A broken breastbone from a crash: breathing and moving while it heals
Insight from a trauma specialist and a respiratory therapist on chest wall recovery
The sternum, or breastbone, sits in the center of your chest. A hit from the steering wheel or seat belt can break it. Pain often gets worse when you cough, laugh, breathe deeply or get out of bed. [1, 2]
The same force can also hurt the ribs, lungs or heart. A trauma specialist checks for these related injuries. A respiratory therapist helps you take deep breaths even though you’re sore. [1, 2]
Know what the tests found and ruled out
Ask whether the broken bone is lined up and whether the scan found other chest injuries. Find out whether you needed a heart blood test or an electrocardiogram, which tracks the heart’s electrical signals. Ask what those tests showed. [1, 2, 3]
Don’t assume a broken breastbone means your heart was hurt. Likewise, don’t assume your heart was checked just because the break was found. Ask for a plain language summary of what the hospital found. [1, 2, 3]
Plan your movement around your breathing
Take pain medicine as prescribed so you can breathe deeply, cough and walk. Ask a therapist to show you how to cough while supporting your chest. Have them show you a safe way to get up from a chair or bed, too. [1, 2]
Keep moving within the limits set for your other injuries. Ask when you can lift, drive, work and exercise again. A job with physical labor may need a different plan than a desk job. [1, 2]
Pain that doesn't fit normal soreness
Get emergency care for new, severe chest pain, fainting, trouble breathing or a new irregular heartbeat that doesn’t go away. Call your care team about a fever or a cough that gets worse. Also call if pain still keeps you from breathing deeply despite treatment. These can be signs of a chest infection or another problem. [1, 2]
Questions about your chest injury
- What other chest or heart injuries did you check for?
- What pain plan will let me breathe and move?
- When is it safe for me to drive, lift and work?
Practice your breathing routine before you go
Sources and further reading
- 1Gloucestershire Hospitals chest trauma advice
- 2Royal Free London chest wall injury
- 3Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma blunt cardiac injury screening
This overview reflects trauma and respiratory care and is meant for general education. Chest pain after a crash can have more than one cause. Get urgent care for trouble breathing, fainting or a new, severe pattern of symptoms.
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