You should report any instance of unexplainable rib cage pain to your doctor immediately. The most common causes of rib cage pain are a pulled muscle or bruised ribs. Other causes of pain in the rib cage area may include:. If your pain started after an injury, your doctor might order an imaging scan such as an X-ray.
A chest X-ray can show evidence of fractures or bone abnormalities. Rib-detail X-rays are also helpful. If any abnormalities, such as an abnormal growth, show up on your X-ray or during your physical examination, your doctor will order a soft tissue imaging scan, such as an MRI.
An MRI scan gives the doctor a detailed view of your rib cage and surrounding muscles, organs, and tissue. Your doctor will order a bone scan if they feel that bone cancer may be causing the pain.
For this examination, they will inject you with a small amount of radioactive dye called a tracer. Your doctor will then use a special camera to scan your body for the tracer.
The image from this camera will highlight any bone abnormalities. If the rib cage pain is due to a minor injury, such as a pulled muscle or bruise, you can use a cold compress on the area to reduce swelling. A compression wrap is a large, elastic bandage that wraps around your chest. The compression wrap holds the area tightly to prevent further injury and greater pain.
However, these wraps are only necessary in rare cases because the tightness of the compression wrap makes it difficult to breathe. This can increase your risk of pneumonia. If bone cancer is causing the pain, your doctor will discuss treatment options with you based on the type of cancer and origin of the cancer. Your doctor may suggest surgery to remove or biopsy abnormal growths. In these cases, your doctor may choose to shrink them using chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Once the growth is small enough, they may then remove it surgically.
Rib cage pain may be apparent with no movement. You may also experience sharp pain when breathing in or when moving into a certain position. Underline links. Clear cookies. Images Greyscale. Invert Colors. Remove Animations. Remove styles. Accessibility by WAH. Call Us Text Us.
The most common cause of rib cage pain is costochondritis. Costochondritis occurs when the cartilage connecting your ribs to your sternum is inflamed, causing:. Persistent pain, however, should always be followed up with a doctor. Pregnancy rib pain is common throughout all three trimesters, however particularly during the later stages of pregnancy. Rarely will rib pain during pregnancy be due to something more serious, but you can talk to one of our doctors today if you want to discuss your symptoms.
You should always discuss your symptoms with a doctor when experiencing rib cage pain that you cannot attribute to a recent injury. There are a number of potential underlying causes of rib cage pain. Other, more serious, causes of rib cage pain, such as lung cancer, are better caught early in order minimise the harm they cause. For the most part, broken, fractured or bruised ribs cannot be treated and will heal over time.
Whilst they heal, it is advised to take pain relief and rest from strenuous activity. You can reduce swelling caused by rib breaks or fractures by applying an ice pack to the area until the swelling subsides.
If your rib pain is caused by an underlying illness, your doctor will explore treatment options specific to your diagnosis. If your doctor suspects you have a serious condition, you may be sent for additional tests. Our doctors are available days a year to talk to you about your symptoms, and where possible prescribe medication to alleviate your symptoms. Every one of our doctors is registered with the General Medical Council and can be found on the NHS National Performers List, so you know you are only ever receiving the best possible care and advice.
They are experienced in treating a wide range of conditions, and can help with almost everything your regular GP could in a physical surgery.
You can meet some of our doctors here. Push Doctor also has an in-house Medical team, who support our doctors day in, day out, and enable our doctors to do what they do best. They are also responsible for the ongoing training and development of doctors on our platform. They are the foremost authority in our industry, assessing health providers' ability to provide people with safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality care — be they offline or online doctors.
Our most recent inspection took place in May , concluding that the service we provide is safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led — gaining a 'Good' rating overall. You can read the report in full on our CQC profile.
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