Version July 2025
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What is a rib injury? —
Types of rib injuries include:
●Bruised ribs – This is also called a "rib contusion." A bruised rib might not cause skin color changes like a bruise on another part of the body. But the bone, muscles, and other tissues can still be injured.
●Rib fractures – A "fracture" is another word for a broken bone. A rib fracture is when a person breaks a rib bone (figure 1). There are different types of fractures, depending on how the bone breaks. When a bone breaks, it might crack, break all of the way through, or shatter. Fractures can be "displaced," meaning that the ends don't line up, "or non-displaced," meaning that the ends do line up.
Bruised and broken ribs often happen after an injury or hit to the chest. If the injury is severe, it can also damage organs in the chest or belly.
It can be hard to tell a bruised rib from a non-displaced rib fracture, even with an X-ray. The doctor might say that you have a "rib injury" since the symptoms can be the same. The treatment is often the same as well.
Some rib fractures, called "stress fractures," do not happen after an injury. Instead, they are caused by a severe cough or by doing the same motion over and over, like swinging a golf club.
What are the symptoms of a rib injury? —
Symptoms depend on which bone is injured and the type of injury it is. Common symptoms can include:
●Pain, swelling, or bruising over the area
●Pain taking a breath or moving the upper body or arms
●The area looking abnormal, bent, or not the usual shape
●Not being able to take a deep breath, or feeling short of breath
●Numbness in the area of the broken bone
●A "crunching" feeling when you push on the skin over the rib
A stress fracture also causes pain, but the pain usually starts slowly and gets worse over a few weeks or months.
Will I need tests? —
Yes. If your doctor or nurse thinks that you have a rib injury, they will ask about your symptoms, do an exam, and most likely order a chest X-ray or other imaging test. These create pictures of the inside of the body.
The doctor might order an X-ray to make sure that you do not have a collapsed lung (called a "pneumothorax"). A rib fracture can often be seen on an X-ray, especially if it is displaced. Many non-displaced fractures or bruised ribs cannot be seen on an X-ray. Some people need other imaging tests, such as a CT, MRI, or ultrasound. These tests can also be used to look for other injuries and to count the number of fractured ribs.
How are rib injuries treated? —
Treatment depends, in part, on the number of bruised or fractured ribs, the type of injury, and how serious it is. The goal is to make sure that you can breathe deeply enough to get enough oxygen into your body and carbon dioxide out of your body. People with many broken ribs or other serious injuries usually need treatment in the hospital. Older adults might need to be in the hospital, too, even for less serious injuries.
In very serious cases, the doctor might need to do surgery to put the bones back in the correct position and put plates across them. This is called "rib stabilization." You might need this if:
●You have many broken ribs.
●The broken ribs are preventing you from breathing normally.
People with injured ribs are treated with pain-relieving medicines. This is important, because when people have rib pain, they try to keep their ribs from moving too much. Then, they don't breathe in and out as deeply as they should. This raises the chances of getting a lung infection, called "pneumonia."
To treat your pain:
●Take an over-the-counter pain medicine. These include acetaminophen (sample brand name: Tylenol), ibuprofen (sample brand names: Advil, Motrin), and naproxen (sample brand name: Aleve).
●Your doctor might prescribe a stronger pain medicine to take for a short time. Follow the instructions for taking it.
●If you are in the hospital, you might get other treatments to help with pain. Examples include a shot called a "nerve block" or medicines given through an "epidural." An epidural is a small tube (catheter) that goes into your back, near the nerves in your spine.
Your doctor will probably also recommend a treatment to help prevent lung infections. It involves breathing deeply into a handheld device several times each day. The device is called an "incentive spirometer."
Treatment for a stress fracture involves avoiding the activity that caused your stress fracture for 4 to 6 weeks. Then, you can slowly restart that activity.
How long do rib injuries take to heal? —
Most rib injuries take weeks to months to heal. The doctor or nurse will talk to you about when to return to things like work, sports, or other activities.
Healing time also depends on the person. Healthy children usually heal much more quickly than older adults or adults with other medical problems.
How do I care for myself at home? —
To care for yourself at home:
●Use your incentive spirometer or take 10 to 15 deep breaths at least 4 times each day.
●Hold a pillow to your chest to ease the pain when you take deep breaths, sneeze, cough, or laugh.
●Increase your activity slowly when you no longer have pain while resting. Avoid heavy lifting and sports for at least 3 weeks. (Your doctor or nurse will tell you exactly how long to avoid these or other activities.)
●Ice can help with pain and swelling:
•Put a cold gel pack, bag of ice, or bag of frozen vegetables on the injured area every 1 to 2 hours, for 15 minutes each time. Put a thin towel between the ice (or other cold object) and the skin.
•Use the ice (or other cold object) for at least 6 hours after the injury. Some people find it helpful to ice longer, even up to 2 days.
●Eat a healthy diet that includes getting enough calcium, vitamin D, and protein (figure 2).
●If you smoke, try to stop.
When should I call the doctor? —
Call for advice if:
●It is getting harder and harder to breathe.
●You are so short of breath that you cannot talk in a full sentence.
●You develop severe pain in your chest, back, or neck.
●You start to cough up blood or yellow or green mucus.
●You have a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or chills.
●You are very weak or lightheaded, or feel like you might pass out.
●You have very bad pain that is not helped by your medicines.
Patient education: Fractures in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Pneumonia in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Nerve blocks (The Basics)
Patient education: Deep breathing and coughing after surgery (The Basics)
Patient education: How to use an incentive spirometer (The Basics)
Patient education: Flank pain (The Basics)
