Hello i was in a bad car accident and broke aton of bones including two ribs on my left side back in October..here it is june and all of a sudden i cannot lay on my side touch my side or anything.i also had a chest tube on that sidw that is in terrible shooting pain...any idea of what i.should do..plz help.
Thanks for your question on Chat Doctor. I can understand your concern. You had chest tube insertion for traumatic lung injury in the past. Once chest tube is removed, that part of pleural cavity show signs of healing. Healing takes place in the form of fibrosis and thickening. So that local pleural surface is thicker than rest of the lung. This causes pain and uncomfortable feeling locally. But sometimes infection can also cause similar kind of pain. So in your case, better to get done 1.  Chest x-ray 2. Ultrasound examination of local part. If it is only pleural thickening then you need painkiller and anti-inflammatory Chat Doctor.  Application of warm water pad on affected site is also useful. Don't worry, you will be alright. Hope I have solved your query. Wish you good health. Thanks.