I’ve recently had a lot of patients present with rib problems. They didn’t know it was a rib problem. So I thought I’d put out a little bit of
information about it.
People come in complaining of back pain, and after an exam we determine that the source of pain is the rib head articulation. When I explain that to patients they ask me how their ribs could be hurting. The answer is not simple just like any medical explanation, but I’ll try to simplify. Your ribs attach to your spine with 2 joints per rib. Those joint complexes just like any other joint can be sprained, strained, inflamed, irritated, or just plain sad. As with other injuries these can happen a trauma, or over time with repetitive stress. The joint attachments are not the only thing that can be injured, but that’s what we’re talking about so we’re going to rule out fractures, tumors, and scary stuff like that.
How do you know if you have an injured rib joint complex? The most important way would be to come see me (www.drduncanchiropractic.com) or another qualified doctor and get it examined. If you are wondering, “is my back pain a rib problem?” then you already have back pain and should see a chiropractor anyway, but here are some common symptoms to indicate rib joints. Rib dysfunction pain is usually a sharp stabbing pain, that you just can’t get rid of. It can affect everything you do. It hurts to take a deep breath, raising your hands over your head reproduces the pain. The pain can go all the way around the chest or to the shoulder.
The good news is that rib dysfunction is usually a very quick easy fix. You can often get immediate and complete relief with just one adjustment. AND, it feels so good when it goes away. I love fixing patients with this problem, because it’s one of those easy times when patients walk in with pain and skip out with a smile. So, don’t delay see your chiropractor today. 
Tags: Chiropractic, Chiropractor, rib dysfunction, rib pain
May 17, 2008 at 12:42 am |
I find that rib dysfunctions are easy and rewarding to treat…however, I do not always see immediate relief following their correction. In fact, I will usually tell patients that they can expect to feel better movement and breathing following a rib head adjustment but they may still experience soreness for 8 to 10 hours. Ice or cryotherapeutic gel is usually indicated post treatment. Perhaps your mileage varies.
May 17, 2008 at 1:46 am |
My results are about the same. The sharp stabbing pain is what I was referring to when I mentioned often getting instant relief. Your right the soft tissue still has to deal with the inflammation that usually accompanies any injury, and that can take a few hours, but compared to what they came in with it’s a joy. By the way, thanks for your comments.