What can I do to make the rib fracture heal faster? | Rib fracture – what can you do?

What can I do to make the rib fracture heal faster?

The healing time of a rib fracture cannot be shortened. Like any other bone, the ribs simply need time to grow back together. It is important to take medication for the pain when necessary and to avoid excessive stress on the ribs.

This includes, on the one hand, wide movements and, on the other hand, carrying or lifting heavy loads. If this is observed, the rib fracture will heal as quickly as possible. Magnetic field therapy can be used to support this process. In the case of an existing or newly occurring cough, cough syrup or other medication for coughing should always be taken so that the ribs are not subjected to additional strain.

What else should be considered?

In addition, there is a risk of pneumonia due to the reduced work of breathing, which is caused by the reduced removal of germs in the lungs. This makes it all the more important to provide good pain relief in order to ensure that breathing is as normal as possible. In addition, some breathing exercises can both relieve the pain during breathing and ensure effective work of breathing.

Because of the pain, and in order not to hinder the rib fracture in its healing process, the affected patients should take care of themselves physically. Sport, heavy carrying or other strenuous or stressful physical activity should be avoided. A broken rib heals very differently from one person to another.

Therefore, no exact period can be given. As a rule, the patient himself or herself notices that the rib is healing by the relief of the symptoms. Some patients find it helpful to fix the ribs around the rib cage with a bandage.

However, this is not a standard procedure, as it is not medically indicated and does not lead to faster healing. A plaster cast is no longer used nowadays, as the narrowing of the rib cage can lead to breathing problems and thus cause more problems than it solves. Some patients report faster healing by lying on the affected side.

This compresses the rib and may allow it to heal faster. This has not been scientifically proven. However, it does not harm and can therefore be tried out by the patient himself.However, this lying position should only be used if the lateral position does not increase the pain or is perceived as unpleasant.