Possible tear in ligament, rib cage
(3 discussions)
I turned while on my back on the floor and felt a stinging pain below my left breast. I could hear a tearing noise which has left me with severe pain in that area.
It hurts when I take a deep breath.
I can not lift or push with that left arm without feeling deep penetrating pain.
It does not hurt to raise my hand when doing simple things like bathing or combing hair.
I am guessing that it is in the rib cage.
What should I do? X-rays? Ultrasound? Will it heal if left alone? Thank you for your help.
I am 78.
3 comments
doc4bax
You probably dislocated a rib. It is pretty common. Could also have strained the muscles surrounding the area or even sprained the ligaments that hold the ribs to the spine. All possibilities. Impossible to give you the correct answer here, you need to have it looked at if the problem persists. could even be a fracture if you are osteoporotic. Shingles can also cause this type of pain. But given the history, it sounds more like it’s a rib problem. Pleurisy, also called pleuritis, is an inflammation of the pleura, which is the moist, double-layered membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the rib cage. The condition can make breathing extremely painful, and sometimes it is associated with another condition called pleural effusion where excess fluid fills the area between the membrane’s layers. This is possible but not probable in your case.
John A Koski
I was laying down on our couch and my nephew jumped on my back, I felt somthing crack, or snap. I thought it was just a pulled muscle. during the week I can’t cough, move my arm or hardly even walk. sharp pains shoot thru my body often causeing me to think I have something wrong under my ribs, it’s very tender on my right side, I can’t hardly handle the pain. what should I do?
susan
say I have tear left side ribcage wearing a support belt and takin meds for the pain I get hurts under theleft breast down to the adbmaiomal pain too hurts alot I go back to get rechedked on the 3-4hurts to lays sit I put heat on it pad4times daily they gave me vacidinfor paini can’t bend much, ihave to becarefull can u give u me any details to what to do they never exrays me yet but this happened when I got the flu just got over it and and abeen poping alot my rib heard dit can u email me aback thanks