The types of sports injuries in the ribs
Suffering sports injuries in the ribs can leave an athlete out of activity. Although they are fine bones to which we do not pay attention, they are responsible for protecting organs of utmost importance, such as lungs and heart.
A thoracic trauma with sufficient power derives from dangerous internal damage. The pleura can be drilled or some of the nerves that run in intercostal spaces. The recovery is slow and requires strict rest. Discover more in this reading.
How are the ribs?
The ribs are bones that are part of the chest wall. In addition to protecting the organs that are located below, such as the heart and lungs, they participate in respiratory dynamics thanks to intercostal muscles and diaphragm.
Without costal mobility and its expansion capacity, it would be impossible to increase the volume of air that enters before an activity that demands more. At the same time, it would not be easy to increase the oxygen contribution to supply the metabolism of cells in aerobic exercises.
The ribs are 24, organized in 12 pairs, on each side of the thorax. They connect in the center by a cartilage that reaches the sternum bone;That hard surface in the middle of the chest. The last two costal pairs are called floating, since they do not have that union with the rest. Although smaller, they are bones that participate in the coverage of the superior pole of the kidneys.
Among the ribs there is a space that carries important structures. A bunch of arteries, veins and nerves run between the intercostal muscles to irrigate and innervate much of the body.
Two sports injuries in the ribs
As we advance, there are two main sports injuries that refer to the ribs. One of them is the fracture, which can affect a single bone or several. On the other hand we have the contusion, which results in an inflammatory mixture between bone tissue and muscle.
Rib fractures
Fractures in the ribs are losses of bone continuity in these anatomical structures. The main cause is the traum.
In the medical community the difference between fissure and fracture is discussed. Actually, if there is what is called a fissure, it should be considered that there is a fracture, in reality, since the bone has lost the continuity that joins one part with the other. For practical purposes, treatment is practically the same.
This sporting injury is not always punctual. Sometimes we find a burst of the bone or multiple and small breaks that combine, increasing the risk of bone fragments to be embedded in the organs underneath. Complications derived from costal fracture can cover special gravity:
Perforations: fractured rib can pierce a large artery or lung. When the pleura, which is the layer that covers the lung tissue, opens and tear.
Tears: this is a complication, above all, of floating ribs. Their fractures inside the body tear the liver or kidneys. The bleeding generated by these organs can be abundant, leading to peritonitis by the accumulation of liquid within the abdominal cavity.
Costal contusion
If a fracture does not occur as a sports injury in the rib, trauma may carry a contusion. In this case, the area is inflamed and hematomas are formed due to the breakage of arteries and veins. The skin is oversupply because of it and touch is painful.
The skin will travel the evolutionary colors of the bruise and that will be indicative of the healing process. In the same way, with rest, the injury will tend to reduce pain and functional impotence. It is common that at the beginning the athlete cannot breathe normally and that it costs to mobilize the upper limb of the affected side.
Healing is slow. The healing is calculated in more than a month, as long as the indicated rest is respected and excessive efforts are not made at that time. One possibility is the tight bandage to accelerate the process. You can also help with local cold and, if prescribed by a doctor, take analgesics and anti -inflammatories.
Practicing breathing reeducation is an approach that becomes increasingly important in the physiotherapy of these rib sports lesions. The professional teaches the athlete some exercises that improve respiratory dynamics and help him cope with the functional limitation of the beginning.
Rest is the main ally for sports injuries in the ribs
It is essential to rest on sports injuries in the ribs. Within the treatments, the most effective is the detention of the movement to facilitate healing. Anyway, this must be accompanied by a medical approach that diagnoses the damage in its extension.
For this, radiographs and computed tomographs are used. If necessary, medicines will be prescribed and sessions of physiotherapy will be indicated. Therefore, if you have suffered a trauma in your sports practice and you have chest pain, do not demonstrate the consultation
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