I’ve 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 due to 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.sandyutchiropractic.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 most common cause of these problems that I see are sneezing while in an awkward position (under a desk fixing wires), sleeping in a poor position, or trauma such as a fall or being hit.
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. 🙂
Chiropractic Discussions 
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.
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.
Hi, I woke up this morning with really bad pain in all of my upper body. If I take a little breathe it hurts all in my back on both the right and left side of me and below my chest. This doesn’t happen to me that often. This is probably the third time it’s happened to me, but I do know I have a really bad back and it is sometimes hard to breath, but I usually don’t get any pain all over. It’s hard to explain, but I don’t know what to do. I’m only 17.
The thing to do is to find your chiropractor. Once you have been treated and get it resolved then the best thing to do is to strengthen the area. Your chiropractor should know some great exercises to give you.
I am having this exact issue. I woke up in the middle of the night yelling because of the pain. Is it normal to be that severe? Do you have tips on how to find a good chiropractor near me?
I wouldn’t recommend screaming as it takes more breath, but the best thing to do to find a chiropractor is ask around. Then when you get to a chiropractor interview him before being treated by him. Find out what he is going to do and make sure you are comfortable with him. Make sure you know what the treatment plan is. It is ok if your treatment goes longer or shorter, but at least you should have some goals and a date by which you plan to achieve them. Then when you get to that date you can decide if you want to continue or not. Also a good chiropractor should give you home care, like exercises to do at home to prevent future problems and improve your health overall. Good luck.
Hey, this article has been useful to me and I am planning on visiting my chiropractor in due time. O thing was not clear to me though, and I say so because I also get the back pain when I stretch to ym right side and take a deep breath. I noticed that you didn’t mention any pain while stretching….
Now I’m a bit confused and worried about my symptoms and the source of my back problems. Could you be so kind as to shed some light into this matter?
Taking a deep breath is just stretching your rib cage. So it is understandable that a rib dysfunctio would also cause pain when stretching your rib cage even without taking a deep breath.
I just found out I have lupus n normally I’d just suffer from pain in my spine from scoliosis which I’ve been diognosed with a few months ago now for the past three days I’ve been getting really bad back side n stomach pains as well as nausea can my breathing problems n my pain in my ribs be accuring because of my lupus
Sorry for my late reply. I’ve been on vacation. The quick answer is yes, all of the symptoms may be caused by SLE (lupus). They may not be as well. Lupus is a disease where your immune system attacks your normal body in many parts. Some places are more common than others to have symptoms. You said that you just found out. I highly recommend speaking with the doctor that gave you the diagnosis to answer more of your questions. There is great information out there, but they should be able to help you sort through it all. Good luck.
Hello I’ve been having back pains for awhile. I got an MRI last year in May the pain was so bad it started in my lower back(left side) then it went to my left side down my legs. It would last for almost 3months, but it comes and goes. I found out that I had a bulding disc. I were medications, nothing works but Tramadol, but i had an allergic reaction to that. Now im having pains on my left side when I take deep breath right in the mid back left side. It started on teh left now it’s on teh right side. I dont know if the bulging disc is causing the pain when I breath. I am scheduled for another MRI for my upper back. Hopefully I get some answers, I’ve been sleeping with a heating pad for over 9months.
I was having what felt like a muscle spasms under the right side of my ribs; that feeling is gone, but now I just have pain on my right side – actually my back, side, and front along the rib area. I was just at my chiropractor last Wednesday, so I’m not sure what this is…
It sounds like latent muscle or joint pain, and would likely be addressed by chiropractic. Since you were just at your chiropractor I would recommend giving him a call and letting him know about your symptoms and concerns. I also recommend providing a goal such as what you want to get out of treatment. This is something that doctors run into from time to time. They may solve one problem but it occasionally turns out not to be what the patient wanted solved. Most people want to have the symptoms they describe to stop, but occasionally a patient just wants to be able to play with their child again or to be able to take out the garbage. A complete history taken by any doctor should involve asking you about your goals and that will allow the doctor to better able provide the treatment that you require. Good luck and thank you for your comment.
I crack my back with hardly any movement at all and have been tested for so many things since my teen years. I was told my spine is whinding and throws my hips off and been to therpy with no relief and then told that i had “RA” i am only 4foot 11 and 23yrs of age. The things that you have decribed highly relate to my suffering except my is more while laying down or standing. Is this normal at my age?
I don’t think that normal exists. I don’t know of anyone who matches what my textbooks describe when they talk about normal. We all have our own challenges, and we do our best to have health in the best way that our body will allow us to. I am saddened to hear of your struggles. Because you are 23 there is some great news and some not so great news. The not so great news is that you will have to start educating yourself on how to best take care of your body, mind and spirit, at a much younger age than most people do. You will need to take charge of your health, and learn as much as you can about how your body responds to things and then do the things that allow you to function at your best. Doctors have a great deal of knowledge and can assist you, but no one feels your body like you do. You have to be in charge and that means having all the information and making the decision that you feel is best. It may or may not be what the doctor says. You can tell what helps it to feel the best. The great news is that your young and because your young your body is at it’s peak when it comes to healing. You will be able to respond better to the interventions that you decide on. Take care of yourself and good luck.
When i take a deep breath in I get a shooting pain more to the left hand side of my back, I saw my GP a month ago about it and he said he would keep an eye on it however I’ve had this now for about 4 months and its starting to concern me! Could you possibly tell me what this is?
Thanks
From that information I cannot tell, however if you read the post it describes one likely possibility such as a rib head dysfunction. Diagnosing online is not what I would recommend. If you are having symptoms that are musculoskeletal in nature meaning it feels like it is in your joints or muscles then I would recommned seeing a chiropractor for an evaluation. If your GP doesn’t know what it is, but isn’t concerned enough to order more testing then it is likely musculoskeletal and he will not be able to help you with it. Find a good local chiropractor and good luck with it. Let me know if you do and what the result is. If it is a rib head then you should know within a week or two if chiropractic is helping. Good luck.
Hi 🙂 I have pain in my left side that my doctor(s) don’t seem to be able to diagnose. I have had pleurisy twice in the same spot and three years ago had a “tickle” in my throat caused by allergy I guess, & when it would start, I would cough until I choked and literally would throw up. This went on for 2-3 months… I would cough and cry and hold my left side because it was so PAINFUL. And 3 years later it still hurts when I move, like to roll over in bed, stretch, cough, etc. My doctor said it may be ‘costocondroitis” at the time, but I wonder if the coughing broke a rib? They have x-rayed it, but nothing showed up.. if I “push” on the rib though, I can feel a light “pop”. When I found your site, I thought I’d just see what you thought…?
Gayle, I’m sorry. Rib pain can be very difficult to cope with because you can’t just stop breathing to relieve it. Costocontritis is often a mis-diagnosis medically when what is really meant is rib dysfunction or a subluxated rib, or in medical terminology somatic dysfunction of the rib cage. Unfortunately most medical doctors have very little experience with successfully treating musculoskeletal injuries. I work with a few sports med docs and doctors of osteopathy who are the exception to that rule. If the internal organs have been ruled out as the cause of the problem and you still have chest or back pain you should seek out a musculoskeletal specialist such as a chiropractor.
While it is possible that you did break your rib (it is an easy fracture to miss because you can’t always see rib fractures on X-ray) if they couldn’t see it then it has been long enough for such a minor fracture to have healed. While rib dysfunction is usually easy to resolve with chiropractic, that is not always the case especially in chronic cases. I would recommend you seek out your local chiropractor and at least get an exam done.
Why is it that whenever i take a deep breath i get a sharp pain in the center of my back? It also hurts when i try to get up of move around in bed?
It’s possible that this article has the answer to your question. Without you giving any further information or having me examine you I can honestly say that your condition might fit into the one described here of rib dysfunction.
I have back pain in the center of my back, but also on both sides of my mid-back (think where the lungs are). My muscles feel so tight, and my back seems to crack with very minimal effort. There are no stabbing pains, my back just feels stiff. Don’t get me wrong, it’s painful… just not in a “sharp pain” kind of way.
I notice it more so when I take deep breaths, then it’s a “cramping” type pain on either side of my back where my lungs are located (but more towards the bottom of where my lungs are).
I feel I may be describing what I am feeling poorly, just suffice it to say my back hurts all the time… =\ I am 25 years old, so this concerns me. Aren’t I too young to be experiencing back pain to this extent?
Alisha, don’t worry it is difficult to describe pain, and while you are never too young to experience back pain as you suggest you may be too young at experiencing back pain to describe it. Hopefully you will get to a chiropractor soon so that you never get to the point with your back pain that you can describe it in great detail.
Many illnesses and injuries are assumed to be a part of old age, but in reality if you are wellness minded and take care of your body, barring any major injuries or genetic predisposition you should not ever have back pain. Back pain affects old and young alike, and the solution to it is the same, proper function. A chiropractor can help you regain proper function or advise you on how to keep it if you haven’t already lost it. They use diet, exercise, manipulation of joints and many other tools to help you to keep your body functioning at it’s peak.
Can being over weight be a cause for a rib dysfunction?
Thanks for the article!
Being overweight can be a complicating factor and predispose you to many complaints, but it would not be a direct cause of rib dysfunction. If you are overweight due to lack of exercise and then you exert yourself one day it could cause a rib dysfunction, but it was the exertion without being properly conditioned that would have caused it and not the weight directly.
Can this rib and back pain cause a fever to?
Typically no, this kind of rib pain would not cause a fever. Fever usually would come in association with viral or bacterial infections.
I am a healthy 25 yr old female. This is my very first experience of this sort. Yesterday evening, I took a nap and when I woke up, I felt feverish but didnt do anything for it. At night, I took a head bath and went to sleep with a slight pain (somewhere). I noticed it but didnt think it was serious. Within 1 hour, I felt the pain (somewhere) increasing in intensity. Within 2 hours, I could not breathe deeply and I struggled to find the right posture so I could sleep. I couldnt, so I woke up eventually to realize the pain was located somewhere under/around my left shoulder blade and was more intense when I was upright (sitting or standing). It feels better when I am stooped forward or when my left arm is bent on the elbow, slightly towards the back. I dont know what this is.
Without a proper exam I cannot diagnose your condition. The internet is a great place to get information and ideas that point you in the right direction, but lousy for specific diagnosis. Your report of symptoms fit a rib dysfunction, and with your description I highly recommend you seek help from a local chiropractor. Good luck.
i have the same exact symptoms al this people have i go to the chiropractic n they tell me because it hurts when i breath i have to go see a doctor ugh n when i go to the doctor they tell me im good xrays n mri are good n tell me to just go to a chriropractic i really dont know what to do anymore i been like this for 2 years a
ready i wish i could get better this is so painful since i was assaulted ..
If you’re getting the brush off at an initial appointment or even by receptionists before an exam then you need to find a better chiropractic office. If they have already examined you and treatment failed in both offices, then there may be something else going on. Either the doctors were not as good as they should be and you should find another one, or the problem is something that healthscience has not been able to determine yet. I would recommend getting a referral from the chiropractor to another chiropractor they trust, perhaps a specialist (Certified Chiropractic Extremity Practitioner). Here is a site to locate one near you: http://www.kevinhearon.com/CEA/locator.html
I am krish, 27 male from India, today morning, when i was climbing the stairs, I took a deep breathe when climbed all the stairs, then suddenly I felt the same as a stabbing pain on center of back… what will be the main cause.. plz. help
With your description I cannot diagnose the condition. If you had been doing some heavy workout climbing it may just be a muscle cramp, but it may also be a rib dysfunction as this article points out. If the pain remains at this point please seek out a chiropractor for a full history and examination to determine the actual problem.
I am a healthy 14 year old female, for the past few months i have off and on been having right hand side lower back pain often very severe. It also hurts very much when I take a deep breath. The only time I can make the pain subside (to a degree) is when I place pressure against the area. The pain makes it hard to sleep. Any suggestions? And Is it possible a rib problem?
I have been surfing the web looking for an explination there are several possible answers I have found such as gallbladder problems rib problems, bronchitis, (I have had before) pneumonia (had before) and even asthma (don’t have). So I was just wondering,
Thank you, Olivia
If putting pressure on the area resolves the pain then it is probably not gallbladder, bronchitis/asthma, or pneumonia. While touch can inhibit pain, kind of like rubbing an area that you just bumped makes it feel better, usually if you can pinpoint the area of pain and put pressure on it then it is usually musculoskeletal in nature. With that in mind I would recommend an exam by your chiropractor, and if it turns out to be something visceral like those things you mentioned he may be able to diagnose it and refer you to the appropriate provider to recieve medical or surgical care if it is needed.
hello!..i am sarah jane 24, female, I’m wondering if you might be able to advise me!…i do a lot of yoga..(two hours a day often..) and i am very flexible…i am currently experiencing sharp back pains, of which i have never experienced before(i have indeed had other types of back pains, ..)
the pains started early last week but i presumed i had activated some muscle i hadn’t used in a while, and continued with my daily practice, and classes…i then fell off my bike two days ago landing on my knee, which is swollen tender and will not bend properly (I’m limping..)i have not done any yoga since, and i have not been to the doctor..the back pain is now (just today) intense,specifically when i breath as i lengthen my spine (which i am trained to do naturally, i have a dancers posture..) and connect my sholder blades..what should i do??…i don’t know if i caused this by yoga or the bike accident…
Sarah Jane, I’m sorry that you’re having this pain. It is always hard to determine a direct cause especially without a well exam before and then an exam after to compare. It is likely that you strained something during yoga predisposing you to injury when you fell, however that is not necessarily the case. It does sound like you may have a rib dysfunction going on there similar to what I’ve described in the article. These usually resolve on their own within 48 hours, but as you are telling me about it, it obviously hasn’t and so you should seek professional assistance. Find a local chiropractor and schedule an appt. for an exam and treatment. The sooner you get in the faster your recovery will be. In about 80% of these cases the issue resolves within 1-2 treatments for me. Discuss it with your chiropractor before hand so that he can explain to you what to expect with him. Good luck.
I suffer from sciatica but lately l have been getting pain on the right side of the back that radiates to the side of my rib cage just under my arm and is very painful to even sleep on at night. Also when l am on my feet a lot my legs get very tired and my knee’s hurt that much l have to sit down. Could this all be related to sciatica?
By definition Sciatica refers to pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling in the leg. It is caused by injury to or pressure on the sciatic nerve. Sciatica is a symptom of another medical problem, not a medical condition on its own. So, it is possible that the back pain, tired legs, and knee pain may be caused by the same condition that is causing your sciatica, but you need to find out the cause and treat that. They may all be connected to a condition in the lumbar spine. See your local chiropractor for assistance with an official diagnosis.
Just this morning i woke up and took a deep breathe and instantly started getting a pain in the center of my back. My back also hurts when moving around, the pain is right in the center of my back between my shoulders.Any ideas of what might be wrong?
I would refer you to the body of the post for your answer and say that most rib dysfunction resolves on it’s own in 1-2 days. If it hasn’t then find a good chiropractic office.
I stumbled upon this article while searching for “sharp pain in upper back when I take a deep breathe” and a lot of these post describe what I am experiencing. I have a sharp pain in upper left side of my back that started out only doing it when I took a deep breathe but now it is almost every breathe therefore making me inhale very slowly and I feel like I’m not getting enough of a breathe or enough oxygen now and messes with my breathing which makes the pain worse because I feel I have to take a deep breathe more often. In fact, a few months ago it was so bad I couldn’t hardly move without hurting so I went to the doctor and they did and X-ray and a few other test and said nothing showed up abnormal, that my lung wasn’t collapsed or any sign of anything and just sent me home, the pain is back now and has been for over a week, every minute of everyday with no relief, so my question is would the rib problem show up on the X-ray the hospital took and said they seen nothing out of the ordinary? It has seriously limited my usual activities and seems to be getting worse. I want to go to a chiropractor but I was recently layed off and can’t afford to go multiple times, but should I go on and see one even though the X-ray showed nothing?
The X-ray may show the dysfunction, but the hospital would likely not see it because they are looking for what X-rays are best at finding, fractures, dislocations, etc… X-rays are lousy at finding dysfunction because they are still pictures. They don’t show inappropriate movement. It’s kind of like looking for a problem in your car when it is stopped, that only happens when the engine is on. You have to check it by turning it on.
I would highly recommend going to a chiropractor. Often times you will get complete resolution of a rib dysfunction in only 1 or 2 visits. However your comment implies that it is a chronic issue, and I cannot promise that. Make sure that you also get some exercises to help stabilize the region. Good luck.
Hi i am a bodybuilder and two years ago i was squatting 480lbs. I placed bar on upper back and felt like i did it wrong. 6 monthas ago i did 200lb squats and i ended up wit numbness and tingling tht switches frm side to side in my neck all tha way to my middle back. Er told me i got a slight bulging disc and to stop liffing. I did but the pain is so much worse. Sumtimes feels like itz hard to swollow and buts to breath deep. My back hurts constantly. Is this something i shud c chiropractors for?
It is highly unlikely that you developed a bulging disc in your neck from doing squats, and the more likely lower back disc issue would not produce the neck or upper back complaints though they could complicate them. There may be some disc issues in your neck that could have been aggravated by your positioning. The fact that the symptoms switch from side to side indicate a transient issue and I would guess that it is due to some segmental dysfunctions. A chiropractor would be ideal to resolve this complaint. I cannot examine you over the web and so will not give you a formal diagnosis, but your local chiropractor can do a full exam and will be able to provide treatment for this complaint or an appropriate referral.
Wht are segmental dysfuctions? I can push in neck and left shoulder blade and it sends tingling feeling. Could there b nerves being pinched?
One of the easiest ways to understand segmental dysfunction is to understand how to treat it. See this post ( https://chirotalk.wordpress.com/what-does-a-chiropractic-adjustment-do ). Essentially it is when a segment of your musculoskeletal system doesn’t function the way that it should. That could be a pressure on a nerve, or a lack of motion, or even too much motion. This next blog post is about what chiropractors treat. It can also give you an idea about it. https://chirotalk.wordpress.com/what-does-a-chiropractor-treat/
Also i hav very restricted neck movment. Can not tilt head bk at all and cant turn head to both sides very far..
Wouldn’t mind some suggestions as to what to do while while waiting the weekend in pain. The chiropractor office isn’t open till Monday. My back is hurting on left side middle by spine, and i am having hard time breathing deep and starting to hurt when shallow breathing as well. I have some ribs that move and have been pushed back before by chiropractor. He say lay on floor…..?what does that do?
I’m sorry to hear that you are hurting. Lying on your back uses the pressure of your weight on the rib cage and taking deep breaths in that position can sometimes allow the ribs to correct on their own, and if nothing else can relieve some of the pain. To add more to that suggestion try rolling up a towel and putting it on the floor and lying on top of that. It applies a more focused pressure to the area directly on the towel. You can also use ice packs and stretching or massage to provide a little bit of relief. Good luck.
Thank you, the towel has helped greatly already today 🙂
Weird but true I went to get a internal ultrasound last Monday 2 hours after it was done I started having back pain really bad .. I still have it and ended up going to my doc and she gave me muscle relaxers and Vicodin for pain and told me to get a X-ray the results came back today and I have Lower Lumbar Spine Arthritis!! Im 33 years old never had back pain in my life Im beyond annoyed with it and mornings are awful I cant move or if I take a deep breath the pain knocks me to my knees .. Would a chiropractor be able to help with this .. im not a drug seeker and really hate taking them I have small children and dont feel like I should be “doped” up around them and thats the only thing the doctor will do for me shes wants me to see a back specialist but that can take up to 3 weeks just for the referale to got though . Please help
Also is it possible that having a ultra sound could have caused this?
Damage internally can have an effect on the nervous system or spine. These responses are called viscerosomatic and somatovisceral. It is not likely that the ultrasound caused your pain, but it is possible.
I cannot diagnose you from a post online, but yes a chiropractor would be a good place to start for pain like you describe. The medication you listed is not for fixing a problem, but for masking symptoms, and so taking them does nothing more than allow you to not feel the pain while your body takes the time to heal. It may or may not be able to do that. Sometimes something is blocking the natural healing that your body does. A chiropractor should be able to help your body in that process. If there is something more urgently life threatening then your MD would likely have caught it because they are great at catching the life threatening stuff, and providing emergency care. Your question indicates that your MD didn’t find anything, but that you still want help, so, yes please see a local chiropractor. If he does find something that is beyond his scope of practice then he should at least know where to refer you for further help.
Thank you .. I went to the ER today and they did a CT scan found nothing internally so Im going to find a chiropractor in the area … let just say I would rather be in hard labor than this any day! lol
Let me know how it goes.
I have started having an extremly sharp pain in my back, below my right shoulder blade. Theres a constant throbbing and when I breathe, stretch, or bend in anyway, I have a very sharp pain. Theres no swelling or redness. I have also had a bad headache that has been coming and going since the pain started. A few days before any of this started I slipped on some ice and fell flat onto my back. Thankfully, there wasnt any brusing or anything of that short, and the only injury I got was a smarted elbow. But now I am worried. Do you think I should see a doctor? Maybe my ribs effected?
Yes on both counts you should see a chiropractor, and it may be your ribs were effected. I’m sorry to hear it, but good luck.
I have been diagnosed with transitional S5-L1 on my left side, recently i have been having terrible SHARP pain on my left side. The pain is worse when taking a deep breath or trying to lean forward or sit or simply walk. As soon as i painfully lay down the pain goes away and l’m able to breath with no pain. any Ideas!
Sessy, I’m sorry to hear that you are in pain. A transitional segment is really just 2 bones of the spine trying to grow into one another. Once they are fused completely there is no more motion at that joint and generally no pain from it. However all the other joints around the area have to move extra to compensate for the now missing joint. Those joints may be causing pain due to the overuse strain. If your transitional segment from your lumbar to your sacrum are not yet fused completely then it is normal for there to be pain due to the proximity of the joint. Either way the best treatment is going to be to make sure that your movement is protected and proper. You can protect the movement with proper posture and muscle strengthening, and chiropractic adjustments/manipulation will help to train your joints to proper motion/function. To summarize exercise and chiropractic care will be the best thing for you, but with a condition such as yours you are predisposed to injury or pain in that area. Medical treatments would consist of just managing that pain with pain medication or steroid injections at the site. I hope that provided some insight.
Thank you very much. My vertebrae are completely fused and i have what seems to be sciatic nerve pain. I exercise regularly but have noticed that i seem to fall quite often. I was told that my muscles are working extra hard to keep me balanced and that losing my balance was normal.
Hi, I think I injured myself while exercising, all of a sudden my upper back rib started to hurt & its a ” stabbing ” feeling. Hurts when I inhale & it just felt a spasm, Its starting to burn. Dont need to breathe deep either its pretty painful :0 BUT before ive had moments when I wake up at night cause I felt like something wa crawling up my spine & it hurt so bad I couldnt move, then I couldn’t breathe cause it hurt. What do you think it could be.?
I can’t diagnose you over the internet, but It sounds very much like it could be a rib dysfunction from a sudden unguarded motion. It may likely resolve in a day or two, but will be that bad until then and then will probably nag for a week or two. If you go see your chiropractor they can probably help resolve it more quickly and completely. Good luck. Sorry to hear that you are in pain.
Hello, I have been having a pain when I breathe that feels like its coming from my right lung and a lot of my mid-back region. What do you think that could be?
If you feel like it is coming from your lung then the first thing to rule out is respiratory issues. A chiropractor is trained to find these and if he feels comfortable then he will. If he suspects Pneumonia or Pleurisy or something like that he will refer you to your medical provider or the ER depending on the need. It sounds like you may just have a rib dysfunction though. If that is the case your local chiropractor should be able to take care of it for you. If you have read this post then you already know my recommendations on this topic. Good luck.
Half asleep I fell off my bed head down hitting the floor with the back of my neck and tumbled over backwards.(my back is on floor) Took a while to get up off the floor and straighten up – took a couple of panadol and tried to get back to sleep. My chest and my back are so sore now my neck seems to be alright. To take a deep breath hurts and kills when I sneeze. Will this go away by itself , or will I need to see someone about it.
(Tonight I will tie myself up to my bed)
You were probably pretty loose and limited damage, but anytime you have a trauma like that it is a good idea to get checked out. It is very likely that the pain will go away on it’s own. Our current medical model only treats you when you have symptoms such as pain, but you may have done damage that may not hurt now but lead to dysfunction in the future. If you address it now it may only take a treatment or two. If you wait it may take months of care to reverse. I highly recommend you visit your local chiropractor for a quick assessment.
Thank you for your fast reply. I will go and get it assessed.
Hi, I’m Alex, I already went to my Doctor and examined my upper left side back pain. The doctor do physical check and i undergo xray. My Xray results are normal. But the problem is i feel pain when i inhale or exhale. As much as i can describe the is, it feels like cramping on the left side portion. And one thing that makes me wondering was i have fever. If my Xray result is normal so it means i have no pneumonia or pleurisy which is viral? So howcome i got fever? I don’t think muscle pain causes fever. Pls help, i’m really confused here. I wana enjoy my life i’m 31 years old. Thanks 🙂
Alex, did you go to your chiropractor? Fever can be caused by more than just viruses, but you are right musculoskeletal complaints don’t often cause a fever. It is possible however to have a broken arm and a cold at the same time. In the same way your chest pain, if infection has been ruled out may very well a chiropractic issue. A fever should always be monitored, but does not usually mean any medical intervention is needed. For my comments on fevers please see here: https://chirotalk.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/fevers/
I recommend you visit your chiropractor for the back pain and keep an eye on that fever for a few days.
Thank you so much for the advice 🙂 I haven’t yet tried a chiropractor. I really want to schedule one of these days. Yes i will keep an eye on my fever. it goes on and off for 4 days until now. I have to find out what causes it. By the way, thanks for the fever hyperlink. It gives me new ideas about fevers.
i was in dance and we wwere rehersing a dance. my back all of a sudden started to hurt it hurts when i breath in and its in the middle of my back to the right. it hurts when i bend forward. im 14 years old. so yeah idk what it is
It is probably a rib dysfunction as discussed in the article.
I am 27 years old and i wake up with a sharp pain in the center of my back when i inhale deeply and it feels like it under my spine massaging it does nothing all i can do is keepin inhalind deeply to to lessen the pain until it goes away. I have been dealing with this problem for years and dont kno what it is. The pain isnt anywhere else on my body and only occurs from me laying down cant somebody please tell me what this is caused by or comes from?
It may very well be a rib. I don’t know what exams you’ve gone through, but I highly recommend that you be seen by a provider to have some done. I can’t diagnose you over the internet. Please contact your local chiropractor.
i have a 3 yr old son one night while sleeping i tried moving him of me to the other side of the bed and he cracked when we awoke the next morning his chest was twist and there is a visible curve in his chest he also started to cough at nights when asleep his body is curved to that side and it looks abnormal but he doesnt seem to be in pain he plays and eats fine but his perfect structure is not perfect anymore id like advise on what i should do about it
Maria, I hope that your son is ok. Children are usually very resilient when it comes to these kind of things. As long as he is playing normally he will likely get all of the motion/exercise that he needs to recover. As a general rule noises like cracking knuckles are not a problem. If you feel that he is out of alignment then you should take him to see a chiropractor to have him do an exam. Good luck.
I’m in Ibiza at the moment and I have a sharp stabbing pain around the back of my rib cage on the left hand side! It hurts to take a deep breath or when I twist or stretch does this sound like what your refuting to?
Yes it does sound like it, but the only way to be sure is with an exam. Visit your local chiropractor. There are a couple there.
I had a massage therapist massage my back and i felt my rib move on the right side, he did that last friday its now Tuesday and I still feel pain. I assume that if he realigned a rib, there will be inflamation, will that be something that just takes a little more time. I feel it on front and back, what would you recommend to start recovery, and is it possible now my ribs are out of alignment. Thanks.
I would recommend seeing your chiropractor. If it hasn’t resolved on it’s own in 2-3 days then it usually won’t.
Please answer me. I had breast implants and when I got up from the operation I had a sharp knife pain in my shoulder blade that I fel to the ground. Years after this I was breathless on and off. Then 2013 that same area, pulled so tight, since then I can’t breathe deep, I have spasm and electric burning pain. I don’t want to live anymore. Can u please tell me what u think it is and what I can do to fix myself to live a normal life. Kind regards,
Mala.
I can’t tell you what I think it is without an exam, but it sounds like you should have already talked to the doctor who did the surgery to tell them this side effect. If you did that then they probably did all of the pertinent tests to rule out heart, lung or major complications from the surgery. That leaves musculoskeletal as the likely culprit for your pain. I would suggest you visit your local chiropractor immediately.
From what the doctors said I have arthritis in my mid back. But no one wants to help me and I don’t know why..
This is my scan.
X-Ray
Report:
The bony spinal canal is of adequate dimension. The thecal sac and spinal cord have a normal appearance as far as they can be seen. No focal disc protrusions are seen. There is a mild end plate change and schmorl’s node formation in the mid to lower thoracic spine but no compression fractures are seen. Disc space heights are preserved. Neural exit foraminae are patent bilaterally. No other focal bony abnormalities are detected. No abnormalities are seen in the paraspinal soft tissues.
Conclusion;
Mild end plate change and schmorl’s node formation but no evidence of a compression fracture nor of a focal disc protrusion.
MRI
Report:
The alignment is within normal limits. No abnormality is demonstrated in the marrow. Minor loss of signal intensity is seen in the discs from T6/7 to T10/11 with minimal end plate irregularity but without end plate destruction or marrow oedema.
Further minor signal loss with preservation of the disc space height is seen in the discs from L2/3 to L5/S1. There is no focal disc protrusion, epidural mass, cord compression or intrinsic cord abnormallty int he throracic spine and no paraspinal soft tissue mass is seen.
Conclusion:
Disc degeneration is demonstrated in the mid/lower thoracic disc without focal dosc protrusion, cord compression or intrinsic cord abnormality. No paraspinal soft tissue mass is seen.
These scan reports don’t indicate a need for medical intervention. That is why no one will give you one. You might benefit from chiropractic care. Have you gone to a chiropractor?
I went to a trampoline park about 3 weeks ago and I had a nasty fall on the metal beam (it was cushioned) between the trampolines. I landed on my bottom, really hard. The week after I felt pain all over my body (obviously because I haven’t exercised like that in a while) once the overall body pain left I finally noticed this pain in the middle of my back (right in between the shoulder blades) This pain is a sharp stabbing pain, causes difficulty in breathing when it happens, I realized the pain is caused by up and down movements (getting up from a chair, walking quickly, running, jumping, certain positions laying down) I’m not sure what it is and I was wondering if you have any idea if it would be a rib problem or is it just inflammation in my back? The pain is becoming annoying and unbearable. Please help!
It is nearly impossible to differentiate without physically being there to do an exam, but it is similar to rib pain. I would recommend you have it examined and treated by your local chiropractor.
I’m fourteen and when I breath in especially when I take a deep breath I hear this cracking sound and it’s kind of between the shoulder blades. It’s more he cracking sound then the pain the pain is not terrible but there are a few harsh cracks here and there! But is it my rib joint complex?
It may be. Without seeing you for an exam I can not give you an exact diagnosis. Even if it’s minor, if there is pain with the noises then it will likely get worse and not better with time. It may be the ribs, but it may not. Get in to see someone as soon as you can.
When I even slightly bend over I can’t breathe, I find myself getting up throughout the night to use the bathroom but almost have to crawl because I lose my breathe and I’m only 14. What do I do?
Go to the emergency room. If you are crawling because you can’t breathe that is an emergency. Don’t wait. Get into a doctor immediately.
Hello, Let me start by saying I appreciate that you answer the questions on here so much, you having giving me some hope. Now, on to whats worrying me, I took accutane (strong oral acne medication) and 4 days after I finished I started getting pain on my upper back, more on my spine. My spine seems to be popping out more than ever and is pretty sensitive if you press on it, never felt like that in my life.
Also it hurts more when I breath deeply and I hear like my bones (don’t know if it’s my spine, I assume so) when I breath. My ribs are also sore now that I checked from figuring out they were connected to my back thanks to this website. But they do not hurt.
I am an athlete and only 24 and don’t wanna live with this pain ever and would love to get back to my sport, I wonder if I ruined my spine and ribs from this accutane that I did. Really poor decision that has left me severely depressed. 😦
I box and ribs are somewhere I will get hit and I can’t possibly do any physically activity with the way my spine is feeling. It feels SO fragile and brittle. The pain isn’t extreme but it defiantly bothers and is worrisome.
While Acutane is definitely out of my scope of practice, one of the known side effects of it is joint and back pain and even fracture. This is a very serious drug. I would contact your prescribing doc if for no other reason than to report the side effects. If these symptoms are due to demineralization of your bones then you will need to be very careful in how you go about treating it and you will certainly need to stop boxing for a while. Ask your prescribing physician for further guidance, and if and when fracture risk is ruled out please go see a local chiropractor to resolve any residual joint issues.
Hello i am a 27 yr old male, i have been having a very weird problem for the past 2 years now that drs cannot figure out. It all started when i was painting walls all day at work. I was painting with my left arm fully extended over my head standing on my tip toes. Then one night i was driving and noticed a burning pain in my left shoulder blade area. That lead to a racing heart rate, also had stomach issues and couldnt breath etc. Well long story short after a few more like that and a few er trips, multiple heart tests and everything said just panic attacks. Well after having symptoms every day, i ended up talking with a co worker trying to get my mind off it, he told me when he was younger, he had back issues that would cause panic attacks, thought he was having heart attack. So he convinced me to to a chiropractor. The first one turned out to be horrible. Very rude, very ruff, and wouldnt listen. So i searched around and found a highly recommended one. I went for 1 visit and boom. Gone, all my symptoms were gone for about 6 weeks when i was working ovee my head again then they all came back. It was something under my left shoulder blade around the t4-t6 area he popped. I have been back and he could never get it again. Fast forward to now, it has severly intensified. Muscle spasms in the back causing me to pull my shoulder blades back which is also causing pain in the upper sternum. Also stomach issues are back and now it feels as if all my back muscles on my left side are tight. I bend over and get a tight muscle sensation in my left butt cheek going down the back of my thigh. I guess my questions for you would be…
1. Does any of this make sense to you? Lol
2. I have spoke to a few physical therapist and they have suggested maybe a rib torsion. Would like your thoughts on that based on my info i stated, and possible explain what a rib torsion is as i cannot find info on it.
3. Was wondering your thoughts on this, and maybe something i can suggest to him as a starting point.
4. Also feeling as if i have ribs that are stuck? If that makes sense. They feel like they are not moving correctly when breathing. It would be like t6 up. Is this possible.
Just would like your thoughts on this. Im ready to get some releif from all this. I have the best chiropractor around me and he still cant get it. If i lay on my back it subsides some also in a recliner works. Sorry it is such a long messy post.
Thank you for the quality description of your problem. While I am happy to answer your questions I am unable to diagnose you with out a full exam. With that disclaimer yes this does sound familiar and makes sense. Anytime you injure a ligament (that holds bones/joints together) it takes years to fully heal if it ever does. This leaves you vulnerable to re-injury. Just like once you sprain your ankle you have to then wear a brace because it’s more likely to be sprained again. The same thing happens to a ribs especially if it took months for you to get it successfully treated. Typically I would recommend back exercises to help stabilize the injured joint because there is no good rib brace that would help. You could also use KT tape to support it, but you never know when the injury will occur it’s not like you just wear the brace when you play basketball.
Your bigger problem is that it won’t resolve now. The PTs are probably right it is probably a rib torsion, but as a chiropractor we call it a rib joint dysfunction. It’s likely twisted or not moving quite right and so not sitting properly and this causes the pain. When I can’t get a joint to move properly I will try different techniques. I don’t know what your chiropractor has tried, but I would recommend a massage, stretching, heat, TENS, or something to loosen the muscles before the adjustment. Then on top of that I would try different positions or tools. I don’t ever want to try more than 3 times on a joint in a day because then you just feel beat up, but there’s always another method to try, and some dysfunctions are just stubborn. Not everyone responds to the same technique. He can also try some low force modalities like using a towel or tennis ball for pressure while lying supine. This force if gentle enough might allow your muscles to relax around it and slip into place. The last thing I would recommend would be distraction of the rib using an anterior and posterior contact at the same time and a lateral force to gap and reset the rib. You may not understand these recommendations, but your chiropractor should. As I said before I don’t know exactly what to try because I’m not there to see the exact situation, but these are some things that he may not have considered. I hope that helps.
I was loading groceries in the car. Felt sudden stabbing pain in upper back and now it hurts when I move a certain way or take a deep breath. Would that be ribs or a pulled muscle?
It could be either a rib dysfunction or a muscle strain. I would need to examine you to determine the exact diagnosis. It sounds more like a rib dysfunction. Get in to find out for sure.
This is happening because I just went to a trampoline park? Will I get over this?
If you are unable to get over it then I highly recommend seeking out the help of a local chiropractor.