Did you know that ribs have joints? Two each actually! Each rib has an joint attachment at the spinal vertebrae in the back, and most ribs have a joint attachment to the sternum (chest bone) in the front. A few of the lower ribs attach to cartilage in the front which then indirectly attach to the sternum.
Did you know that, just like every other joint, if it is stuck or irritated, and not moving well, rib joints can cause pain? Yes, both in the back and in the chest!
The great news is that rib joints can be adjusted by chiropractors, and these adjustments often bring great relief because irritated rib joints are especially uncomfortable! Sometimes the pain is quite sharp! Some patients notice that they have a pain near the shoulder blades, or in the front of the chest, that gets worse with deep breaths. That is one of the main hints that ribs may be the culprit because our ribs have to move with each breath.
Sometimes rib pain can also contribute to feelings of arm pain, neck pain, chest pain, numbness or tingling. These symptoms can be a bit scary for patients because they are also symptoms of heart problems. We have had many patients who have been to the ER with these symptoms and had ECG testing done to rule out heart issues! The doctors have told them they can't find anything. But here is an important tip: if it was truly a heart problem, then pushing on the rib joint should not change anything. But if the pain or irritation can be reproduced or aggravated by pushing on the joint, then it is most likely a joint problem, and not a heart problem. Patients love to hear this! However, if our discussion or examination does suggest potential heart problems, our chiropractors will refer for further investigation as appropriate.
Rib joints can be quite sensitive because there is a nerve that runs along each rib from the spine to the front of the torso. This is why sometimes patients point to pains in the sides of the ribcage. Even though there are no joints in the side of the ribcage, the nerve can still send a pain message from the rib joint at the spine that travels along the rib and pain can be perceived anywhere along that path.
The annoying thing is that ribs don't always have a good reason for being irritated as they can be quite sensitive. But often, if we ask more questions, there can be contributing factors that can irritate our ribs such as:
- hiking our shoulder up as we use a mouse at our desk
- Carrying a baby on our hip, which also causes shoulder hiking
- Any repetitive shoulder movement such as painting, baseball, volleyball, racket sports, repetitive overhead work etc.
- gardening, pulling weeds, trimming bushes, prolonged, raking or shovelling of snow
- repetitive movements required for certain professions such as electrician, mechanic, hairstylist, dental hygiene, veterinary services, or animal grooming
- Being pulled by a dog when walking on a leash
- sleeping with our arms up over our head or sleeping in a twisted position that pulls on our shoulder blade
- Stress and anxiety that causes shallow breathing which overworks the upper rib cage muscles
- Excessive coughing from being sick, or vomiting
- rib pain of pregnancy due to shifting position of organs as the fetus takes up more space
- Awkward breast-feeding postures
- awkward, sleeping positions when young children climb into bed with us
- Falls
Many of these things are unavoidable, so it is no surprise that each day our chiropractors deal with rib joint restrictions for multiple patients! Great news is that rib joints often respond very quickly to chiropractic adjustments and patients often feel dramatically better within one to two visits.
If you suspect your ribs might be giving you grief, then be sure to mention it at your next chiropractic visit!
Dr. Janice Oldham
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