BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuRibcage painPain - ribcageRibcage pain includes any pain or discomfort in the area of the ribs. Considerations With a broken rib, the pain is worse when bending and twisting the body. This movement does not cause the pain in someone who has pleurisy (swelling of the lining of the lungs) or muscle spasms.PleurisyPleurisy is an inflammation of the lining of the lungs and chest (the pleura) that leads to chest pain when you take a breath or cough.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Causes Ribcage pain may be caused by any of the following:Bruised, cracked, or fractured rib Inflammation of cartilage near the breastbone (costochondritis) CostochondritisAll but your lowest 2 ribs are connected to your breastbone by cartilage. This cartilage can become inflamed and cause pain. This condition is call...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Osteoporosis OsteoporosisOsteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break (fracture).ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Pleurisy (the pain is worse when breathing deeply) Home Care Rest and not moving the area (immobilization) are the best cures for a rib fracture.FractureIf more pressure is put on a bone than it can stand, it will split or break. A break of any size is called a fracture. If the broken bone punctures...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Follow your health care provider's instructions for treating the cause of ribcage pain. When to Contact a Medical Professional Contact your provider for an appointment if you do not know the cause of the pain, or if it does not go away. What to Expect at Your Office Visit Your provider may perform a physical examination. You'll likely be asked about your symptoms, such as when the pain started, its location, the kind of pain you're having, and what makes it worse. Tests that may be ordered include:Bone scan (if there is a known history of cancer or it is highly suspected) Bone scanA bone scan is an imaging test used to diagnose bone diseases and find out how severe they are.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article CancerCancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Cancerous cells are also called malignant cells.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Chest x-rayChest x-rayA chest x-ray is an x-ray of the chest, lungs, heart, large arteries, ribs, and diaphragm.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Your provider may prescribe treatment for your ribcage pain. Treatment depends on the cause.Open ReferencesReferencesJones H, Reynolds JH. Thoracic trauma and related topics. In: Adam A, Dixon AK, Gillard JH, Schaefer-Prokop CM, eds. Grainger & Allison's Diagnostic Radiology. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 10.Tzelepis GE, Gartman EJ, McCool FD. The respiratory system and chest wall diseases. In: Broaddus VC, Ernst JD, King TE, et al, eds. Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 98.AllVideoImagesTogRib - illustration A rib.RibillustrationRib - illustration A rib.RibillustrationRelated Information Chest pain(Symptoms)Pleurisy(Condition)Coronary artery disease - InDepth(In-Depth) Review Date: 2/2/2023 Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
Ribcage painPain - ribcageRibcage pain includes any pain or discomfort in the area of the ribs. Considerations With a broken rib, the pain is worse when bending and twisting the body. This movement does not cause the pain in someone who has pleurisy (swelling of the lining of the lungs) or muscle spasms.PleurisyPleurisy is an inflammation of the lining of the lungs and chest (the pleura) that leads to chest pain when you take a breath or cough.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Causes Ribcage pain may be caused by any of the following:Bruised, cracked, or fractured rib Inflammation of cartilage near the breastbone (costochondritis) CostochondritisAll but your lowest 2 ribs are connected to your breastbone by cartilage. This cartilage can become inflamed and cause pain. This condition is call...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Osteoporosis OsteoporosisOsteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break (fracture).ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Pleurisy (the pain is worse when breathing deeply) Home Care Rest and not moving the area (immobilization) are the best cures for a rib fracture.FractureIf more pressure is put on a bone than it can stand, it will split or break. A break of any size is called a fracture. If the broken bone punctures...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Follow your health care provider's instructions for treating the cause of ribcage pain. When to Contact a Medical Professional Contact your provider for an appointment if you do not know the cause of the pain, or if it does not go away. What to Expect at Your Office Visit Your provider may perform a physical examination. You'll likely be asked about your symptoms, such as when the pain started, its location, the kind of pain you're having, and what makes it worse. Tests that may be ordered include:Bone scan (if there is a known history of cancer or it is highly suspected) Bone scanA bone scan is an imaging test used to diagnose bone diseases and find out how severe they are.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article CancerCancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Cancerous cells are also called malignant cells.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Chest x-rayChest x-rayA chest x-ray is an x-ray of the chest, lungs, heart, large arteries, ribs, and diaphragm.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Your provider may prescribe treatment for your ribcage pain. Treatment depends on the cause.Open ReferencesReferencesJones H, Reynolds JH. Thoracic trauma and related topics. In: Adam A, Dixon AK, Gillard JH, Schaefer-Prokop CM, eds. Grainger & Allison's Diagnostic Radiology. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 10.Tzelepis GE, Gartman EJ, McCool FD. The respiratory system and chest wall diseases. In: Broaddus VC, Ernst JD, King TE, et al, eds. Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 98.