Training With A Cracked Rib

I need some free medical advice. If you do insist on charging please put it on my tab.

I think I cracked a rib riding my sled a couple days ago, at least it clicks and pops when I breathe in and out and I’m not particularly comfortable. I still managed a squat and Romanian deadlift session last night however and this morning did a light session (active recovery type) of overhead squats. Can’t twist in the mid section without pain.

Anyway, the question is can/should I continue without a routine, a lower body one for instance, if I can tolerate the pain or am I going to prolong or aggravate the healing process to the extent that it’s a negative sum total? Should I go ahead and continue with anything that I can tolerate?

[quote]throttle132 wrote:
I need some free medical advice. If you do insist on charging please put it on my tab.

I think I cracked a rib riding my sled a couple days ago, at least it clicks and pops when I breathe in and out and I’m not particularly comfortable. I still managed a squat and Romanian deadlift session last night however and this morning did a light session (active recovery type) of overhead squats. Can’t twist in the mid section without pain.

Anyway, the question is can/should I continue without a routine, a lower body one for instance, if I can tolerate the pain or am I going to prolong or aggravate the healing process to the extent that it’s a negative sum total? Should I go ahead and continue with anything that I can tolerate?[/quote]

Hey bro,

Look I am NOT a doctor, but I broke several ribs last year. The last time I busted one rib on my right side and man I couldn’t do anything at all!

If your rib is actually broken, you will begin to have tremendous spasmodic pain about a day or two after the incident. I had to be taped up just to stop the spasms and I couldn’t conceive of doing any training for at least 6 - 8 weeks. It may take even longer for the pain to completely go away.

If you are not sure of what you did to yourself, you really should see a doctor and get this x-rayed so you know what you are dealing with. Until then you SHOULD NOT BE LIFTING ANYTHING – even your dog (if you have one).

Just friendly advice…

Good luck…

  1. If I’m not mistaken a good chiro can ‘relocate’ a rib. The popping will stop.

  2. You may have a intercostal muscle injury. You will need to find the trigger point and release it. I suspect it is more likely intercostal than bone related, but you never know.

If a spasm is present it will be a painfull spot between two ribs around the source of pain. It will suck but releasing it could help.