14 Ways to Treat Bruised or Cracked Ribs

• Ice your bruised ribs for 20 minutes 2-3 times a day during the first couple of days after the injury to reduce inflammation.
• Use warm compresses after the first couple of days to ease pain and promote healing.
• Take full, deep breaths to keep your lungs healthy and keep your ribs expanding and moving as they heal.
• See your doctor if you're coughing up blood or green or yellow mucus, as these are signs of lung infection.

Immediate Relief

Ice the area for 20 minutes 2-3 times a day for the first day or two. Fill a sealable plastic bag with ice or grab a bag of frozen vegetables, such as corn or peas. Wrap the ice pack in a towel or T-shirt, then place that directly on the injury. Icing reduces swelling and also numbs the area so it won't be as painful for you. As the swelling goes down, gently press your ribs with your fingers, looking for a protrusion that might signal your rib is broken rather than merely bruised. If you suspect you have a broken rib, go ahead and have a doctor look at it. Though the treatment for broken ribs is usually the same as it is for bruised ones, it's good to get a medical opinion.

Take over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers as needed. If your pain isn't severe, take either ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn) to feel a little better. Controlling your pain helps you breathe normally, which keeps your lungs healthy while your ribs are healing. Hold off on the ibuprofen until 48 hours after your injury—if you take it during the first couple of days, it can slow down healing. Most people can also use acetaminophen (Tylenol). But you shouldn't use it if you have liver disease or reduced liver function. Don't exceed the maximum dosages listed on the bottle unless your doctor advises you to do so.

Allow your lungs to expand fully and freely. Constricting your chest or wrapping your ribs in a compression bandage doesn't allow your lungs to expand to their full capacity when you breathe. This can make it hard for you to get rid of mucus in your lungs, which could ultimately lead to an infection (pneumonia).

Take 10 slow, deep breaths every hour to help clear your lungs. If you have a lot of pain, this isn't going to be easy, but it's essential to keep from developing an infection in your lungs. Slow, deep breathing also has a relaxing effect—that release of tension will definitely help your ribs feel at least a little better. Taking an OTC pain reliever can make this a bit easier for you if your ribs are hurting so badly you find you simply can't breathe deeply.

Cough gently every 2 hours to clear mucus from your lungs. Because of your bruised ribs, you're probably trying to avoid coughing as much as possible—it hurts! But coughing is necessary to keep your lungs clear so they won't get infected. Hold a pillow to your chest to make this a little easier on your ribs. If you're already coughing quite a bit, this might not be something you need to worry about as much. Just make sure it's a productive cough that's actually helping clear your lungs (as opposed to a dry cough in your throat).

Sleep in a semi-upright position for the first couple of nights. Prop yourself up with pillows and put pillows or rolled blankets on either side of your torso to make this more comfy. This position puts the least pressure on your ribs and allows your rib cage to expand normally while you breathe as you sleep.

Long-Term Recovery

Apply a warm compress after the first 2 days. Switch from ice to heat to ease pain once the swelling has gone down. This can be as simple as running a clean washcloth under warm water and laying it on your skin over your bruised ribs. But you could also use a heating pad on its lowest setting. Soaking in a warm bath is also a great way to ease soreness and relax. The warmth eases the tension in the surrounding muscles and will probably make you feel a lot better overall.

Sleep on the unaffected side while your ribs continue to heal. Within 2 or 3 days of your injury, you no longer have to sleep in a semi-upright position if you were having a hard time with that. Just make sure you're not laying on your bruised ribs—this makes it easier for you to breathe and keeps you from putting added pressure on your ribs as they're healing. If you need to, roll up a blanket or surround yourself with pillows so you're not able to roll over to your injured side while you're asleep. Finding a comfortable sleeping position can be one of the hardest things about having bruised ribs. Do what you need to do to relax before bed so you're ready to fall asleep.

Take it easy for the first week or so after your injury. This doesn't mean laying around, though! You still want to get up and walk around for a bit every hour or so. And you can still go to work, although you might ask for accommodations if your job requires you to be on your feet for an extended period of time. In the first couple of days after the injury, it's usually best to call out of work and give your body the chance to start the healing process. Gentle activity speeds up the healing process—just don't overdo it. Stop doing anything that makes your ribs hurt more than they did before.

Call your doctor if you have overwhelming pain or symptoms of infection. For the most part, there's no specific medical treatment for bruised ribs—just rest and time. But if you have severe pain (especially if it's making it hard for you to breathe), your doctor can prescribe stronger pain medication that will help. Aside from that, get medical attention for a lung infection right away—that needs to be cleared before it gets worse. Lung infection symptoms to look out for include fever, severe cough (especially if you're coughing up yellow or green mucus, or blood), shortness of breath, and nausea. With bruised ribs, the pain and soreness is usually gone in about a week. You might want to see your doctor if your pain lingers longer than that, just to make sure you don't have a fracture.

Things to Avoid

Resting in bed all day Yes, you should take it easy, but that doesn't mean not doing anything at all. In fact, you should avoid remaining completely inactive for an extended period of time (except when you're sleeping). Get up and walk around, try gentle stretches and slow movements that will keep your body engaged without putting too much strain on your core.

Smoking or tobacco products If you're a smoker, now is a good time to make a plan to quit. Smoking makes your lungs work harder and increases the chances that you'll develop a lung infection while your ribs are healing.

Strenuous activities Any activity that makes you breathe heavily is going to put a lot of pressure on your bruised ribs. This kind of pressure can cause further damage to the surrounding tissue and make it take longer for your injury to heal.

Heavy lifting Lifting heavy things engages your core and can cause you tremendous pain when you've got bruised ribs. But apart from that, you're putting strain on the surrounding muscles and can actually make your injury worse.