Physical Therapy for Rib Pain

Do you ever feel limited by the excruciating pain in your ribs? Rib pain can have a significant impact on your quality of life, making simple tasks like breathing, sleeping, or even laughing unbearable. Bluntly put, it hurts like Hell — it’s painful to breathe, painful to lay on the injured side, painful to roll in bed, painful to reach for something. Basically, every movement hurts.

Here at The Manual Touch, we understand the debilitating nature of rib pain and are here to guide you through the benefits of physical therapy as a solution for managing and alleviating your discomfort. By taking a holistic approach that considers the interconnectedness of your body, we can help you regain comfort, mobility, and get back to doing what you love.

What causes rib pain?

Rib pain can stem from various causes, including broken or bruised ribs, strained intercostal muscles (the muscles between the ribs), and thoracic vertebrae rotation.

A few examples:

• Broken or bruised rib
• Strained intercostal muscle between the ribs
• A rotation of a thoracic vertebrae (upper back) causing a shift of the rib either forward or backward

Where do you feel rib pain?

These conditions can result from traumatic injuries, repetitive movements, or even poor posture. The symptoms of rib pain can manifest in different areas, such as the upper back, chest, neck, or sides, depending on the underlying cause. Understanding the anatomy of the thoracic cage, which houses our ribs, can help us grasp the root of the problem.

Rib pain can be felt in the form of:

• Upper back pain
• Chest pain
• Neck pain with inability to turn head to one side
• Side pain

A basic anatomy lesson

Your thoracic cage is made up of 12 pairs of ribs, your sternum or chest bone, and 12 thoracic vertebrae. The thoracic cage acts as armour for your most vital structures – your heart, lungs, and largest blood vessel, the aorta. In the front of your body, ribs 1 through 7 are attached to your sternum and ribs 8 through 10 are attached to cartilage at the bottom of the sternum. They all wrap around your body to attach to your thoracic vertebrae 1 through 10. Ribs 11 and 12 are known as floating ribs as they only attach to thoracic vertebrae 11 and 12 and have no attachment in front.

Respiration is initiated through your diaphragm, which is situated between your thoracic cage and your abdomen. During respiration, your lungs and rib cage expand, the ribs separate via the intercostal muscles, and then come back to resting position when you exhale.

What can you do to relieve rib pain?

Medically speaking, there is nothing you can do (besides take pain medication). Physical Therapy, on the other hand, can be extremely helpful. When it comes to managing rib pain, physical therapy plays a crucial role. While medical treatments may offer limited relief, physical therapy can address the underlying causes of rib pain and promote long-lasting healing. Through gentle manual therapy techniques, such as soft tissue mobilization and joint mobilization, physical therapists can help reduce pain and improve rib mobility. In addition, kinesiotape can provide support and enhance the healing process. By understanding the interconnectedness of the body, physical therapists also address associated areas of pain, such as the upper back and chest, to provide comprehensive relief.

Here are a few methods we use to treat rib pain:

Fractured or bruised ribs

For fractured or bruised ribs, there is gentle manual therapy and kinesiotape.

Strained intercostal muscle or side pain

A strained intercostal muscle will not allow the ribs to separate like they need to during respiration, which causes pain. Treatment requires a more deep tissue form of manual therapy, which can be uncomfortable, and kinesiotape.

Upper back or chest pain

These usually go hand-in-hand, requiring hands on techniques to the involved thoracic vertebrae and rib.

Neck pain with inability to turn to one side

This is usually caused by an elevated 1st rib, and rotation of the 1st thoracic vertebra. This usually requires a manual technique to settle. For reference, your back 1st rib is just below your neck and the front 1st rib is just underneath your collarbone (clavicle).

Gentle movement exercises

Gentle movement exercises allay fear of movement and begin improving movement of the thoracic cage.

Breathing exercises

Breathing exercises are an essential component of rib pain management. Proper breathing promotes diaphragmatic movement, mobilizes the ribcage, and improves overall thoracic mobility. Techniques such as diaphragm breathing and bucket handle breathing not only assist in relieving the pain but also minimize fear of movement and facilitate a return to normal activities.

Here are a couple of methods:

• Diaphragm Breathing. Diaphragm breathing is done by placing your hand on your upper abdomen (diaphragm), and breathing into that hand as deeply as you can tolerate, exhale slowly
• Bucket handle breathing:. To practice bucket handle breathing, place your hands on your sides/lower rib cage, breathe into your hands expanding your rib cage out, and exhale slowly.

Like any soft or bony tissue injury in the body, nature takes at least 4 to 6 or more weeks to heal, so the above treatments will not get rid of your pain 100%, but it will allow you to move, breathe, sleep and function better with less pain and return you to the activities you love to do sooner.

Healing and Recovery From Rib Pain

It’s important to set realistic expectations for pain relief and healing. While complete resolution of rib pain may take time, physical therapy treatments can significantly improve your daily life. Physical therapy aims to help you move, breathe, sleep, and function better with less pain. You will work closely with your physical therapist to develop a personalized treatment plan tailored to your specific condition and goals. Each step of the way, your progress will be closely monitored and adjustments will be made as needed to ensure optimal healing and recovery.

Now that you can see a PT without a prescription, don’t suffer with rib pain! Come in as soon as you can for relief.