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Suffering broken ribs probably causes some of the most intense, even excruciating pain a human being can experience short of torture. This article will focus on describing the causes of broken ribs, the dangers they pose, and on treating the rib pain they trigger. You can't put a cast on a broken rib as you can any other bone because the cast would restrict your breathing. This could lead to a case of pneumonia. Sleeping becomes a real challenge. So does sitting down, standing up, or twisting your upper body. Just trying to take a deep breath brings sharp and stabbing pain. Just touching the area near a broken rib can also hurt a lot. Broken ribs happen for a variety of reasons, but two are more common than the rest: participation in recreational activities - especially athletics - and motor vehicle accidents. Broken Ribs Are Not Just Painful - They're Dangerous Broken ribs can cause serious complications in a number of ways. Two are more likely to happen than the others. First, when a rib is not just cracked, and the fracture splits the bone apart, it can pose a serious danger. The edges of the bone can be sharp and jagged, which creates a threat to nearby organs - especially the lungs. Second, as mentioned in the beginning of this article, rib pain can complicate your respiration so seriously that you can come down with a case of pneumonia. How to Treat Broken Ribs Even though broken or cracked ribs cause severe pain, they generally heal on their own. Doctors can only treat the rib pain that results from broken ribs, while guarding against pneumonia or damage to nearby organs from jagged edges. A cracked rib can sometimes heal in a few weeks, or may take up to 60 days for the pain to completely go away. A break in which the ends of the bone are completely separated will take longer. Recovery may seem to take a long time because of the nature of the pain. It will hurt whenever you move your upper body. Since the pain is with you constantly, time can move very slowly. There are a number of strong pain relief medications your doctor can prescribe. Talk to him or her about what's best for you. As time goes by and your level of pain comes down, you can begin to rely on over-the-counter pain relievers. For more information on this and similar topics, click on ribcage pain. George McKenzie is a former TV news anchor, medical reporter and radio talk show host.
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