Yes, vertebrae is on the spine, however, those control nerves that go to all parts of our body and if they are pinching on one, you will definitely get pain there, also, the ribs can become mis-aligned, my rib heads sometimes come out and my chiro gives me an adjustment in that area and then I am fine.
Thanx Susie,
I appreciate the info but I'm a little confused. I have always thought that one's vertebrae is on their spine and my pain is actually on one of my right ribs.
Brian
Well, from what you have written, it appears to me that you have dislocated a vertebrae due to the over reaching and stretching. My first suggestion would be to see a good chiropractor, they specialize in this type of pain, and sometimes, just after a few treatments, all is well. If they cannot help you, they will certainly recommend you see your primary care doctor. The chiro will take x-rays of your back and side views too to determine what is going on. The swollen is due to the inflammation, if you have not already, may I suggest you putting an ice pack on the affected area, this is good for getting rid of swelling, leave it on for about 20 minutes, remove, wait a couple of hours then do again. The ice usually helps the first few days of the accident. If you have a big enough bath tub, try soaking in it with about a cup of Epsom salts, this is great for inflammation as well. As to how long before playing golf, that just depends, if it is indeed a misplaced vertebrae, it will not get better until fixed, but, if it just a bad sprain, I would say probably a week or so. If you don't want to see a chiro and the pain continues, then see a good, osteopathic physician, they are trained in the area of bones, sprains, etc. I hope this helps.
Susie