The ribs and the ribcage have many purposes. They protect many of the internal organs; they serve as attachment sites for many muscles that control the arms, pelvis, and neck; and they assist in the breathing process. Your ribs must be able to move fluidly in order to assist in all of these tasks.
In the clinic we see patients who have developed stiff ribcages for many reasons. Here are three of the more common causes:
1. Surgery
Mastectomies and open-heart surgeries cause direct trauma to the muscles, joints, and soft tissues of the ribcage. In many cases these traumas result in scar tissue that restricts the overall mobility of the ribs. Breathing can become restricted and painful. At times it can also become painful for patients to sleep on their sides, as side sleeping places direct pressure on the ribcage.
2. Prolonged sitting
Sitting in the same position for hours on end will stiffen the ribcage over time. Joints tend to accommodate to the position that they are forced to exist in. Looking at a monitor all day with a forward head and arms reaching for a keyboard inevitably stiffens the ribcage in a position that serves to stabilize the office worker. The long-term result of this can be chronic neck pain and a loss of mobility in the shoulder with overhead reaching.
3. Auto accident / Blunt Trauma
Physical trauma to the ribcage from an auto accident or a fall can cause the muscles that lie along the spine and between the ribs to become inflamed and stiff. This type of ribcage pain can become chronic in nature and make many movements that involve the spine painful.
Rib mobility can be regained through persistent intervention. There are exercises that can assist with rib mobility (see video below). It is also worthwhile to talk to your doctor or rehab professional in order to get a definitive diagnosis of rib restriction.
When someone hugs me or brushes their hand down my back my ribs move. It doesn’t hurt but it creaps people out. I also have very flexible hips. They pop out all the time. As well as my shoulders. My shoulder don’t hurt but my hips ache alot.
Some people just have a large amount of flexibility Tammy. If there is no pain associated with it, I would not worry about it. I would perhaps look in to getting a stabilization routine for the shoulders, hips, and core.
Ok so I have noticed that my ribs are sort of messed up. When I lay on my side and start rubbing my rib cage I can feel something move across my side. It’s really scary and I have never felt anything like it before. It doesn’t happen all the time but when it does I can feel it all down my side like something is being pulled across my ribs. Also when I rub my ribcage in certain spots I can feel my ribs move in that spot but they also move in my back like as if they are encaved…what could be the problem??? I am on constant pain everyday and it only gets worse.
I would see a doc about this. It sounds to me like you may have a lot of extensibility in the ribcage. I would get an x-ray to make sure that everything is in place.
I’ve had this stabbing pain in my right shoulder blade area. I have tried getting massages but it isn’t helping. My MT told me she thinks I have a few ribs out of place. Is this possible?
I don’t think that having ribs “out of place” is the right way to say it. a few of your ribs may be stiff, or a few of them might be in a slightly different position because of larger postural issues. People who sit at a desk all day for example tend to have a forward posture that has an effect on how the ribs sit. I think that it is worth your time to see an orthopedist. You can have your posture examined and perhaps have an x-ray. My bet is that this is postural.
I have a similar stabbing feeling but in my chest. And idk how to describe what happens when I breathe. It’s like it doesn’t hurt but where there is a stabbing feeling it kinda hurts.
Hi doctor, when I sleep on my back i feel like my ribs are moving and it’s very painful what do you think it’s cause of this ?
I think that what you are describing might be “costochondritis”. If you are sleeping a certain way sometimes your positioning places stress on the ribs where they meet the sternum bone. I would have it properly diagnosed by a doctor. Lots of people get this from sleeping on one side excessively, or sleeping with their arms over the head.
Hi doc,
My ribs aren’t moving since the accident from my childhood where i fell on a high stair and wasn’t able to get any medical attention since my parents thought that i was fine not until i found out that my ribs were not able to move even a bit it is really stiff and ive been thinking that its affect my singing, thats whg i wanted to know if therem still away that my ribs will move again even years passed and im already 25, hope to hear from thank you! GODBLESS!
Maybe? I would find a good PT or an osteopath and have some manual work done on the ribs.
sir please help..there is a kind of phobia with me.i always feel that small incidents damage my rib cage.small incidents such as ..when suddenly some object touches my ribs..or somebody accidently touched them with a little force.then i try to apply that force on my own to satisfy myself..a silly thing..does these small events contribute to rib cage deformities..please help…
Your ribs are meant to be flexible Vishal. Pressure applied to the ribs or small adjustments in posture or lightly bumping the ribs should not be a problem. These things in general do not contribute to rib deformities.
What may contribute to rib deformities would be long-term bad postures, like sitting in an excessively forward position at the computer for many hours a day over years and years.
Hey doc..umm..do ribs really move ? Beacause mine moves when I move my shoulder and i can feel my ribs mowing..but it only happens when i move my shoukder hard and strong..is that goid or bad?
Rib should move a small amount with arm motions and with breathing. If the hard and strong movements cause a pain in the ribs then I would ask the doc about it to be safe. It is not necessarily a bad thing.
Thank you for your answer. I had the same phobia. Feeling better now.
hello sir.i’m 17 yrs old guy and an ectomorph too..
I am weightlifting from 8 months and face the same problem …a kind of thinking that something’s wrong with my lower ribs..i read some articles and came to know that lower ribs can bend a little.i wanted to know that can small bump or force on lower ribs deform it or slightly bend it as they are attached to the cartilage not sternum.pllzz help
If the lower ribs do not hurt I would not be worried about it. The ribs are supposed to move and have a good degree of flexibility to them, particularly the lower ribs.
I broke 7ribs on my side. and when i bened my upper body just a little like I won’t to bend to pick something up or i reach out to grab something iget a shape pain like a stab right under my one breast
Once the ribs are healed, I would get working on improving the mobility of the ribcage. It would be a great idea to see a physical therapist to get some exercise ideas.
Ever since I was a young child I have randomly gotten a strange sensation in my upper ribs, mostly on the left side but sometimes also on the right. It feels as though something has gotten “stuck”. It’s extremely painful and it’s impossible to take any deep breaths. The only thing that makes the pain stop is taking a quick sudden deep breath and whatever was “stuck or caught” releases and pops. Then all of a sudden the pain is gone and I can goon with my day… I have mentioned this to many doctors over the years and they all have no idea what could be causing this random pain. Any ideas?
That does sound like one of your ribs gets slightly stuck, and then releases with your quick breath. You have figured out by yourself how to get some mobility in that rib. Most regular doctors really have no idea how to deal with something like this. I would see if you could find a good osteopath who deals with manipulative medicine. It may be that you can be taught how to maintain the mobility of the ribs with a few stretches or exercises.
hi doctor , im fourteen years old and i sit a lot in front of my computer and two of the lower ribs stick out a bit and when i recently started training to get abs i noticed that the sticking out ribs are in the same place as the top abs it really annoys me , do i need to do a operation or something ? when i see pictures of ribs and compare them to mine , my ribs goes a bit to the middle and lower than where they are supposed to be
thanks for your help
If it is not painful it is probably not a big deal. I would have someone check out your posture to see if a “forward slump” is contributing to the rib positioning. I would also recommend spending some time lying flat on the floor to stretch out after you have been at the computer for a while.
Hello, im 28 years old and my ribs on the right side feel like they move. If i lean a certain way it feels like small cartilage/joint movement. I have had it for awhile. This only happens on the one side. Also it gets a small ache in the ribs when i lay on my stomach or right side sometimes from the pressure i suppose. My back on the same side feels like a bad knot is there too. What could it be? I can breathe and perform physical activities without pain too. Just wanting to know why i feel small popping/movement in the ribs. Thanks
This may be an effect of sleeping on your right ribcage over long periods of time. Side sleeping can indeed press the ribs in such a way that what you described can occur. Your ribs do attach to the sides of your vertebrae, so if the ribs are getting pressed it can cause strain at those joints with popping or shifting. The knot is probably strained muscle. If you can find a really good PT in your area that does lots of spinal and rib work, you might be able to get some specific exercise advice. I would try to avoid sleeping on that side in the mean time.
Do u also have gallstones? I feel a similar thing on my right side. But the pain is horrible I can’t sleep at night and often want to cry
I see reference to exercises (“There are exercises that can assist with rib mobility (see below)”) but no exercises. What can be done?
I will fix that. Give me a day.
Hey doc,so when i try grabing and moving my ribs with my hands they move, but not too much…so what do you think is it?
You are going to have to be more specific Danielle. Your ribs should normally move a bit with breathing in and out, and with shoulder movements. A good PT should be able to assess your rib motions to see if there is stiffness.
hello doctor, i can’t take a full breath or yawn. i feel like my lungs won’t expand. is it related to rib movement restriction? or what should I do?
I would have that checked out by a doctor. It may actually have to do with the function of your lungs???? It may be related to rib mobility, but I would get other diagnoses ruled out first.
I can’t feel where one of my ribs went, sense I got pregnant another one is sticking out in my back. Doctors blame the pain on gallstones but I’m not quit sure why my ribs would change such dramatic shape in 3 years
An x-ray should show if one of the ribs have moved out of place. With pregnancy it is possible for the lower ribs to get flared out because of the change in the shape of the abdomen, but they should go back in to place after the delivery. If you can find a PT who specializes in spinal issues that might be worth your time to get an evaluation.
Hey doc,my rib cage moves greatly when i force it inwatds…also when i sleep in any posture it changes its shape in that way…have no problem in breathing or so…x ray reports are normal….what shold i do to reduce flexibility of rib cage…
It is little convex upward
You really cannot reduce the flexibility of the joints, you are basically born with that. You can however try to avoid doing activities that might cause that distortion that you described. If you get a PT consult you could get some good ideas. For example, sleeping on your back is probably the best way to sleep.
Hi doctor,
I have a fracture in my L5 a few herniated discs, spinal steinosis, it happened in a accident 5 years ago.
For the last few months I have been feeling that my left side hurts but I checked my spleen and everything is fine. I started getting spasms at my left rib cage and pain in my left arms and shoulder. I looked in the mirror and my body shifted, my left rib is lower down and also sticking out changing my body shap. I’ll be going to the doctor today, but it will take time for the results. What do you think it happened or what it is?
Another question: I was going to start physical therapy for my lower back, if I will also need for my rib – can they focus on two major things at a time.
Sometimes the positioning of the middle portion of the spine (the thoracic spine) can have an effect on how the ribs appear, because the ribs have direct attachment to the thoracic spine. If the thoracic spine is slightly rotated for example it can make one or more of the ribs appear to be elevated or depressed.
The PT’s should be able to focus on both issues, just bring both issues to their attention.
Hi there. I have been experiencing quite painful rib pain for the past month now. The pain is quite sharp at first but then continues into a throbbing pain. I have also noticed that when I breath heavily (when I’m taking part in sport) my ribs almost click and feel as if they move out of place and then back into place. It is the weirdest feeling ever and I’m not sure what is happening. The ribs only move and click when I breathe in heavily and when I have my hands on my ribs when I’m tired after sport, I can feel clicking all of the time.
I would have that assessed. It could be brought on by any number of things, posture, sleeping on one side, hyper-mobility.
I slept in odd position for one hour. As I woke, I was not careful to adjust my neck and back. I just came up and was caught with horrible pain in left side of neck, upper spine and into left shoulder.. For 9 months I’ve tried Chiroprator (he wanted to work left arm or spine), PT (lots of stretch and “your left shoulder is higher than right so correct your posture), lastly a spine doc who took a great X-ray in which the upper left ribs appear to be pushing my right side out away from the center (but he wants to address a C 5, 6 bulging disc area with major surgery…. which that area was actually like that in 2007 so why in a 1 hour nap did it all the sudden become a problem)
I keep saying that the problem is in left upper rib placement, but every “professional” works just beyond where the pain is. Could you direct me to someone in the Fort Worth, Texas area that could get my skeleton back in order? Please.
I would recommend that you try to find someone who is trained in manual medicine from the Michigan State University School of Osteopathic Medicine. You can find the program information online: they have practitioners all over the country. They should have a list of therapists and osteopaths in your state. I am sure that you could call the school directly as well.
After a car accident last week where my ribs hit the center console my ribs bulge out to the right of my solorplex. I showed the hospital this, they said ribs were bruised with no breaks found. I thought this was the new normal but just noticed (now that the swelling is down) when I lay down on my back they flatten out to where they use to be however is very painful. Since the accident I’ve been sleeping in a chair because of this. Will this heal or is this movement the new norm? Should I try making myself sleep on my back for it to heal right?
I would have an osteopath look at your x-rays and check out your ribs. The ribs can definitely stiffen once they are hit, and we want to make sure that the rib mobility returns. I think that letting it heal for at least another few weeks is a good idea, but at some point it may be in order to do some rib mobility exercises. In terms of sleeping, I would find the most comfortable position and stick with that until the ribs are checked out.
Hello Doctor,
I recently discovered that when I poke a certain place on my left ribcage, something moves. Even when I’m laying down my left rib sticks out more than my right. Is that normal?
I would bring it up to the doc to be safe. Lots of people have asymmetry in the ribcage, and the ribs are supposed to move (especially the lower ribs). The concern would be if one of the organs underneath is swollen and pressing out against the ribcage (like the spleen?).
Hi 11 days ago I suffered a blow to my lower right ribs in a jiu jitsu training session.
I felt a sharp pain and the next morning it was a lot worse with coughing or sneezing etc.
This subsided within a few days but since then my rib seems to pop in and out with any movement. I can push my rib cage at my back and manipulate the rib at the front.
This loose rib seems to be getting worse not better and is very worrying. I am currently offshore so getting an x-ray would be difficult.
It is very worrying as sometimes the rib moves so much that I get a winded feeling and feel nauseous.
Can you help with a possible diagnosis
Regards James
Well, an x-ray and a trip to the doc is really the answer. It does sound like you might have subluxed or fractured one of the ribs. I would keep your movements to a minimum and get it checked out. The good news is that it does not sound like the rib has punctured anything.
I fell on road 2 weeks ago and landed on my side. my rids were sore and one shows a small crack in the bone. I have been sleeping in a recliner ever since because when I lie flat muscles in my stomach constrict painfully. I’ve been working to expand my field of motion through yoga-like by stretches but ….
is this just part of the healing process? otherwise, I have very little pain, but my ribs do seem a little loose.
thanks for your advise
My guess is that this is normal, but I always recommend that you keep the doctor in the loop in terms of how you are feeling. It does take at least six (6) weeks for bone to heal entirely. I would take it relatively easy until you reach the six week mark.
My rib cage moves when i sleep along any side or lift weight..it comes outward…wrs the reason…how can it be solve…it is uncomfortable to lay along any side for sleeping…my rib cage is little bit outward.if i press it it moves inwards…all day my chest bones are tired…wts the solution
I would first try to sleep on your back for a week and see if it decreases the pain. You may be pressing the sides of the ribs too much when you sleep on your side. I would also think that strengthening the muscles around the shoulder blades would help.
Ya i m doing same thing from few weeks and pain is gone in sleeping along my back…but is this overflexibility serious concern…also how i can put weights,in doing so my rib cage moves outward…how to gro muscles in my case….
I would have the ribs assessed by a doctor or a physical therapist to make sure that the flexibility is within a normal amount. Sometimes sleeping on a hard surface can cause this. I wish that I could tell you if your rib motion is excessive, but I would need to assess that in person.
I have sharp pains in the same five spots in my ribs. I also have swelling in my right collarbone with a really sharp pain right below. When I lay on my right side it feels hard to breathe. I also have terrible nerve pain and numbness and coldness in my right arm/hand. Im seventeen. I’m starting to get real freaked out that something is really wrong. It was first diagnosed as thorasic outllet syndrome but now they are not so sure. Should i get a chest xray?
That does sound like thoracic outlet to me. I recommend that you see someone who specializes in thoracic outlet. I would find someone (MD) at a major medical center. I do know for example that there are a few really good people at Hopkins in Baltimore who specialize in this.
It may also be a good idea to have a physical therapist evaluate this. Sometimes if certain muscles are too weak this can at least be partially corrected and relieve the strain that you are feeling.
I am 17 years old and I have this weird sensation over quite a while. I can actually feel like my one of my lower ribs (i assume) seems to move between two positions. It happens when I change positions or sitor stand up..or even when I fix my sitting posture. It has been happening almost everyday lartely. Is is something very serious?
The lower ribs are more “free floating” ribs, meaning they do not have a rigid attachment to your spine like the ribs higher up do. It is typical therefore for the lower ribs to move considerably more. It may be compounded if you are a naturally stretchy person. I would avoid putting direct pressure on the lower ribs with certain postures. If you are having a lot of pain with this it would be a good idea to see the doc.
Doc
When I am sitting I get pain on my left side rib I touch and it is near the lower part of the rib I feel like it moves and I was just concerned what it might be if u know?
When I feel when I can movie it, it feels like it pushes in and i don’t know if it’s normal
When I am sitting I, I get pain near my rib Which is my lung and then I start feeling around to see if anything is wrong and I feel my rib moving and it is only a certain spot where it moves and it is just really weird
It totally depends which rib you are talking about. The ribs are supposed to move, and the lower ribs generally move a bit more that the upper ribs do. An x-ray would probably tell if one of the ribs is not sitting properly. If your posture is too “slumpy”, you might be irritating that rib by slightly compressing it. That is probably not a big deal, but realize please that I haven’t evaluated you. If the pain persists I would talk to the doc about it.
I have had a spinal fusion on L4, L5, and S1. I have scar tissue in the spine under the hardware causing chronic L4-5 radiculopathy on the left side. I’ve had 2 left failed ankle surgeries. I fell off a ladder a year ago and fractured T12. My pain and fibromyalgia has increased to high levels since the fall. The fracture supposably healed. I have burning in my thoracic region and down my leg. I have ribs that aren’t flexible and everything is strung so tight now. But I have a few ribs that keep popping out mostly on the left side. I do not know how to make my ribs more mobile and keep in place without messing with the rest of the back. I have been to Cleveland clinic, OSU and my records were forwarded to U of M earlier this year to be reviewed. No one has been able to help find relief. Any advice you could offer? Thank you
I would maybe find a good osteopath (D.O.) in your area who does manual medicine. It sounds like many different areas and joints need to be addressed.
I’m wondering what causes the feeling like my ribs are going to pop out of place? Whenever I have to lay on the examine table at the doctors office I can only lay there briefly and I tell the doctor it feels like my ribs is popping out of place. It will also happen when I am sitting in my chair and stretch out and sometimes when raising hands over head. I do have Rheumatoid arthritis, but have never been able to find any correlation between this. One time was actually out of place I went to chiropractor for 6 weeks every couple days and he could never get rib in place. When I go and have massages and lay on stomach and therapist is stretching legs I feel the same way like rib is going to pop out of place. Any ideas what would be causing this? It happens on both left and right sides, just not at same time.
Hmmmm. I would have to see how your ribs look to give you a good opinion on that. It sounds like the sensation you describe happens mostly when you place pressure directly on the ribcage. Sometimes this can happen from sleeping in a manner that places pressure on the ribs. I would have the ribcage assessed by either an osteopath or a PT and ask if sleeping position is contributing to this.
Hi there,
I am a 27 year old female who has been suffering with random severe muscle spasms in my upper back/shoulder blade/neck area since age 25.I have severely tight muscles in my thighs and back. I recently had one which left me on bed rest for over a week. I have been to a physiotherapist, massage therapist, chiropractor, shiatsu therapist and Osteopath, So far the shiatsu and osteopathy has helped the most but I haven’t been able to figure out what could be causing it. I have had blood work done and everything came back normal. This most recent spasm has cause my left rib to be flared out and my right rib in pushing inward apparently putting pressure on my liver. I haven’t been able to convince my doctor to send me for any testing except a rheumatologist who diagnosed me with fibromyalgia, however my doctor is not convinced and thinks its my posture that is the problem. This has been very debilitating and it is affecting both personal and work relationships, I am hoping to get more suggestions and opinions. Thanks so much.
My first thought would be to have your ergonomic situation at work looked at. Sustained postures often have a lot to do with chronic rib pain. Have a PT or someone qualified give you an opinion. I would be particularly honed in on sustained rotation of your spine and / or forward shoulders.
When I laugh hard my bottom rib (or cartilage) pops in and out. It was just on the left side the last few months but is now happening on the right too. No pain though. Should I be concerned? Why do you think it’s happening now? Just turned 30, never had issues prior, but I do have hypermobility in my knees wrists and ankles. Tight hips though.
I would have to look at you to tell you what I think, but this does sound like it might be tied in to the general hyper-mobility that you say you have. The lower ribs are “free floating” to begin with, meaning they do not have a rigid attachment to the thoracic spine, so they are going to move a bit more to accommodate breathing etc.. If it doesn’t hurt then you are probably fine, but as always, ask your doc about it.
Hello sir, i have ribs dysfunction i consulted a physio therapiat for that . They told me to inhale and exale forcefully. Forcefull exhalation leads my ribcage locked down and i m not able to breathe fully. This causes change in my posture its slumping.
I tried to breathe deeper but i m not able to generate the thrust to push the sternum out and up. What to do now??? Please help.
I wouldn’t be so forceful about the exhalation, that will usually occur by itself. The inhalation tends to be more important in my opinion. Look up some videos on youtube on “diaphragmatic breathing”, you might find them helpful.
Hi. I would really appreciate your opinion. I have suffered chronic breathing difficulty for the last 2 years now. It is worsened by activity and even results in irritation in my airway and mucus cough, as if it were asthma. I have been tested extensively by respiratory doctors and they can’t find anything wrong, ruling out asthma, COPD and acid reflux. My chest CT scan is clear, lung function and blood tests normal. I’ve had a cardiac MRI with stress perfusion and that was also normal. The doctors are trying to tell me it’s anxiety but I know it isn’t!
However, I have had 3 people independent of each other ( a doctor, a physiotherapist and an osteopath) tell me how tight my ribs are. Do you think this could be the cause of all my trouble? I am so desperate for a proper diagnosis and treatment.
Many thanks.
It could be restricted ribs? Have you had a PT or an osteopath work on you? If not, I would try that. I would also learn how to do “diaphragmatic breathing”.
Hi Dan. Thanks for your reply.
I am working on breathing through my diaphragm and also nasal breathing (I tend to breathe through my mouth) and it does help a bit.
I have had a couple of sessions with an osteopath and I do feel some improvement. Are there any effective exercises, rather than just stretches, which you think would help?
Thank you.
Exercises that enhance rib mobility are helpful. The “shoulder circles” done on the floor (in the shoulder section of our exercises) can be helpful. I wouuld ask your PT about possibly doing that.
Thank you, Dan.
Much appreciated.
Simon.
Hello!
I’m 16 years old and for the last three months I’ve had difficulty breathing and pain in my chest. The pain is almost gone now but my sternum still hurts when I do heavy lifts, and the breathing issue persists. I can also feel my heart beat very hard, both in my chest and my neck, and I have some neckpain as well (this I’ve had before). I’ve done some tests and there’s nothing wrong with my heart or lungs, so I went to an osteopath and he told me that my hips were uneven and that that caused a locking in my ribcage. I think it got a little bit better after he corrected my hips, but now it have gotten worse again and I fear that my hips might have gone back to it’s original position.
What do you think? I have been told that anxiety could be the cause, which would make sense since it started at a pretty stressful time, but I don’t think that’s the issue since the problems still are there even when I’m calm. Also, I do sit down quite a lot, which worsens my neckpain once it shows up, so that could be the cause. Thank you for taking your time to read all of our concerns!
That is a very tough thing to comment on without seeing what your posture and movements look like. I would have someone assess how you move and breathe etc.. A good PT should be able to do that. I would also get a list of exercises and postural / habitual modifications from a PT or the osteopath. If the hips are indeed an issue, we need to figure out why the hips tend to go out of alignment. Are you pitching most of your weight through one leg disproportionately? That could cause a problem.
Hi, what condition do you think occasional ribs moving, occasional shaky breathing, and sore muscles could be?
That could be a wide variety of things. Costochondritis, rib strains, a bad cold / respiratory infection? I think that you should see your doc about it.
I’m a 47 female and for the past 6 months I’ve had horrible discomfort on my left rib right under my breast. I’ve also noticed a small lump that moves back and forth between my fingers on the same side. It’s so uncomfortable & constantly feels as if something is under pushing out & other times a pulling/ tugging sensation. I’ve tried stretching & breathing exercises to no avail. On rare occasions that side is tender to touch. I should mention that my left ribs vary quite a bit in shape from my right side & I’ve had this my whole life. What could this possibly be? I’m so uncomfortable all the time.
That would be much easier to assess with an x-ray. There might be a benign cyst that is causing friction? The changes in the rib contour could possibly be from posture (like leaning forward) or maybe a mild scoliois? I would see a doc about this.
Thank you for your reply. Will definitely have it looked at.
Hi, I am a teenager and I realise that when I move my shoulders back and forth. Like movements where my left shoulder moves back and my front shoulders move front, like a diagonal line, back and forth, I can feel that my rib cage being rubbed against, so I also hear the noise of my rib bone. It sounds like a low, husky noise, like for example, pulling down and stone lever. It feels like there is friction between my bones. After doing that action a lot, I find it weird to breathe, it is not difficult to breathe through, just weird. It is as if my lungs are part of the friction between my ribs. May I know what I should do to fix it, and whether those are stiff ribs please.
Oh, and usually after that movement, I will tend to want to cough a little.
The coughing thing is slightly weird. Have you had this evaluated? I don’t think that this is anything to be freaked out about, but I do think that it is a good idea to have an orthopedist, or possibly a pulmonologist look at the ribcage. Your regular doc should be able to figure out who the best person to see should be.
M 21 years…Rib cage moves when laid by any side in bed….it protrudes very much i can feel by my hand on chest…when laid along back then rib cage become somewhat flat little bit outwards….always feels very tired and can’t lift weght….while lifting weight rib protrudes very much….x rays reports are normal…bt this movement of rib cage all tym bother me…wt to do
I would get an evaluation from a PT. You might be able to help control this by strengthening your abdominals, but like I said having it evaluated is a good idea.
i should consult a PT or bone specialist?
Either would work.
I have a pain on the rib at the end of the ribs on the side of heart ….basically ends means the pain is the middle bone which feels like it extends through whole side whole changing positions or other movement but there is no symptom of any change in breathing or and sweating or like that and also no symptom of pain in the hand …on slight pain in the back….i suddenly sleep in the morning on the floor after sleeping in the bed so what is it ? Please help me out !
My guess is “costochondritis”, but you would need to have a doc look at it to get a definitive diagnosis. I would try to avoid sleeping on your side, it might be compressing the ribs on the side that you are lying on.
I’m 16. Sometimes when I move my left shoulder back, one of my top ribs move and it’s a bit uncomfortable. It feels like there’s tension in my side that kind of pulls the rib? Once I correct the positioning of my shoulder it goes away. I have arthritis on both sides of my family and did gymnastics for a few years when I was younger, which both messed up my joints a bit, but should I be concerned? Other times, it’s my collar bone that pops and protrudes a bit before I readjust my shoulder.
Meh. You might be “hyper-mobile” maybe? I would have a assessment done by a physical therapist. Some overall strengthening might be in order.
This last year ive had many rib problems even though ive had NO injuries to my ribs!
Early this year for about a month I had pain in my lower ribs on the left side at the front/side of my chest and when the pain passed I instead had a feeling of constant pressure over the left side ribs instead for 2 weeks!
Just now while breathing I could feel as if my ribs were moving on the left side or popping! Not sure how to describe it… Ive felt that in the past a few times as well. Very uncomfortable! Dont know whats causing it.
I think that this might be costochondritis. It can be cuased by many different things, such as sleeping on the effected side. I would have a doc look at it and confirm the diagnosis.
Hello, I recently went overseas and was sitting with my legs crossed and on my phone when I suddenly had a very sharp pain in my chest lower right side. My ribs sucked in and it was excruciatingly painful. I couldn’t move my ribs with breqthing nor could I stand I had to lean over with my upper abdomen on something. To cut the long story short I was treated for a peptic ulcer and given strong pain killers and told to see a specialist. I did but the Pulmonologist says all is clear on xrays and ct scans, he said a diaghram spasm is what I had and when overseas it was clearly an infection.The physio did say I’m not breathing properly. and I do still feel unconscious and faint sometimes. They’ve taken me off all asthma medication as they misdiagnosed me in 2017 after having pnemonia. The physio gave me breathing exercises to do and a sucking/ inhaling machine to practice with. But I still feel like my rib cage is stuck, I do still have pain sometimes but it only ranges from 6/10 8/10. I also still feel unconscious and faint almost when the air is too stuffy.
What would you recommend I do?
I am a Dancer, singer and actress and this is affecting my career.
Thanks in advance!!
Hmmm, that is a lot to take in. I would find a physical therapist who specializes in “visceral” manual medicine. You should be able to find one in your area, although they are a bit few and far between. I wish I had some other good advice for you, but this is not my area of expertise.