Question
Hi,

I've read this question here from a guy who I believe has the same exact problem like me. He said:

"Hi,
I'm beginner golfer, started 3 weeks ago. During one of the practice, I smacked the ball and felt sharp pain under right arm (right handed golfer), rib/chest area. Could not go on, had to stop practice, every next swing was a pain.
Just to mention that I felt a little pain in that area after I started practice golf, but it was nothing serious, very little, and one days I felt it and others did not.
I went to see a doctor and diagnose was sprained muscle.
But it has been over 2 weeks after and it is very little improvement, if any at all. Every time I press area where rib joints, I feel pain.
Here are my other symptoms: pain in the chest when deep breathing, pain during SOME movement of the chest. When I turn on either side in bed, I feel pain, which weakens after couple seconds. But more on right side. And I feel it mostly when I turn side to side.
When I turn face up, pain goes away completely.
I have red about rib subluxation and I worry it may concern me.
Please tell your opinion, what should I do? "

That's what happened to me, I felt the pain in the driving range after i've hitted about 20 shots and I was able to hit 10 more and I stopped because I was really in pain,

So I'm a bit frustrated because my pain is here for about 6 weeks and I did go to a doctor who told me to do anti-inflammatory and nothing happened, to special massages, and lately I went to a Chiropractor who started to do the kinesiology. My pain still here, my chest(right side) hurts when deep breathing, when I do some movements of the chest or right arm.
I did rest for 15 days and then went to driving range and the pain was back again. stopped for 15 days and rest and after that I did go take a golf lesson and pain was there again. I don't know what to do more to get rid of this pain.

The pain is localized two fingers below my right nipple and it spreads to the right side behind my right arm.

Thanks in advance

Answer
Hugo,

Ask your chiropractor to strength test the serratus anterior, the pectoralis major (sternal division), and the oblique ab's.   See which one hurts.   Try soft tissue mobilization, preferrably Graston Technique (or similar) to the affected muscle/tendon that might be strained. Ask your chiropractor if there is point tenderness at the junction of rib and sternal cartilage as opposed to muscle or tendon.   If so, consider applying laser therapy to that rib/cartilage connection.   If it's the muscle/tendon and not the rib/cartilage connection, then you should get alleviation with soft tissue mobilization of the affected tissues, and especially if the soft tissue mobilization is done dynamically, e.g. with you taking deep breaths, or doing slow motion golf swings, etc.   

'Hope this was helpful,

Dr. G