dislocated rib
(16 discussions)
I have a rib that is out of place in my upper back. As a result I have severe muscle spasms from my shoulder to my neck. The only way I can stop the pain is to lay down. My chiropractor will pop it back in and 2 hours later it pops out again. He tells me to just keep coming back and eventually it will stay in. I hope he is right I have had him pop it back in 5 times now within 5 days. Is there anything else I can do? Any help would be appreciated thanks.Lt.
16 comments
abbie
Hi, I ran into your site posting this question and I’m not sure if you already received this response ps, I too had experienced this excruciating pain, and had it adjusted and strengthened. Been better ever since. Good luck.
Melissa
There isn’t really much more that you can do for your rib at this point in time. In fact, you really need to let it rest to enable healing. Also, I don’t understand why you are posting questions on the internet asking what else you can do to make it better. You should have trust and know that your physician is well trained and has all the answers you need. If you don’t trust the information that he’s giving to you perhaps you would be better off looking for a new chiropractor.
ward
In adjusting a back brace, my wife pulled strap too hard & dislocated a rib on left side. Painful but not excruciating. Happened 10 days ago. Hurts because brace pushes on it & while sleeping on that side. Because of medicines I am on unable to take anything but Tylenol & this makes me very dizzy. Will rib eventually heal on its own? I am 78 with osteoporosis & on steroids. Thanks. Pls respond to email address.
jESS wALL
My brother is the one in question. He is 54 yrs old and he has been experiencing his ribs popping out of place. He keeps going to the chiropractor and getting it popped back in along with pain pills, but it returns and he feels like he is having a heart attack! He is a little guy maybe 98 lbs soaking wet and he has back problems to boot. I lost a brother last summer to cancer, and I am really worried about this rib thing being something more serious. I don’t want to lose another brother. Is there any suggestions on what I can have my brother do. Or any ideas of what is causing this? my brother lives in a little country town and he is a shy country boy who will not ask questions and takes whatever the dr.’s say to heart. Please help, i’m desperate for my brother to start feeling better.
Karen
I just dislocated a rib last week and it hurt like a son-of-a-gun. My doctor gave me pain pills and told me to wear a rib belt (or rib brace) for about six weeks to help keep the rib from popping back out before it could heal in place. He said once you’ve popped a rib it could be a problem for the rest of your life because it never really heals as good as new.
dawn
I have had the same problem. What I have found that helps is first he needs to go to a pain clinc not a chiropracter. I got botox in my back, becuase my rib dislocating was due to muscle spasms. I also take muscle relaxers. another thing that I do that helps is work out. I needed to build the muscles in my back up. they had atrophied, because I was babying my back cause all tha pain I was in. I worked out through the pain and feel much better now for it. I know it does not sound like a great plan but I have been living with chronic pain since 98 and this is the best I have felt since then. feel free to email me with any questions. I hope he does this or at least considers it.
mr. mizo
Hi. I am a roof repair man for tile roofs. I’ve done lots of climbing up ladders with 50lbs. of tiles on my shoulder and climbing domn with 50 lb buckets full of broken tiles. To shorten this up I believe I have dislocated one of my ribs. When I take a deep breath sometimes it pops and others it just feels like their is a tip of a knife in my back right below my left shoulder blade. It is so bad at night when I want to sleep I get so angry that I just feel like screaming . Has any1 out there expierienced any thing like this????
Cathy
I saw a chiropractor who happened to be covering for my regular doc while he was on vacation. I normally require a more aggressive adjustment than most people, even though I have a very small frame. The first visit with this doc was fantastic and I couldn’t have been happier with the treatment. However, the second time after he adjusted me I had a piercing pain, in my mid back, that wouldn’t go away. I saw my regular chiropractor when he got back in town and he told me I had three dislocated “rib heads”. I always feel better after an adjustment and I truly understand that it takes time to heal. I have one question that I hope you can answer. Could a dislocated rib cause skin tenderness? My skin is extremely sensitive from the area around the ribs that are affected, to the front of my body. I would appreciate any advice of information you have to share.
Geoff
I too have a dislocated rib. Mine was inflicted through coughing. I tend to take brufen when it decides to play-up, and strap it with 2m x 60cm Actico elastic bandaging. There isn’t much that can be done with them as they cannot be rested like a knee joint, due to us humans having to breath and hence use them on a very frequent basis. I also find an ice pack works wonders – for a short time.
Jill
I was recently in a car accident and was t-boned on the passenger side were I was seated. I have 4 subluxed, dislocated, ribs and have been going through chiropractic treatment. I am wondering if this excrutiating pain will ever go completely away and how long will it take to recover? I have looked all over the internet for more information on subluxed ribs and am coming up empty handed. Anyone with some answers is what I need. I’m tired of being in pain! Thanks.
kim
i would like to see the reply to jess wall’s question dated july 27… I have the same issues..
Evander Locklell
Cathy-Yes, nerve signals can essentially become mixed together on their way from exteroreceptors to the CNS and can cause you to feel pain on the skin around the actual problem. This is called referred pain. My advice is to see an M.D. Chiropractors are only trained to deal with skeletal problems. Unfortunately, most skeletal problems are also associated with musculo-neural problems that actually need to be fixed as opposed to shoved into place for short-term relief.
Dr. William Orsten
There is no such thing as a dislocated rib. It is an impossibility. This idea was started with the quackery of chiropractors and the “treeatment” merely creates problems with the ribs. Ribs cannot dislocate. If you think you are having problems with a rib then go to a doctor.
Melanie
I got punched, right under the breast, now I think I have a dislocated rib, it feel’s that way, when I breath I can feel my ribs move. What do you think it is exactly, I do plan ongoing to get x-ray’s by the way.Please do get back to me. Thank you! Melanie….
Kristen
yes, it should eventually hold itself in place after multiple visits… It took time for the injury to show itself.. So its going to take time for it to heal and have the muscle retain memory of the correct rib position. Make sure you keep a good posture too. when you feel better, start strengthening your core muscles to help hold your ribs into place. hope it helps!
shannon
i have dislocated ribs and I am going through the same process as your brother and although the pain is very bad dislocted ribs are nothiong to worry about you should just have him get rest for about two weeks and you should see great improvement in his condition.