Question
About 6 yrs. ago I was told by a PT that I may have rotated a couple of ribs and I will have to deal with that the rest of my life. I want to know if there is any treatment or not for rotated ribs that the PT did not know about. I believe they were ribs 6-7. My ribs will come out and my wife will pop them back in. I know that there is not much movement but it does make a popping sound when she does it. I can feel when they move then I have her pop them back in.

Answer
Pat,

First, not all providers have all the answers.  Second, a PT is not a doctor and some PT's have limited knowledge of and treatment options for muscluloskeletal conditions.   There may be more going on besides what may be perceived as a rotated rib or a perceived "out of place" rib that gets "popped back in."    Do you have a gall bladder issue?  Is there a previous injury?  If there is a true rib joint instability, there may be ways to stabilize it.  Would the PT bet his entire bank account on the statement that you will, "have to live the rest of your life with it?"   I bet not, so you need to seek other opinions and treatment options.  See if you can find a DC on these lists:  www.grastontechnique.com and www.acbsp.com and www.westhartfordgroup.com   

'Hope this was helpful.

Dr. G
www.drgillman.com