Strain / Sprain / Fracture of Ribs in Lehi

The ribs form a cage-like structure that helps protect the heart and lungs against injuries. Rib injuries can affect the lungs or heart if treatment is not given in a timely manner. A fractured rib has all of the same symptoms as a sprained rib. Doctors order X-rays to tell the difference in most cases. Sprained ribs can occur when there are compressive, excessive, or prolonged forces exerted on the ribs causing injury or damage to the joints, cartilage, or the muscles in-between the ribs.

Causes of Sprained ribs:

• Accident: A sudden blow to the chest in an accident may affect the rib cage and surrounding muscles. Such type of accident can seriously damage some parts of the chest region and may cause sprained ribs. A seat belt although needed to stay safe in an auto accidents are known to cause rib injuries. Recovery may also take a long time.
• Poor and Incorrect Posture: An incorrect posture can cause pressure to the rib cage leading to an injured rib. People who sit in front of a computer for a long time often adopt an incorrect sitting position, which can eventually lead to injured ribs.
• Wearing Inappropriate Undergarments or Innerwear: It is also important to choose the right innerwear to avoid rib injuries. Very tight undergarments may provide the needed support, but may also put too much pressure on the chest area.
• Sleeping in an Awkward Position: When people sleep in a wrong or awkward position, such as sleeping with legs at an elevated position, too much pressure may be applied to the chest region leading to sprained ribs. Although certain back conditions may require the legs to be slightly elevated, the level of elevation should still be checked to avoid causing problems to other parts of the body.

Seek immediate medical help if you experience any of the following:

• Difficulty breathing—Sometimes, a person with sprained ribs may feel a sudden sharp pain from the upper back to the chest region, which makes breathing uneasy and painful. In severe cases, breathing can cause excruciating pain.
• Extreme pain—you may feel a sharp pain it can either be immediate or come on more gradually. The pain will get worse when you twist, stretch, breath in deeply, cough, or sneeze. Increasing pain in body movements, the more a person moves, the more pain is felt.
• Unsure about the severity of your rib injury
• Unable to move your body
• Other Symptoms may be tenderness—the area of the strain between your ribs will be sore to touch.