How Long Do I Give My Almost-Broken Nose?

Bigger Stronger Leaner
1

Got hit (too hard) last Friday, then again on Saturday.

I’m 99% sure it’s not broken (this time). I’m about three weeks out from a fight.

How do I know when my nose is “good to go”? There was never any major swelling, but it was sore to the touch for about two days, and still shoots pain if it gets banged or knocked. Been training the last few days, rolled today, but took sparring tonight off. Would like to be able to spar by Friday, but I really don’t want to push it and end up with a broken nose. On the other hand, this is a pretty critical time in the camp…

How do I know it’s good to go? Thoughts?

2

[quote]Spartiates wrote:
Got hit (too hard) last Friday, then again on Saturday.

I’m 99% sure it’s not broken (this time). I’m about three weeks out from a fight.

How do I know when my nose is “good to go”? There was never any major swelling, but it was sore to the touch for about two days, and still shoots pain if it gets banged or knocked. Been training the last few days, rolled today, but took sparring tonight off. Would like to be able to spar by Friday, but I really don’t want to push it and end up with a broken nose. On the other hand, this is a pretty critical time in the camp…

How do I know it’s good to go? Thoughts? [/quote]

Questions:

1.) Did it bleed either Friday or Saturday.

2.) Was there a degree of not “major” swelling?

3.) Is there any deformity? So, is it crooked, or more crooked, or even straighter (if this was no where near your first rodeo) than it was before?

4.) Did you have any difficulty breathing through either nostril?

5.) When you say sore to the touch, how firm and where?

Describe the shooting pain.

In general determining a fracture in a case where there is no deformity is based on symptoms and physical exam. X-ray’s will have a fair risk of a false negative(meaning they won’t catch all breaks). If there is no fracture I have heard that 7-10 days is a fair amount of time to allow damaged tissues to heal, but if you are still training and irritating the tissues it is sort of an “all bets are off” deal.

I would want to give it at least 2 weeks before fighting if the damage was bad. Yes’s to any of the above questions add time. If you don’t want/don’t think you can afford the gap in hard training/rolling can you get evaluated, hands on, by a doctor? At this point, 4 days later, a surgeon may be the best choice for eval.

Barring that, is using full face (cage or visor) headgear for 2 weeks an option?

STATEMENT OF DISCLOSURE: I am not YOUR doctor. The above is not a substitute for medical advice from a physician who has fully evaluated you in person. The above was for general information, and free. It was likely worth less than you paid for it.

Regards,

Robert A

3

  1. Yes. Both days after being hit (first time intentional, 2nd not) squarely in the nose by hard rights.

  2. Not really. It hot tender to the touch, but really no visible anything,

  3. No.

  4. No.

  5. If I press really pretty hard I can tell it’s sensitive on the top sort of above the bridge almost eye level. The other area is at the base of my nostrils. It’s sensitive, but not painful to the touch. The cartilage in between my nostrils is pretty sensitive too, but was previously deformed a bit already. Actually less ability to move my nose and make it “click” (from previous break) than prior.

4

[quote]Spartiates wrote:

  1. Yes. Both days after being hit (first time intentional, 2nd not) squarely in the nose by hard rights.

  2. Not really. It hot tender to the touch, but really no visible anything,

  3. No.

  4. No.

  5. If I press really pretty hard I can tell it’s sensitive on the top sort of above the bridge almost eye level. The other area is at the base of my nostrils. It’s sensitive, but not painful to the touch. The cartilage in between my nostrils is pretty sensitive too, but was previously deformed a bit already. Actually less ability to move my nose and make it “click” (from previous break) than prior.[/quote]

Nothing there really rules out fracture. Bleeding is consistent with a broken nose, though certainly a nasal fracture is not needed for there to be bleeding. The lack of deformity and full air flow is good regardless.

I don’t want to be the T-Nation “Go see a Dr.” guy, but I am falling into that spot again. At this point you really do need to be evaluated to know more. The really important questions, which you have already asked, are;

“Will I be able to fight in 4 weeks?”
and
“When can I return to hard sparring/training?”

In order to get considered and useful answers to those, a real exam is going to needed.

Regards,

Robert A

5

[quote]Spartiates wrote:
Got hit (too hard) last Friday, then again on Saturday.

I’m 99% sure it’s not broken (this time). I’m about three weeks out from a fight.

How do I know when my nose is “good to go”? There was never any major swelling, but it was sore to the touch for about two days, and still shoots pain if it gets banged or knocked. Been training the last few days, rolled today, but took sparring tonight off. Would like to be able to spar by Friday, but I really don’t want to push it and end up with a broken nose. On the other hand, this is a pretty critical time in the camp…

How do I know it’s good to go? Thoughts? [/quote]

If you can still breath through it, suck it up and keep training. If you are going to continue to spar than I would try and find some headgear with the bridge across the nose though. It will protect your nose but you will catch every shot aimed at your head.

6

Robert A gave the best advice in my opinion.

However, I think most of us who have competed have probably fought carrying minor injuries. Personally, as long as I could breathe through my nose, I sparred or fought. I would just change up my tactics and put a stronger emphasis on defense than I might otherwise.