Back in August of 2009 I sustained a rib fracture with a contusion. The rib has healed fine now, but this hard mass at then end of my ribs (seems like the last 2-3 ribs that connect to the sternum) has not gone down much. Its not really painful except if i put a lot of pressure directly on it. I can sidebend without a problem, but it does get sore when I add weight to side bending at the gym.
When the incident first occurred there was no bruising and I actually had an ER MD with me, who initially said I had multiple fractures/broken ribs that were displaced because of how the ribs looked. After a few xrays and MD visits I was told that it was just one broken rib that wasn't displaced and that the hard mass is a bone bruise that will go down on its own. So now its been 8 months and the rib still looks about the same. Why hasn't the mass gone down? I know that it may not look like it has decreased much to me as the bone is slowly reabsorbed into the body, but my fiance/sister/friends who don't see it often as I do also comment that its about the same size. What can I do to reduce this boney contusion. I am planning to go back to the MD now, but waited this long because I was told it would take a long time to return to its normal state, within a year. Just worried that it will never go down.
Will ultrasound and moist heat packs still help in reducing the contusion? Any suggestions?
Thank you in advance.