# Anyone had a broken rib?



## drunken mistress (Aug 7, 2004)

My husband recently joined the karate class that I and my son have been going to for over a year. We are currently being taught by a very tough Freestyle guy. At least half the lesson is sparring. During the session my husband got an elbow hit in the ribs from the teacher. At first he thought it was just going to be a bruise, but, a few days later, he is wondering if he has a cracked or broken rib as the area is painful when he fully inflates his lungs for exercise like jogging.
He will probably get it checked by a doctor, but would love to know if anyone here has experience of breaking/cracking a rib. Is rest the usual cure and how long does it take?


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## MA-Caver (Aug 7, 2004)

drunken mistress said:
			
		

> My husband recently joined the karate class that I and my son have been going to for over a year. We are currently being taught by a very tough Freestyle guy. At least half the lesson is sparring. During the session my husband got an elbow hit in the ribs from the teacher. At first he thought it was just going to be a bruise, but, a few days later, he is wondering if he has a cracked or broken rib as the area is painful when he fully inflates his lungs for exercise like jogging.
> He will probably get it checked by a doctor, but would love to know if anyone here has experience of breaking/cracking a rib. Is rest the usual cure and how long does it take?



I have cracked the same rib three times, all during caving not Martial Arts. I've also had chest-wall bruising that didn't show on the outside but was visable via x-ray. 
A cracked rib will be sore and hurt when breathing deeply... there isn't too much to do except let it heal. A broken rib however will need to be bound up tightly (by a trained physician) to limit movement while the bones knit together. The healing time for broken ribs is the same for any broken bones... roughly 8 weeks, for cracked ribs, and it may be that is what happened with your hubby (DO get it checked out anyway), the doctor will usually say that there isn't much except take tyenol or any non-irritant asprin/painkiller and limit activities til it feels better. 
Sounds like your instructor isn't tough he's rough. A trained MA instructor IMO should know already how to control the amount of force during contact sparring... especially as an instructor. It doesn't do well to hurt students. I'd check into him again if I were you and see if he is indeed legit. Accidents do happen that I can agree upon ... but still ... 
:asian:


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## Kembudo-Kai Kempoka (Aug 7, 2004)

High-Ten and Compression Tests for Ribs (for your reference):

Have hubby set hands up in the air like doing a double high-five; you match his positioning, and have him press his palms against yous while you resist. If there's a good break, the strain on the intercostal muscles in this position will cause a sharp pain at the site of racture.

Compression Test: give him a bear hug at about the level of the suspected break, and squeeze. Tender & sore, expected (even if just bruised from traumatic impact/elbow). If there's a fracture, the pain should be intense enough that you should be ready to duck.

Correlate findings with x-ray. Small cracks can be painful in the ribs, and he would do well to avoid sparring till he knows for sure, so it doesn't grow by accident.

Good luck,

Dave


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## drunken mistress (Aug 7, 2004)

We passed the high five test without too much pain. Didn´t dare give him a bear hug because I wanted to go to karate in one piece today.


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