Anyone tried running with a cracked rib

Yes

Had a couple of weeks off, went for a run and it still felt like someone had just kicked me if the ribs

As long as there is no displacement you will be ok, just take it easy and build back gradually

One of my teammates in jr. high fell during a race and cracked a rib. He finished the race, but it wasn't pretty. I think he missed a few days or a week (I don't remember), but he was racing again two or three weeks later.

Personally, I would take a day or two off from running. Maybe see what it feels like to walk at a fast pace. As long as the rib isn't actually broken or jabbing into anything, running shouldn't cause a lot of damage, but be careful. If you do run, be sure to take it very easy. You don't really want to mess around with any kind of lung injury.

At age 42 I tripped bad, went flying and broke my fall with arms and chest; cracked rib 3 weeks prior Boston Marathon. What can you do for a cracked rib? A: nothing.

Possibly the most comfortable position with a broken rib, at least in my case, was standing or lying really still on your back. Sitting, lying on chest or side, was uncomfortable at times. Sneezing and laughing was very painful. Other types of excercise was out of the question, but running, no big deal.

I ran the Marathon in garbage weather in 2007 and actually had my best Boston time ever. I wore a tight technical shirt (similar to Body Armor) which seemed to give some compression on my rib cage area just to be sure, but felt fine the entire time. Took a couple weeks off and never had a problem. Good luck.

I ran a half-marathon with (not yet diagnosed at the time) two broken ribs. Bad idea - added WEEKS to my total recovery time...if I had to do it over again I'd have rested fully for a month before doing any running again. I ended up just taking two weeks off, then running again for a couple weeks, then having to take another two weeks off due to pain..you get the gist. Total recovery time was MUCH longer than if I just took the proper time at the outset. Now (6 months later), I still have residual pain on one of the ribs, which I'm sure is due to scar tissue from a poorly healed fracture from not taking the proper time to rest it. I know its hard, but try to take the time off if you can!

I broke a few ribs at the same age you are. Breathing was my main concern for a few weeks. That seemed to be an effort. I tried to run, but it was excruciating. Like you said, sneezing or laughing was horrible. You can try, but I doubt you'll get anything of quality in. Try an elliptical or something else of non-impact for a while. Good luck.

'I still have residual pain on one of the ribs, which I'm sure is due to scar tissue from a poorly healed fracture from not taking the proper time to rest it. I know its hard, but try to take the time off if you can!'

That's good advice

I ate shit on a rail and broke my rib last winter,i didn't realize it was so bad til later that night and I realized it hurt to breathe. I wasn't running much at the time, but I did get some runs in. I remember it being pretty painful, but you really can't make it much worse as long as you don't have any sharp pokeys coming off the broken rib.

Thanks, you have all been helpfull, really inspirational. If you can get through it, I guess I can too. I must say, I feel like a total pussy-it hurts just to breathe. I'm going to take a minimum 2 weeks off.

Good luck in your recovery. My brother fell at work a few weeks ago and broke two ribs. He was in a lot of pain and couldn't even lay down for 1.5 weeks (he ended up sleeping in a chair), and he couldn't drive for about the same amount of time. Be careful and rest well.

I've done it twice, most recently last August. I ran through it the first time because I was training for NYCM and was in great shape; hurt for six weeks but healed and was not an issue in the race. This time I took two weeks off after one trial run because it was a lot more painful. I didn't have any trouble once I got going again. Once you get back into it just be careful and back right off for another two if the pain goes beyond serious discomfort.

I cracked a rib back in November and it hurt like crazy. I dreaded sneezing. But I found that running was the least painful thing I did so I just kept on like normal. But I was very careful to avoid falling or doing anything that would have caused me to twist or wrench. The worst of the pain was gone in less than two weeks but it was tender for maybe six weeks.

I've run with bruised if not cracked ribs - basically it hurt like a gunshot for a half mile and then the pain subsided for the rest of the run. the body is amazing, no?

I fractured a rib 8 weeks before my first marathon (from a very bad cough/cold). I thought I'd either pulled a muscle or dislocated a rib cause I had a "knot" the size of half tennis ball on my side (11th rib). I was able to jog easy, high mileage (100-110 mpw) and had an athletic trainer tape it up for the first 2 weeks. No hard running. Sneezing/coughing/rolling over in bed was painful! No drugs-- they slow healing. I think the "light movement" of running/arm movement/breathing helped it heal faster cause I was pain free in 3 weeks, but it took a while for the knot (~bone callus) to remodel itself completely. I did a few light workouts in the 2 weeks leading up to the marathon and ran it (missed the OT qualifier by 1:30+).

I think my arm/torso/breathing mechanics changed because of the fractured rib, and it wasn't until I began working with a PT last summer for my hip injury that we figured out I had "tightness" on my right side/chest that may have impacted my lower body mechanics too (leading to the hip injury). I spent 4 months working it all out.

I'm trying a lidoderm patch this morning and 2 advil. Wow this drug is great! I'm definately putting one on tonight for bed, too much pain last night to sleep.

You'd be better off enduring the pain. The drugs slow the healing of the bone cause they inhibit prostaglandin, which stimulates IGF-1 (precursor to growth hormone).

I ran in to a lamppost 200 yards in to a run in London a couple of years ago.

I was looking backwards over my left shoulder trying to work out which direction the traffic was coming from.

I guess I was in shock for the next 8 miles but I figured if I could breathe, I could run.

The 5 miles plus strides the next day was pretty painful.

I saw a local doctor who told me I had 2 cracked ribs but he told me if I could breathe, I could run.

I love the NHS.

I was sparring with one of the young guys at the gym, took a good shot to the ribs. The xrays said a cracked rib. I quit doing my boxing workouts for a few weeks, but never stopped running. Good as new now.

I have done it. My doc was amazed I could continue my usual routine, which was about 45 miles a week, pretty decent pace. He told me as long as I didn't fall and hurt it(potentially causing a punctured lung) I could continue as I wanted. He said healing time is generally 6-8 weeks. He gave me pills, which did next to nothing. It hurt to run fast, couldn't do any serious workout because of deeps breaths, but overall, no problems.

I should have pointed out, as others did, that I was in serious pain like you and banged up for a few days, during which I did not run. I resumed a taper with a couple moderate workouts and longer runs 2 weeks prior and then pretty restful week prior. Your pain should ease up as swelling goes down.