Pain between ribs left side, under armpit and radiating whole left side

[Leo118]

Hi, Im 31 year old male. Born few months prematurely and never caught up so little underweight and on the thin side but not unhealthly by any means. First noticed pain when I was 15 years old and doing press-ups with a friend, felt dull ache on left side of chest. This pain has been there ever since and I've just learned to live with it but I have only recently started worrying that it might be serious. The pain in intense in between my left ribs and underneath my left armpit - if I push my thump deep into my armpit I can localize the pain, its so intense, feels like my nerve or something. The pain radiates to my back right underneath the shoulder bone at the back and some down my left arm. Comes and goes in waves, can be ok for months then it will hurt for weeks. If I lay down a certain way I get a very sharp pain and have to jump up - it's very odd. Pain is really bad actually in between each rib on the left side. Any one got any ideas?

[Paxiled]

Could be rotator cuff.  But the only way you'll know is to see an orthopedist and get an MRI, most likely.  Wonder why you never did that all these years?

[AVG84]

I have a similar pain and went to the Dr last night. She said I have intercostal neuralgia. When she pressed on certain points it was excrutiating. I have it on the left side too, just like you. She sent me some medicine and Vitamin B. She said since it was a nerve problem it can take a while to resolve itself.

You should go to the Dr and get it checked out. I had an MRI done a few months back and everything was ok but I still have this horrible pain that comes and goes.

I hope you feel better soon!

[AnxiousNoMore]

He said it disappears for months, so it sounds like nothing serious enough to worry about, so seeing a professional will be worth it if they can get rid of it.

As an example, I know a nurse who lived with serious pain and swore she had sciatica for decades because it was part of the occupational hazard from lifting obese people, but got the pain fixed after one visit to a sports therapist. All those decades of pain could have been avoided if she had gone to a professional in the beginning instead of self diagnosing sciatica.

[Leo118]

Thank you so much AVG84 - I always thought it was a nerve problem and intercostal neuralgia makes sense.

I didnt get it checked out all these years as just thought it was a general pain that we all get sometimes. For example I get a pain in my foot from time to time but I know its not serious and I just live with it - I thought my rib pain was the same until I started reading about it and realised it could be something serious, but then I have lived with it for 15 years so thought it cant be that serious as it hasnt killed me all this time.

If it was lung cancer or something serious, im assuming I would know about it after 15 years, no?

[AnxiousNoMore]

You have seen 3 different suggestion POSSIBILITIES here, so no one here has answers. No one can diagnose you from here, so if you want the answer and possibly the solution to your pain you need to see a professional.

[AVG84]

I don't think its lung cancer if you've had this pain for 15 years.

I think you should go to the Dr and get it checked out, so you can start treating the problem. I've had this pain come and for 3 years, so hopefully I'll be able to cure it soon. Please keep us posted.

[AnxiousNoMore]

You can go to physiotherapy to see what they think because their business is treating injured people in pain. Millions of people get physio daily and don't need or get a doctor's note to go.

[Paxiled]

In many states, actually, you can only go to PT with a doctor's referral.  I live in one.  It's also hard for physical therapists to treat something when they don't have a diagnosis -- they don't diagnose, they mostly just strengthen areas around the affected area.  Been there, done that.

[AnxiousNoMore]

Thanks, and going to a doc won't be a bad idea anyway, so it seems all of us are suggesting he do the same thing. I  have been treated for sore spots all over the body over the years and all it was from was muscle coatings issues. Never need a doctor's referral, and the problems disappear for years although new ones crop up that have to be dealt with.
The first time it happened, I figured (incorrectly but I had no experience with active release therapy)  I couldn't work again because I couldn't type because of the pain in my forearms and it took 14 sessions, before it finally left and has never come back.

The way it was explained to me in layman's terms so I could relate, is your muscles have to slide over each other for different ranges of motion so have smooth coatings that allow it to be done easily. Exercise breaks down muscles and they rebuild the next day. Sometimes with exercise the repair of the muscle goes wrong and a snag like scar tissue forms which irritates nerves in the muscles the snag touches.

When this happens there is nothing wrong with you, other than it just hurts badly and makes it hard to do certain movements. One active release therapy guy I went to said he has certain patients who come in every week, because are predisposed to form these knotty scars and he crushes them out so the patient can exercise again, but after hard exercise they form again for the next weeks session.

[AnxiousNoMore]

Lots of pains come and go especially with age when they spend more time coming and less time going. You have to see a doc for a diagnosis if concerned.
I had a bad one in my upper shoulder area for decades and thought it was a naturally sore spot for everyone until someone massaged it out. All that pain was unnecessary. Lots of interconnected nerves and tissues affect each other like a system too, so if that is all it is, then solving one problem might get rid of all the other radiating ones.