Obsessions, Compulsions & Disorders

Rib pain is not always caused by a rib injury. There are also a number of medical problems that trigger rib discomfort, which means it can sometimes be difficult to determine the source of the problem. In this article, we’ll cover some that are obvious, but we’ll also endeavor to describe some pain under the ribs causes that are not widely known to the general public.

Let’s look at rib injuries first.

Fractured (Broken) or Cracked Ribs – When you have this type of rib injury, you generally know it because the pain is extremely sharp and severe. Those who have had a cracked or broken rib are likely to say the pain is worse than any other injury they’ve ever experienced. Rib fractures occur most often because of athletic competition, a fall or an auto accident. Just taking a breath can become extremely painful. The injured area will probably also be sensitive to touch, and any movement involving the upper body can result in sharp, stinging discomfort.

Cartilage Injury – Cartilage is the material that connects your ribs to your breastbone. It also gives your ribcage a certain amount of shock absorbency, and helps make it easier for your chest to expand and contract when you breathe. When you have cartilage damage, the pain feels similar to the pain of a cracked rib. Laughing and coughing will cause discomfort. Taking a deep breath will hurt, and an unexpected sneeze can be particularly unpleasant.

Soft Tissue Damage – Soft tissues like muscles, tendons and ligaments are spread around the rib cage. Such soft tissues can be damaged by stretching or straining: for instance, you may try to push, pull or lift something that’s beyond your capability. Executing the same motion repeatedly for a long period of time can also injure this type of tissue (this is generally known as 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 cause pain under the ribs. Some of the more common include the following.

Joint inflammation – As individuals pass through middle age, joint inflammation and irritation become more and more common. 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 occurs when joints wear out, causing irritation and inflammation. It sometimes affects the areas which connect the backbone and breastbone to the ribs, resulting in ribcage pain.

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.

In addition to the injuries and disorders mentioned above, there are also a number of diseases that can cause rib pain. They include:

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 – Chest discomfort and pain in the ribcage area is one of the characteristic indicators of pneumonia. Breathing can be difficult, and laughing, sneezing or coughing can be downright 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. Approximately 80 percent of myeloma patients report ribcage pain as one of their symptoms.

Patients who have lung disorders related to smoking or exposure to pollutants frequently experience pain in the ribs. Ribcage discomfort is especially common among those who have mesothelioma and asbestosis.

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

* Gallbladder problems, especially a gallbladder attack or gallstones

* Nerve issues (especially caused by damage to the spinal column). Shingles is ia disease which often starts with acute pain in the ribcage area before erupting into an extremely uncomfortable rash.

* Long time steroid users sometimes develop chronic rib pain.

* Those who are under a great deal of stress sometimes suffer rib pain. These individuals often take deep, rapid breaths and strain the soft tissue around the ribcage..

Finally, angina (the medical term for chest pain caused by heart problems) can feel like pain under the ribs.

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 your pain under the ribs lasts for more than a few days, or seems to be growing worse, it would be a good idea to discuss your symptoms with your doctor.[/body]

Would you like additional information on pain under the ribs? Read What’s Causing My Rib Pain? and The Dangers of Cracked Ribs. George McKenzie is a retired TV and radio journalist with a special interest in medical topics.