Question
Dr. Pendergraft,

Not sure if this is your area of expertise but I had the flu back in January and about a week after I started feeling better, I experienced rib pain and numbness in the lower rib area along with some back pain, especially while driving or sitting.  I went to my doctor and he determined that due to my sickness, my ribs had inflamed and were putting pressure on some nerves and hence the numbness.  He prescribed a medication(can't remember the name) to reduce the swelling.  The symptoms went away but I have recently noticed them again to the point where it can be
quite uncomfortable at times.  Could the inflammation be a recurring problem or is there something else that could be going on?  Thank you for your time.

Regards  

Answer
Hi James,

The short answer is that intercostal problems are often recurring.  Having had quite a bit of trouble with this personally, I am an authority.

Between each set of ribs there are muscles, nerves, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, etc.  Once there is a mechanical malfunction, these can all get aggravated.  And it is easy to reaggravate them.

Chiropractic doctors deal with this all the time.

A good stretch is to roll up a towel in a long tube shape, put it on the floor and lay on it longways right up and down on the spine for a few minutes.  If it hurts adjust the towel...fatter or skinnier.  It should feel like a stretch not a pain.  Also, ice 20 minutes per hour.  And the "rib rules"- keep your elbows at your sides and keep your nose and toes lined up.  Very stiff and close to the body.

Hope this helps.

God bless, Dr Pendergraft