Bruised ribs

How long does it take to heal bruised ribs?  Are there activities that I shouldn't do?  The pain is intense, from under my arm across the top of my breast/chest,  I can't bend, lift or move with out  pain.  It also hurts to breath deep.
Liza

[Tutman]

Your rib cage is attached by cartilage at the sternum. Over time calcium and bone forms over those connections. A hard enough impact will loosen this growth. That in turn allows the cartilage to move after years of not. There are many nerves there. It took me almost 3 months to recover from my incident. Hope that helped.

[Problemania]

I play football and Ive had bruised ribs.... It took me 6 months to recover... You should just take it easy for a month or so

[Liza0215]

Thanks- I think-  6 MONTHES!  Ugh!  When does the intense pain go away?  Which pain meds work the best?  When can I engage in normal activities?  Liza

[caregiver222]

In my case the pain lasted six months, but it was greatly diminished after three months.

Try asking your doctor about use of a transdermal lidocaine patch over the bruised area. You cut a little piece, but don't wear it more than 12 hours out of the day.