Lots of patients here at OSR often mistake pain in their ribs for spine pain. This is because lots of people forget how many ribs we have, and where they are. The human body has 24 ribs, there are twelve on each side and they wrap from front to back. If someone is suffering a rib injury on the back side of their ribs, they often blame the pain on a spine issue.
This may seem obvious, but your ribs are very important for two reasons. One: they pretty much stabilize your entire body, without the support from your ribs, your thoracic spine would have a much more difficult job. Two: they protect your heart, lungs, and other organs. Just like your spine and other joints in your body, your ribs can become subluxated and misaligned. When your ribs are injured or misaligned, your thoracic spine is doing twice the work in trying to keep stability in your back.
We offer chiropractic adjustments to people every day that have misalignments in their spine and ribs. Adjustments can help restore proper function in your ribs and increase your range of motion while decreasing pain you are having in your thoracic back stemming from the ribs.
Broken/Cracked Ribs
Broken ribs are most commonly caused by abrupt contact like during a contact sport, a car accident, or a fall. When your ribs are cracked or broken, it can feel like a dull ache in your side, back or in the front. If it’s a serious break, the pain can feel like a sharp stabbing, especially when inhaling and exhaling or bending and twisting your body. Unlike other breaks or sprains, there isn’t really any way to “cast” a rib for it to heal so the most important thing is stay away from anything that could injure or break it further while it’s healing. If you are suffering from a broken rib, do your best to watch your posture while in recovery. While trying to subside the pain, you could end up getting your spine out of alignment.
If you are suffering from lower or upper back pain, give us a call today to schedule a chiropractic adjustment. You may not have known that your ribs being misaligned could lead to back pain, but you do now! Call us today at 488-5555!
Resources:
https://www.thejoint.com/2017/02/27/how-your-ribs-affect-your-spine-and-your-health
