Question
I'm a 25 y/o female, 5'3 and 108 lbs. I've been experiencing right side pain for the last 3-4 months now. I actually first noticed it about 9 months ago while doing aerobics. I've practiced the same aerobics routine for 2 years, so I'm unsure as to why the pain all of a sudden occurred during this particular session. I wasn't doing anything strenuous or anything like that, but anway. I'm fairly athletic and exercise 4-5 days per week, or used to... I haven't been able to since I've had this side pain... But during the last 15 minutes of this aerobics class, I started noticing a sharp pain underneath my right ribs shooting down toward my hip bone a bit. Since I only had 15 minutes left, I decided to keep going. As I kept moving, the pain increased a bit. After the class was over, the pain throbbed for about a day but went away. A few days later, I did an aerobics class and was fine. A few days after that, I performed the same aerobics routine and noticed the pain again. I worked through it and after the class, the pain throbbed for about a day or two but again, went away. I noticed it again about a week later while out dancing with friends. But, the pain subsided after the dancing. A few days later, I performed my normal aerobics routine, and again felt the pain, but continued with the class. This time, I took it really easy, but after the class was finished, the pain throbbed and felt really sore, and it never went away! The pain has stayed with me now every single day for the last 3 months. It gets worse when I sit down. It's no longer a sharp stabbing pain like when I felt when I was doing aerobics, it's more of a severe ache. It feels like a warm/burning/almost tingly sensation on my right side. The pain goes over to the right side of my back, all the way up the right side of my spine near my shoulder blade. It also radiates underneath my right side ribs and down toward my right buttocks. I can feel the pain in my stomach as well, all on the right side. It's like my whole right torso is affected. I also feel pressure sometimes underneath my right rib cage. I have a very hard time sitting at a desk, leaning forward to write, and sitting at my desk for work.
I can do aerobic activity for about 15 minutes and have to stop because the pain is awful, so I haven't excercised very much at all. All I can do is walk, and even that aggrivates it sometimes. Food doesn't seem to make any difference. What I eat doesn't  bother it. Nobody can figure out what I have, but it seems to be getting worse. I've had many different types of blood tests, I've had a CT scan of my right side, an MRI of my T spine, a bone scan, an X RAY of my ribs, an ultrasound of my right side, an ultrasound of my heart (echo) and everything has shown up normal. I've been checked for kidney stones, gall stones, kidney problems, liver problems (by blood test) gallbladder problems, but so far, everything is normal! Does anybody know what's wrong with me? I'm scared it may be some sort of disease. I'm dying for some sort of diagnosis.


Answer
Kristy:

Thanks for Writing!

It is unfortunate that you are caught in this situation, but that is modern day medicine.

The proglem with medical tests today is that they look only for pathology or an advanced disease in the body, they do not look at the function of the different organs. The system is designed to find only those cases which demand immediate drug or surgical intervention.

Since you are young and keep in shape, yours has not advanced to an emergency state. And so you suffer, depending on the empty promise, "If that gets worse, we will have to do something about it".

But all is not lost. There is in America today a rising tide of people just like you who have not gotten relief from conventional medicine or who do not want to wait until they are nearly dead to take care of their health. And so we have  alternative or functional medicine.

Many doctors practice this new medicine. I am most familiar with the chiropractors who do so and so advise you to go to www.sorsi.com, www.icak-usa.com and/or www.holistichiro.com and look for a doctor near you. I am sure they can help you.

This sounds like a congested liver or gall bladder to me. Get some good vinegar, with the "mother" in it at a health food store. Take a teaspoon and see how you feel. A water soluble magnesium citrate would also help. That will hold you until you can get to a good alternative doctor and get to the root of the problem.

Let me know how it goes.

Dr.Rozeboom

PS: I assume you are drinking enough water. coffee and cola do not count.