cracked or bruised rib
cracked or bruised rib
I just got back from a week at the beach. Glorious. While boogie boarding I cracked/bruised my ribs and/or tore a muscle which is very painful. It seems to be getting better but I have read to take it easy for a while. I have not rowed for a week and a half and I am anxious to get back into my routine. How should I proceed? Take time off or start back gradually and see if it makes the side worse? Has anyone else experienced this? Any advice?
There's a difference between cracked and bruised; but being optimistic and if you can take it, go at low Watts (say 1.3 to 1.5W/kg, but this depends on your age etc) and low drag and maybe not quite full length. Like a warm-up or slowish UT2. Might even say do a standard 15' warm-up and a 10' warm-down and have done with it. Take the chance to improve your technique, if you need to, by watching what you're doing in each single stroke. Relaxed and smooth. You don't have to pull hard to load your CV systems, if the strokes are good.
08-1940, 179cm, 75kg post-op (3 bp).
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johnlvs2run
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Re: cracked or bruised rib
Did you have an impact to your ribs?nic05 wrote:I just got back from a week at the beach. Glorious. While boogie boarding I cracked/bruised my ribs and/or tore a muscle which is very painful. It seems to be getting better but I have read to take it easy for a while. I have not rowed for a week and a half and I am anxious to get back into my routine. How should I proceed? Take time off or start back gradually and see if it makes the side worse? Has anyone else experienced this? Any advice?
I had some torn cartilidge between my ribs a few years ago from the erg, which was very painful. This is apparently a very common injury amongst all levels of rowers. in my case I was probably not keeping my back straight enough at the catch.
It was very painful for a few days, and would come and go over a period of a few weeks or so. It helped to keep my arms pressed to my ribs if I needed to sneeze or cough, and to lay on my back with my feet up. I got an air bed to sleep on which helped. Most people take time off and rest, but I kept rowing every day, though for a few days my pace was 2:50 per 500, i.e. no effort at all, to take it easy on my ribs.
The pain typically moved around, sometimes being in the front, then in back, then my sides. Icing helped, but most of all it took time to heal.
bikeerg 75 5'8" 155# - 18.5 - 51.9 - 568 - 1:52.7 - 8:03.8 - 20:13.1 - 14620 - 40:58.7 - 28855 - 1:23:48.0
rowerg 56-58 5'8.5" 143# - 1:39.6 - 3:35.6 - 7:24.0 - 18:57.4 - 22:49.9 - 7793 - 38:44.7 - 1:22:48.9 - 2:58:46.2
rowerg 56-58 5'8.5" 143# - 1:39.6 - 3:35.6 - 7:24.0 - 18:57.4 - 22:49.9 - 7793 - 38:44.7 - 1:22:48.9 - 2:58:46.2
Injury
My guess is that when the wave hit, one end of the boogie board hit me and the other was forced into the sand. It knocked the stuffing out of me. This occurred a week ago but I didn't get back home until the weekend. I had thought I would see my Dr first thing today, but it seems to be starting to ease up, so I may not go see him. I'm not really sure if it is ribs, muscle tear or tendons, etc. I rowed gently yesterday and it was painful. I think I will wait one more day and then go slowly. Thanks for the advice to use this time to concentrate on form. That would be time wisely spent. Thanks for advice.
Not cracked or broken
Hey-I guess I got lucky. I don't think this is a cracked or broken rib. I rowed for 10 minutes today-fairly gently-and all is okay. I didn't even take an Aleve today. I'll shoot for 20 min tomorrow and then if thats okay, I'm good to go. Thanks for the help. It has been painful, but I would do it all again to be in those waves again!