Wiggo's Ribs

seanorawe

I was in a collision in July and bruised my ribs, I can ride ok but they are still a little sore when i sneeze etc. I can only imagine that if they were to break, they would take a long time to heal. Has anyone here broke their ribs? If so, do you think if Wiggo's ribs are in fact broke, will he be ready on time to train for next season?

Wacky Racer

I broke two ribs about 10 years ago, it was one of the worst injuries I've ever suffered in terms of how restrictive it is. Even breathing was painful, coughing, sneezing or any sudden movement was agony. It took 3 months for me to recover to the point of no pain.

Wiggo, unlike me, won't have to worry about going to work, and will be able to fully recuperate properly. He won't have any problem being fit for next year, assuming no complications.

GBR1

Plus he will have a full time team behind him (physio, physiologist etc) which helps a lot in any recovery period!

Omar Little

i've cracked ribs twice and also badly bruised them (i guess i am prone to rib injuries for some reason). In terms of the pain they are very similar and the treatment (which basically amounts to not alot) is the same. Just takes longer for the pain to go away from the cracked ones.

I was about 3 weeks off the bike the last time before i could do some riding, couldnt go hard as the breathing would be too difficult, but the exercise did good and i was comfortable riding my bike long before i could get comfortable in bed again. Sneezing or coughing was agony for weeks afterwards too. So assuming it is straight forward cracked ribs and not in danger of puncturing a lung or whatever then i dont see it disrupting his training plans than much - presumably at the moment he would be focusing on lower intensity work anyway.

laurentian

I've broken mine twice and damaged the cartilage once playing Rugby. It can take ages to get right - the last time I did it, I was given a two week course of antibiotics to avoid infection as the inability to exhale properly makes you susceptible to chest infections, which make you cough a lot . . . that hurts with broken ribs!

Loretta Damage

Broke 2 ribs and popped the cartilage playing rugby about 7 years ago. The fact nothing can be strapped meant that every upper body movement, cough, sneeze, etc... resulted in sharp agonising pain until they began to heal. Still got noticeable lumps on the ribs where they healed. I remember being able to to some gentle work on a spinning bike after about 10 days.

negativelycra

seanorawe wrote:

I was in a collision in July and bruised my ribs, I can ride ok but they are still a little sore when i sneeze etc. I can only imagine that if they were to break, they would take a long time to heal. Has anyone here broke their ribs? If so, do you think if Wiggo's ribs are in fact broke, will he be ready on time to train for next season?

Last year, i was at a 24 hour karting event. I was trying to get the attentuon of one of our drivers, slipped off the armco, and broke 2 ribs. Naively, i did a further 4 hours in the kart, full of coedine.
Fuck me, i've never known pain like it. The next day (tablets worn off), i woke up and couldn't get myself up to go for a wee - the "pressup" needed to get up was too painful. Thankfully, wor lass helped me get upright.
Spent the next week sleeeping semi upright, but life was shite - laughing hurts like a bitch. I sneezed once,i nearly cried. Nothing the docs can do to strap / help, just have to go immobile and try not to get out of breath.

For me at the time, it was frustrating - despite being a largely couch potato. For an athlete like wiggo, it must be crucifying...

giant_man

I bruised / cracked one of my ribs in April, playing football, not riding, and it was a bloody painful affair. Paramedic, drugs, everything, etc. I can't imagine what's it like to actually break them, ouch! And of course they won't x-ray ribs, so you don't actually know what damage there is.

Martin bikeradar

Fractured 3 ribs coming off the bike but rode the full Cheshire Cat sportive 3-4 weeks later with painkillers, in decent time.

So - yeh - lightish training was fine, generally. Short breaths all the way. Your bike position doesn't really strain your rib cage: in a straight line. But turning hurt a bit! In your mind is just the nightmarish thought of coming off again: it made me extra careful. And the thought of sneezing. I wasn't able to sleep on my busted side for 3-4 months.

It should be said - fracture and break are two different things, with lungs nearby in mind! Check with yer Doc.

If there was a time for Brad to come off - it was this week.

fossyant

Broke my ribs on holiday 3 years ago chasing the kids round the hotel pool.

1 remaining week on holiday, found it near on impossible to lie down for a number of nights, so beer and sleeping in a chair helped. Got back home and was back on the bike, but any out of saddle accelleration or climbing was out for a few more weeks. Took it easy. I'd say about 6 months though before there was no pain.