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What’s Causing My Pain in The Ribs?

16th September, 2010 - Posted by health news - No Comments

Rib pain is not always caused by a rib injury. There are also a number of diseases that trigger rib discomfort, which means it can sometimes be difficult to determine the source of the problem. The purpose of this article is to offer an overview of those causes that are relatively common, but also to touch on some of those that are less well known to the general public.

We’ll start with pain in the ribs resulting from damage due to an injury. Many people are familiar with the most common types.

Fractured (Broken) or Cracked Ribs – In most cases, this type of injury is relatively easy to diagnose, even without an x-ray (your doctor will want one nonetheless, however). Pain from a broken or cracked rib can be extremely sharp and severe. Many people say a fractured rib produces some of the worst pain there is. Rib fractures occur most often because of athletic competition, a fall or an auto accident. Breathing can become very difficult – even painful. The injured area will probably also be sensitive to touch, and any movement involving the torso can result in sharp, stinging discomfort.

Cartilage Injury – The soft tissue that connects your breastbone to your ribs is called cartilage. Besides facilitating the expansion and contraction of your chest during breathing, it also gives your ribcage the flexibility to absorb a certain amount of force from a blow. When this cartilage is damaged, it will feel like a rib injury. Cartilage damage in your chest will cause pain when you’re breathing, laughing or coughing.

Soft Tissue Damage – Your torso is a network of soft tissue that includes muscles, ligaments and tendons surrounding the ribcage. These can be stretched, strained or torn in any number of ways: you may try to lift, push or pull something that’s too heavy for you. An injury can also result from repeating the same motion for a long time (called a “repetitive motion injury”) This can cause discomfort that may be easily mistaken as rib pain or a rib injury.

Bone and joint disorders can also be a cause of pain in the ribs. Some of the more common include the following.

Joint inflammation – The older we get, more likely it becomes that we’ll experience joint inflammation in any number of places. When joints near the ribs become inflamed, the pain can feel like it’s happening in your ribcage. There are two conditions that are especially common.

Osteoarthritis – Osteoarthritis can cause irritation and inflammation in many joints all over the body. This includes the areas where the ribs connect to the sternum and the spine.

Rheumatoid Arthritis – When you have this disease, your body’s immune system attacks itself. Since there are a lot of bones and joints around your ribcage, it’s not unusual for rheumatoid arthritis to strike there.

Some relatively common diseases and illnesses are also characterized by rib pain. Among them are the following.

Pleurisy – Medical professionals call the lining between the lungs and the ribs the “pleura.” When this lining becomes inflamed, the general area of the chest and ribcage will hurt. Rib pain from pleurisy can be intense, and simply inhaling and exhaling can be be uncomfortable.

Pneumonia – Rib pain is typical when you have pneumonia. Coughing, laughing, breathing, sneezing can all be painful.

Tuberculosis – Rib pain is also characteristic of tuberculosis (commonly known as “TB”). Fatigue, fever and coughing are among the other symptoms.

A variety of cancers can produce discomfort and pain in the ribcage area (both in the front and back). Lung cancer and multiple myeloma are at the top of this list. Rib pain is a symptom in 4 out of 5 myeloma cases.

Anyone who has a lung disease that’s due to tobacco use or long term exposure to pollutants is likely to have pain in the ribs. This is especially true among those who suffer from asbestosis and mesothelioma.

The following causes for rib pain fall into the “miscellaneous” category:

* Gallbladder trouble like gallstones or a gallbladder attack.

* Spinal or other nerve-related injuries and disorders. Shingles is ia disease which often starts with acute pain in the ribcage area before erupting into an extremely uncomfortable rash.

* Those who use steroids for a long period of time often develop chronic pain in the ribs.

* Those who are under a great deal of stress are prone to rib pain. These individuals often take deep, rapid breaths and stretch the muscles around the ribcage..

Finally, chest pain from heart conditions (known to doctors as “angina”) can be mistaken for pain in the ribs. Angina, of course, is characteristic indication of heart disease.

Obviously, there are dozens of diseases, disorders and conditions that can cause rib pain. Some can cause a lot of discomfort but pose no serious long term threat to your health. Others are very dangerous.

If you’ve had pain in the ribs for several days, or if your pain is growing steadily worse, it’s probably time to call your doctor.[/body]

Would you like to get additional information on ribcage pain? Read Common Causes of Ribcage Pain and Broken Ribs. George McKenzie is a retired radio and TV journalist with a special interest in health and fitness.