Ok, this rib pain is killing me and making my arm go numb. it is in the middle of my chest an inch in from my sternum. It feels like my rib is moving out of place and pushing on bone or something. It kills. Please offer any advise.

I say this would prompt me to an emergency room to rule out heart or other issues first.

I know it's no fun, but with TOS, you can't assume it's JUST TOS, you know?

I have had times when I'll get a pain in the rib area - a raised bump like a hot dog shape of muscle - and I can't pinpoint if I particularly moved my arms or not...and it takes about two weeks to heal down.

Please keep us posted, and God bless you and keep you safe.

I had inflamed cartilage of my ribcage when pregnant with kid #2
- it felt like my ribs were being ripped apart esp when 6 months along and kid kicked that direction.
Dr said aspirin/tylenol for a week or 2 and that fixed me up
but it didn't affect my arms at all.

Can you touch/press around the area ?
is it sensitive to external pressures or only internal
does breathing affect it? the movement of the ribcage?

I've had that all checked before. It does hurt when I put external pressure on it. Moving in different positions definitely hurt it too. It feels like it hits a bone or something and a sharp sudden pain. Heat had helped.

Thanks all. Your great

hi thunder92,
when my condition was much worse, i had muscle spasms in my back that were continuous and i would rate them as 8/10 when asked. i had diagnoses such as discogenic pain of the thoracic spine, myofascial pain of the erector spinae muscles, thoracic spondali(tis?), T4 Syndrome and more. these spasms would increase when i was asked to perform various arm movements. when i described to a musculo skeletal doctor, the consequences of the arm movements on the muscle spasms and the subsequent pain at my sternum, he alluded to the fact that if you place enough pressure on the ribs at the back there will be a consequence at the front. (this seemed perfectly logical)

the strategies that have been successful in releasing the muscles spasms and therefore the horrible rib twisting affects have been-
1) dry needling in the muscles which are in spasm (similar but not the same as accupunture)
2) chiropractic adjustments to my spine , after the thoracic spine has been hypomobile for a long period the spine needs to be loosened up.
3) hot wheat bag
4) drugs which allow normal diaphragmatic breathing
5) not using the affected arm which causes the muscle spasms
6) shoulder brace which holds the shoulder girdle in its correct position which will stop the compromise of nerves.


good luck towelhorse

Hi,

sorry to hear of the pain.....perhaps heat and a good massage therapist that can do myofacial release and be able to push the muscles and ribs back into place.....just a suggestion....hope you find relief soon...

love and hugs,
Victoria

Hi, I also had that last year sometime. My Doctor said it was Costochondritis. I really was scared because it was right in the middle of my chest. It took about 6 weeks to go away. He said to take anti-inflammatories, which I cannot take due to stomach problems.

Heat helped me the most. But I then got the horrid rib pain on my right side under my arm down about 3-6 inches. It finally has went away with my recent pec minor surgery. Good Luck, Ihtos

That's the name of what I had too.