If it feels like a knife is jabbing into your side or back when you take a deep breath, you most likely have a rib issue.

These hurt.    The focused treatment with these issues is to resolve the pain as fast as possible.   This takes a little explanation.

The ribs and the capsules along the rib heads are extremely sensitive due to a large amount of nerve endings.   They are EXTREMELY RESPONSIVE TO INFLAMMATION.  The protection mechanism along the spine is to put the muscles on “lockdown” mode when the ribs are deemed, “on threat.”

That makes a difference in how we treat this injury and how you should be treating the injury at home.

Despite the palpable and definite muscle spasm, the issue is happening at the rib capsule.  Treat the injury, not the spasm.  

Use Ice, not heat.  Stop the hot showers, massages, stretches, metal tools, desk corners, door knobs and kids walking on your back.

In my clinic, a typical visit for this is fairly simplistic:

1) Stop the inflammation  (ICE)

2) Get some generalized movement back. (Chiropractic treatment)

3) Get you the correct advice!

Look, my clinic is known for always trying the newest modalities and treatments: Cupping, tools, vibration, movements, etc. But for this issue, it’s quite different. Nothing helps unless the inflammation is gone. Too much work, causes the pain to last longer!

The injury is a small thing.  The severity of pain is HUGE.