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Question
I broke 2 ribs by falling off a chair (painting) almost five months ago. While I'm not experiencing significant pain like I was, I am still very sore especially in certain positions. Will it go away eventually or does it need some kind of intervention? Thanks
Dear Linda,
Even though your broken ribs have healed, it is common to have residual pain due to the reduced active ranges of motion that you undergo while healing a fracture. When bone is healing, we must prevent movement to allow for the fracture to stabilize, but this bad for the surrounding soft tissue and creates problems. Soft tissue is healthy when it can move freely, and this requires a full active range of motion. It is very possible that you have restriction of movement associated with the rib cage due to contraction or adhesions of the musculature that supports and attaches to the ribs.
The first thing I would suggest is that you incorporate active stretching into your daily routine to include the entire upper torso. This will help to lengthen any fascial slings and associate musculature around the torso which will free up motion and reduce any chronic inflammation. In addition it will help to break fibrous adhesions and abnormal scar tissue which are present after injury and are contributory to the pain promoting process. Start 2x a day for the next week and re-evaluate your pain levels, function etc... to look for improvement or any problems you may be having. Document this process so that you can tract your progress.
If you are not attaining any pain reduction or increases in function, then I would schedule an examination to find out why. You may need to incorporate some deep tissue myofascial release and massage techniques to free up the area, and you may need to have the spine and rib articulations adjusted to remove fixations in the joint space which will increase mobility and reduce pain. Injuries like broken ribs frequently produce spinal and rib fixations in addition to muscle spasm. Chiropractic care and massage work well to limit and correct these problems.
Try the stretching first and check for progress, if none, get an examination of the area. If you need any further help with questions or comments, please feel free to write back.
Respectfully,
Dr. J. Shawn Leatherman
www.suncoasthealthcare.net
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| Comment | What a great answer. I was expecting something different. I've already spoken to my chiropractor and he agrees | ||
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Dr. J. Shawn Leatherman
Expertise
I can answer questions on general chiropractic care, sports injury, whiplash and auto crash, mild traumatic brain injury, structural and functional rehabilitation of the spine, nutrition for inflammation and repair, fitness training, nutrition for sports performance and other general health and nutrition related inquiries. I currently lecture on automobile trauma, occupant kinematics, and forensic risk analysis to local EMS, Fire and Police, as well as nutrition and sports injury to community groups. Rest assured all answers are generated from my clinical experience, and scientific research.
Experience
I have accumulated over 1100 hours of post-doctoral training to include; Certifications in Spinal Trauma and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury from the Spine Research Institute of San Diego, Certification in Chiropractic Spinal Trauma from the International Chiropractic Association, Certification in Low Speed Auto Crash Reconstruction and Certification in Forensic Risk Analysis from The Center for Research Into Automotive Safety and Health, Certified Proficiency in spinal and extremity diagnostic procedures from The Motion Palpation Institute, Certified in Sports Injury and Rehabilitation from the National University of Health Sciences and The American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians, Nationally Certified Fellow of Structural Rehabilitation from The Chiropractic Biophysics Organization, and I have advanced training in manipulation under anesthesia and nutrition. Feel free to check out my website for course listings: www.suncoasthealthcare.net
Organizations
International Chiropractic Association, Florida Chiropractic Association, American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians, American Academy of Pain Management, Chiropractic Biophysics, Spine Research Institute of San Diego, Center for Research Into Automotive Safety and Health, Motion Palpation Organization, American Academy of Manual and Physical Medicine, Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce
Education/Credentials
B.A. (Psychology)The University of Cincinnati
B.S. (Human Biology)Cleveland Chiropractic College
D.C. (Doctor of Chiropractic) Cleveland Chiropractic College
C.C.S.T. (Certification in Chiropractic Spinal Trauma)The International Chiropractic Association
C.C.S.P. (Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician)The American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians.
*CCST and CCSP 120 hour certification courses are not recognized by the Florida Chiropractic Board due to the fact that they are not 300 hour diplomate level courses*
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