Question
I have been experiencing some right rib cage pain for about 4 months now. I first noticed the pain when I was jumping up and down on a mini trampoline for an aerobics class. I felt a sharp pain underneath my right ribs, just above my hip bone. The pain throbbed on my right flank for a day or so but went away. A week later, I noticed the pain again during a step class. I was jogging in place and again felt that right rib/flank pain. The pain has stayed with me ever since. It's a dull ache that I feel constantly. It has spread throughout my right rib cage, to my lower back. The muscles in my back seem to spasm now, which makes the pain worse. It spasms up the right side of my spine. It hurts worse when I'm sitting, and leaning back, and it also hurts worse when I'm exercising. I cannot exercise at all now. Even walking aggrivates it. It's hard to get comfortable when sitting down because it feels like someone is poking at my rib cage. When I wake up in the morning, the pain is gone. But within the first 5 minutes of walking around in the morning, and sitting down to eat breakfast, the pain starts, and gets worse throughout the day. What I eat does not affect it. I have also noticed a small lump on the end of my first floating rib. It doesn't hurt to push on it directly, but after pushing on it and poking at it, the pain gets worse and starts to throb. I'm wondering if the pain is generating from that? I've been to several different doctors, all of which cannot make a diagnosis. I've had numerous blood tests which have all come back normal. I've had 2 XRAYS, a bone scan, an MRI of my T spine, an untra sound of my abdomen, 2 cat scans of my abdomen (one with dye, one without) an unltrasound of my heart. I've also had a rectal exam and a pelvic exam. All tests were normal. Since none of the doctors I've seen are able to help me, I've been trying to diagnose myself. I've googled slipping rib syndrome, which has a lot of my symptoms. And I've also googled costochondritis. However, with that condition, one of the main symptoms is tightness in the chest, and I do not have any chest pain. But, this could also be due to the fact that the lump on my rib is on the lower floating ribs, toward my right flank, and not on the ribs that are connected to the sternum. Do you think it could be costochondritis or slipping rib syndrome, or a rib out of place? What else do you think this could be? I would appreciate any input on my condtion! Thank you.

Answer
Dear Kristy,

Thank you for your new question about your therapeutic diagnostic suspicions of 搒lipping rib syndrome,?costochondritis or some other diagnosis.  It is my hope that your research is turning up some interesting information for you.  

I'll ask you to review my original message to you in response to this question several days ago, giving particular attention to the distinction between therapeutic practitioners and non-therapeutic straight chiropractic and particularly about vertebral subluxation.  

Your follow-up question is still asking of me a therapeutic diagnostic conclusion and really has no relevance to my field, though I would still advise you to seek out and visit a non-therapeutic straight chiropractor ?again, not for your symptoms, but, instead, WITH them.  Remember, that's not to say that your symptoms are being treated with the methods used in my field nor that you don't need attention elsewhere for the symptoms.  What a non-therapeutic straight chiropractor's objective is and what he/she does are completely different from anything in your question.  

Kristy, good luck with your research and I hope you will seriously consider being checked for vertebral subluxations.  The importance of living free of vertebral subluxations cannot be overstated.  

Sincerely,
James W. Healey, D.C.