Hi, Thanks for your query. Even hair thin crack/ bruising / strong bump on ribs leads to unbearable pain in ribs- because they keep moving while breathing, more so in elderly patients -as their bones are weaker due to age. - while treating such patient I usually advise for stabilizing the ribs by putting elastic adhesive bandage around chest for a few days. This allows respiration while supporting rib. - NSAID drugs are to be given twice a day after food /ranitidine pills to avoid acidity. I do hope that you have found something helpful and I will be glad to answer any further query. Take care