completely, the pain only lasts for about two weeks. After two weeks, in the case of normal, simple rib fractures, they gradually subside.