My rib has been popped out of the joint/socket?

[Didgets85]

About 4 years ago, I was in a bad car accident where my car slid off a icy road and into a tree, I was taken to the nearest hospital by ambulance.  I told them of the pain in my back and my knee.  When I got to the hospital, and they did took xrays of everything except my ribs!  It was sore for about 2 months after my accident, where I couldn't bend down, cough, sneeze, or breathe without it hurting.  Eventually the pain stopped.  I've noticed that there is a little knot where my rib hurts, it still hurts when people touch or push on it.  I  went to a chiropractor about 6 months ago and he had told me that my rib had been popped out of the socket and was resting on top.  He's tried to pop it back in place several times, with no luck.  As I've said, it's been like this for almost 4 years now.  Just the other day, I stretched and I felt a sudden sharp pain on that rib, and for the past few days it's been slightly painful, but just mostly uncomfortable if I sneeze, yawn, cough, or even stretch.  What could have caused it to start hurting again?  

[loyce105]

Hello, I was injured at work in November of 2011  from a fall. where I fell when I twisted my ankle tore ligaments muscles and more, also at that time when I fell Ianded on my left knee they xrayed my knee and there was a contusion to my knee, but I wasn't seen by my Dr at work until 2 weeks later because he had left to go on Vacation. when I did see him at the workplace I told him that I had been experiencing pain in my right leg going from the back of my foot up the back of my leg into the popliteal area up and over my knee into my groin area and futher into my back, he told me that all the pain would start to go away after I was taken off the crutch's, but when they took me off the crutch's they put me in a brace, my back continued to worsen, I continued to tell the Dr this but because it is a BWC Case he neglected to document in my chart that I had mentioned any complaints about my back until Jan 3rd of 2012 , and now they are saying that the injury's to my back had nothing to do with the inital injury even though I was and did not have any of these problem's before the fall, I cannot see a Dr. because as of now they are not paying me any money nor do I have any Insurance to see anyone, I did luckily go to a Dr. A Chiropractor before I lost my insurance and he sent me for an MRI, which came back that I have at T9/T10 what is called Broad central/left disc protusion Involving T9-T10 , resulting in left hemicord abutment, I took the MRI report to my BWC Dr who was handling my case and he just shrugged and said that he has the same things wrong with his back that I have with mine... oh there is more wrong with my back but the Chiropractor states that the one I mentioned is a very serious injury in itself. I don't know where to go  from here. I have read up on the injury and it states that I should be in a back brace, I also have a rib out of place in the same area since the fall,but on the opposite side and it won't stay in place I have a constant pressure with numbness and tingling in my back in this area... what do you suggest I do ?  

[Dr Vinod]

Hello!

I would suggest you to go for an X-ray presently to diagnose the position and problem with your effected rib and also if there is any displacement.

Usually the diagnosis is made from the history (what you tell a doctor about what happened), plus a doctor's examination on the present date. Fractured ribs are painful, particularly with movement, deep breaths or coughing. The injured area is tender when pressed.

You need to rest, apply ice packs and also consume non steroidal anti inflammatory medications intermittently.

Broken  and displaced ribs can’t be set in a cast, so treatment aims to relieve pain while the injury heals.

Take care!