Rib Cage Pain

Hi, I've been having pain in my rib cage since august 08.  They're swollen, I've had different people feel to make sure I wasn't imagining it.  I've gone to a regular Dr, a Pulmo, and an Osteopath.  No one has been able to tell me anything, other then it isn't anything to do with my lungs.  The Osteopath did tell me that I have one leg longer then the other.  I'm supposed to be doing exercise every day to help get my body adjusted to the lift in my shoe.  I haven't been able to because the pain in my ribs is so severe.  My Dr doesn't have any idea what is wrong.  She gave me muscle relaxants when I first went to her.  They helped for that month, and I haven't felt as bad as I did then, but it's getting close again.  I don't know if anyone has any ideas of what could be.  I'd like to be able to do stuff again.

Jennifer

[J T Junig, MD PhD]

I wouldn't expect the ribs themselves to change size;  I assume that the muscles overlying the rib cage are painful, inflamed, or swollen for some reason.  I don't know why that would happen though... what part of the rib cage is sore and enlarged?

[jdw25]

Pretty much the whole front of my rib cage.  It really doesn't feel like the muscles.  It doesn't hurt when I'm doing any sort of activity.  I helped unload a truck at work yesterday and it didn't hurt at all.  Once I got home and tried to relax then it really hurt.  When I run a hand down either side of my ribs I can feel the huge bump when I reach each rib bone.

[jg7]

With Tietze's syndrome the cartilage connecting the ribs can become inflamed and it is quite painful.  The condition can be aggravated by stress and can last for unknown periods of time.  The muscle tissue around the ribs is coarse and if inflamed could feel hard perhaps like the ribs themselves.  I agree that the ribs themselves changing size is something unusual which I haven't heard of.  I would expect the dr to do a bone scan if that is the case.

[trixi199]

A related discussion, Fibromyalgia or toxic mold poisoning was started.