Recovering from broken ribs – Home GP support after broken ribs in Marbella

Broken ribs are usually left to heal on their own because of their position in the body. However, sometimes you may need extra help during your recovery. In this article we talk about how to manage a broken rib, how long you can expect the recovery process to take and what to expect from our home support after broken ribs in Marbella.

Dos and don’ts while you recover

What is safe to do?

The best recovery for a broken rib or ribs is to rest so that you can reduce some of the pain or uncomfortability at the same time as you let your body to carry out its natural healing process.

Of course, total rest is not possible and a low level of physical activity will be also healthy for your overall health. If you have a broken rib you will be able to get up and walk around pretty early in the recovery process, but before you do so make sure your doctor or our home support after broken ribs in Marbella tells you that you are able to do so. Sometimes it may be too soon and it may be better to wait a little bit. 

If you are told you are able to start walking around, you can also return to other low-impact activities, including:

• sexual activity
• light housework
• simple errands
• working, as long as it doesn’t involve heavy lifting or physical exertion

Things to avoid

During your recovery process there are things you won’t be advise to do, such as:

• lifting anything over 5kg
• playing contact sports
• activities requiring stretching, pulling or pushing such as crunches and pull-ups
• high-impact activities, such as running
• playing golf

How long does a broken rib take to heal?

Ribs will heal on their own in about six weeks, which means you should avoid any activity, such as sports or heavy lifting, that could further injure your ribs for that period of time. You should also avoid anything that causes you to feel pain around your ribs. If you engaged in an activity that caused you pain in your ribs, contact our home support after broken ribs in Marbella immediately.

Home GP support after broken ribs in Marbella

As you recover, we strongly recommend you to report to our home GP support after broken ribs in Marbella any signs of a punctured lung or pneumonia.

That is, if you experience:

• difficulty catching your breath
• coughing up mucus more often or coughing up thick mucus
• coughing up blood
• blue lips
• fever of 38.8°C or higher