Question
Hi Dr. Gillman,
I'm writing regarding a recent visit to the chiropractor.
My chiropractor tried to adjust me while I was standing and up against the wall. He's done this before with success but this last time he forcefully pressed twice on my front, lower, mid and right rib cage. During and after it felt like the wrong spot but I tried to relax into it hoping for the best. After the adjustment I felt a compressed feeling just under my sternum like it was being pushed on as well as a clenching of my rib cage. My breathing felt restricted and still does now. Also I felt a  weird burping gassy feeling in my stomach that kept wanting to move upward. It's been 5 days now and I'm suffering from a bad case of GERD and still the compressed feeling at the base of my sternum. My xiphoid process, once on the surface is now sunken into my chest cavity. I don't know how to proceed with this.
Thanks for your time.
Hope to hear back.
Blaine  

Answer
Blaine,

Sometimes accidents happen in manual medicine... If you said you had sharp pains then I'd be more concerned about rib fracture.  But a compressed feeling?  Restricted breathing?  This sounds more like muscular strain.  Mention this to your chiropractor and see if simple massage and thoracic spine mobilization and stretching can provide immediate relief.  At home, try arching backwards over something, e.g. sofa, or a gym-ball if you have one, to stretch the front of your ribs and you abdominal muscles.  Odds are these will help.  

'Best,

Dr. G