Question
Hi,
I've had pain in my rib cage and back for probably 5 years now.  I got an MRI on my back two years ago and it revealed I had degenerative disc problems, herniated disc and disc bulges in my thoracic area.  The doctor for some reason didn't believe I had rib cage pain he kind of brushed it off.  He basically wanted to give me pills and didn't really help me.  I've been to chiropractors who said they could help after like 20 visits, nothing helps not acupuncture or anything. I have no relief from chiropractors even.  I do however find I get relief from massages.  My rib and back pain which is all down the left side of my back and left side, it gets much worse when I have bowel movements,  it does not effect my bowel movements however. My rib cage pain causes me trouble breathing when I am at work doing physical labor and it gets worked more than it probably should.  I don't have health insurance any more but I would appreciate more than anything to just know how to go about getting help or what can I do personally to help my situation.  All I feel like doing is laying around for the rest of my life because it hurts.  It hurts really bad to bend forward,  I also can rarely rarely sit up in a chair or couch without horrible pain to my ribs.  It even hurts when I lay down in most positions except when I lay flat on my back but for some reason I can't fall asleep on my back so I get even more screwed.

Thank you in advance for any advice you can provide for me.

Answer
Joe, sorry for the delay. If you have herniated discs in thoracic region I would focus on that and see if your rib pain is
coming from pinched nerves. I would try cold laser directly
over the spine if it clears up you k ow it's from the discs putting
pressure in the nerve. Otherwise , it could be a misaligned rib or ribs. Massage can get expensive and cold laser is probably less . Make sure you go several times and go back to back treat it aggressively with laser. There are no side effects.
If you tell me where you live I may be able to find someone qualified. It's a tough case to answer because I would really need to see you to determine exactly what's causing the pain. If you
live in Ny or close to Ny feel free to contact me.

David Kulla,DC
SynergyWellnessNY.com
chiropractor, NYC