help - bruised / painful ribs... again and again

[NeilT]

Hi all

I sudy Shotokan karate and seem to suffer from bruised ribs time and time again, even after quite light sparring. Its now almost a permanent pain!

It would seem that any sort of jab, kick, punch coming into contact with my rib area, leaves me with sometimes weeks of pain, even if its just light contact.

Took quite a nasty punch last year which left me with pain when breathing for weeks so went to see a physio and he gave me some treatment which after several sessions of infrasound (I think) and hot/cold treatments sorted it out just about, but since then got another light impact on my other side and the same problem (albeit not so extreme)

Even hurts lying on my side in bed!

I went down with pneumonia last Nov/Dec, so had numerous Xrays and eventually all clear, so I know theres nothing wrong in the lung department.

Seems like nobody else in the club suffers this. Any ideas on a good treatment and / or possible reasons why i'm suffering this recurring injury? (apart from not covering my ribs when sparring!).

Any good excercises for building up some of the muscles around the rib areas?

thanks

Neil

[bushido_man96]

Do a lot of core exercises to stregthen your abs, back, etc. Otherwise, maybe don't spar for a while.

[lordtariel]

Have you talked to the doctor about this in general or just about the pneumonia? I know I strained a rib muscle one time and the pain stayed with me for a few months. Not the same type of pain I would associate with a bruise though, but it hurt to breath deeply, twist my torso around or put pressure on the side.

[baronbvp]

Could be a cartilage separation of some sort from your ribs, or bruised or cracked ribs. Sam Sheridan writes about this kind of chronic injury in his recent book A Fighter's Heart.

[P.A.L]

it could be a cracked rib, i had one and took more than a year to heal.

[marie curie]

My fiance had a hematoma- it took a month or so to heal

[Fish]

I fell off a ladder about 5 years ago, and landed on my front. My ribs hurt for months afterwards, and even when they healed, for a while a light touch was enough to make them sore again. All I can suggest is give it time, and ask your sparring partners to go easy around your ribs.

[Ann-Marie]

I tore the ligaments between my lower floating ribs in a car accident in december 2005 - it still hurts occassionaly now if i sit in a car on long journeys. I find, like bushido man says, that strengthening exercises around the core help to keep my whole midsection stable - hurt like nothing else at first though and it took ages to realise that the exercises were helping.

make a point of telling your sparring partner not to touch the ribs and if they do give them a jab back to let them now how you feel!

[Tkd_MMA]

make a point of telling your sparring partner not to touch the ribs and if they do give them a jab back to let them now how you feel!

I agree with the first part but disagree with the second. Sometimes people forget exspecially in spareing if it happends remind them that you are injured. if they keep attacking that area. then yes i would place stronger hit to the plex or the ribs both areas would make anyone rember.