what helps rib pain
2. Ice the injured area. Icing your rib will help reduce pain and swelling, so that the bruised tissue can heal more quickly. Stick to ice for the first 72 hours after an injury, and resist the urge to break out a heating pad instead. You're experiencing increasing pain in your chest, abdomen, or shoulder. 2  You develop a cough or fever. 3  The pain in your chest is intense, but you can twist to look over your shoulder without a marked increase in pain. 4  A bruised rib will feel worse with twisting your torso; something more serious will not.