Ribs

[shen]

My ribs are getting worse, my right side is getting more sticky outy. I cant really describe so i've taken a photo of my right and left side to show the difference. (sorry that they are not super clear)


My left side


my right side

My right side looks pretty normal, but as you can see my left side is a bit odd looking, Its not very obvious on the photo but they protrude alot to the front as well as out to the side. Its got worse over time before it wasn't at all noticeable now you can see it through my clothes. I'm finding i get out of breath more easily and find it difficult to fully expand my lungs it feels like there isnt quite enough room. My left side of my ribcage 'pops' alot like when i breathe in i have a popping sensation, and when i lay in certain positions and breathe normally it does the same. It hurts most of the time, kind of like an achey pain with sharp stabby pains sometimes (like when i burp or hiccup). When i've sat down for a while the left side gets really painful and achey in a very uncomfortable way. My GP has said he doesnt know what more to do for me, so i dont have any hope that he will look into this either. Does anyone else have a similar thing?


*edit* i got my left and right mixed up

[parent]

Hi Shen,

My daughter is having probs with her ribs and is getting worse her ribs protrude at the front she has for over a year complained of painful lungs we have mentioned it several times to Drs but no one takes any notice. I can't remember if i read somewhere or even if was you but do you have probs with shoulder subluxs/dislocations. Steph does also her collarbone not sure if this could be affecting the ribs. We do know she has a mid thoracumblar scolisos so i think this could be impacting Steph's problems we have an appt next week with GP.

[Sandy L]

I doubt the information is relevant, but scoliosis can lead to some spectacular deformities of the rib cage.

[shen]

Thanks guys, Prof B did tell me i had a scoliosis in my spine but never looked into it further and physio just dismissed it as "he tells everyone that" so i'm not sure what's going on with that.
Parent, yeah my shoulders sublux and dislocate especially when im sleeping or have to stretch out my arm. Im not so enthusiastic about going to my GP because he's told me basically he doest know what else he can do for me apart from giving me painkillers.

[Blaadyblah]

I've found when my right shoulder is really bad it affects my ribs. The shoulder drops by a good four or five inches, the clavicle comes loose and it all weighs down that side so much my ribs and lung are crushed - when it's very bad I can't breathe properly.

[Sandy L]

One of my patients has had good luck with shoulder braces. Trouble is, he can use them on only one shoulder at a time.

[Spireite]

I crack something either the right thoracics or right ribs and I'd like to know what it is. I'm cracking them every 5 mins at work and it is driving me insane. I have various ways of doing it. At home, I take my weight on my arms on a window sill. Sitting at work, I lean right on my elbow. Both produce firecracker like noises? Cos there is such a lot of cracking going on each time, I think my ribs must be involved. Lying on the floor first thing in the morning also does it.

By the way, I smashed my right ribs in a footballing accident 20 years ago.

[melanieb]

I'm so glad I joined this forum! I have been having problems with my ribs on my right hand side on and off for months - just sitting for too long in meetings brings the pain on. This morning I was lifting the bolt on my gates and as I pulled it up I got the most horrendous pain in my side which has lingered all day despite taking drugs. I have been telling everyone that it felt like I had dislocated a rib - to which I just get strange looks. Even though people at work have now got used to me being strapped up in splints and my husband has got used to my weird aches and pains I think they all just thought I was being a drama queen. Well thanks to everyone here you have put my mind at rest - I'm not going mad.

[joelle]

Has anyone tried Pilates core stabilzation exercises for your ribs? I dislocated and cracked my ribs in a bad car accident. At the time I'd been doing Pilates regularly and didn't have the rib pain I or my doctors expected. My muscles held everything in place, that is until one of my doctors started "gently" poking around. As he was poking around he was saying something about not understanding why they weren't causing me more pain. He re-dislocated my ribs and then I was in the expected amount of pain! 

It took my body the next 10 hours to realign everything again. I needed more morphine than before he went poking around until the ribs were back in place.

For about two years after the accident, I could feel a little pop as the ribs slid into place when I tightened my rib cage muscles. Now I don't get that, but I haven't been doing the core stabilization exercises like I need to the last few years and my right rib cage will raise a 1/2 Inch or more higher than the left. It is a weird lopsided feeling. 

I am lucky I have a really good chiropracter, who is able to realign things. He uses what I call a little jackhammer to knock my ribsback into alignment. It works great with my hands and feet too. It doesn't hurt at all and has worked everytime. I don't need to go into him for my ribs as often even if I do core stabilization exercises twice a week.    

[loosebones]

oh yeah - just had my rib put back in and feeling much much much better!

[AnnaH]

My rib keeps popping out at the front, where it joins the sternum. It's not as serious as the photos people have been posting, I just get a lump on my chest. The first time it happened, I thought I had cancer! It happened yesterday, but if I twist about a bit, it usually goes back fairly easily so it's not properly dislocated. It does hurt though! The first time it happened, it was agony for weeks, but I'm on so many painkillers now (for foot problems) that maybe that's why it doesn't hurt so much.

Amazingly, this has been happening to me for years and doctors have seen it and even diagnosed it, but no one thought to enquire whether other joints were similarly unstable. Sigh.

[anna]

You know, I was about to post a possible explanation then I found Sandy L's post which is exactly what I have (yet again) right now. So as ever, thanks Sandy for yur explanation and tips. The last point about lifting elbows is exactly the procedure used when I was 19 by the first chiro I ever saw. It works for a lot of people but unfortunately not for me anymore as everything pops straight back out within 2 minutes of manipulation. That is NOT, however belittling it, i know it can really help with a lot of bodies. Good luck fellow ribites!!

[everhopeful]

Typing this with left hand. Woke up this morning with my right shoulder really achey and painful (this is normal for me) however the bottom of my rib cage at the front on the right is also really achey and I'm having to sit up really straight so I can breathe normally and reduce the pain. Taking my usual prescription codeine hasn't done much for me. Didn't know if ribs were affected by HMS so before rushing to the Gp decided to do a quick search on here and OMG.......how many of you have rib problems!! Can't believe it but it seems I have another area of the body I need to add to my scarily growing list....(My Ot would be happy about how straight I am sitting at the table to type this though....too painful to slouch on the sofa...boo hoo!)

[Sandy L]

Now the remaining question before the house is whether you are experiencing rib or muscle pain, or if your gall bladder is in bloom.

[everhopeful]

Hi Sandy
I guess it's a case of watch this space!
I will see how things go. I'm at physio every friday (my life for the last 10 - 11 months) so if it's still giving me jip will ask the experts!!