Clicking feeling under left rib cage

A couple of months ago when climbing into bed about four hours after a fall, I experienced a very painful muscle spasm under my left rib cage.  The ER doctor said I had probably fractured or bruisded a rib and told me to take painkillers and ice the area  .. pretty standard advice I guess.  It hurt to breathe for about four weeks, but when the rib felt better, I went for physiotherapy for an unrelated (or so I thought) mid-thoracic back problem.

The therapist did some mobilization of the spine, but afterwards the rib pain came back as bad as ever.  Since then, I have had pain on the left side just under the breast.  To best describe it, it feels as if I'm wearing an underwire bra that is 10 sizes too small!  In addition, I am getting a clicking sensation just under the left rib cage in the same spot I had the original muscle spasm.  Is this part of the normal healing process for a fractured or bruised rib?  .... or could it be the dreaded slipping rib syndrome I've been reading about?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[Dr Vinod]

Check the present status of your ribs by a routine X-ray.

The muscles and ligaments which connect to ribs might have got inflammed and iscausing the pain. As this place cannot be rested due to continous inspiraton and expiration during breathing it takes longer time for the healing.

Do no do any Physical exercise where your breathing increases, swimming and lifting of weights which will increase your pain. With time the pain will decrease and keep consulting your orthopaedician in a regular basis . Take care!