Best Methods For Reducing And Preventing Upper Rib Pain

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Best Methods For Reducing And Preventing Upper
Rib Pain
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Rib pain, specifically the upper part can be felt
in two main areas, posterior (back) and anterior
(chest). Upper rib pain is usually felt as either
a sharp or deep dull pain on the inside of the
scapula (shoulder blade) or it can be a sharp or
dull pain just to the side of the sternum (chest
bone). In both cases the pain can be worsened
with deep breaths, coughing, pulling, twisting to
or sleeping on the painful side.
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There are a number of methods used at preventing,
reducing and eliminating upper rib pain
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Home Prevention
Avoid always sleeping on the same side -
When sleeping all the time on the same side, the
joints of the ribs become chronically stretched
and loosen due to the weight of the other half of
the body. Ideally sleeping on the back would be
the best position since it would equally
distribute the weight of the upper body. However,
alternating sides can be a good alternative by
allowing each side to get equal rest.
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Avoid excessive twisting and one sided pulling-
Repetitive twisting (eg. reaching to the back of
the car) can cause increase stress of the upper
rib joints and lead to the bone going out of
place. To avoid this make sure to turn your hips
fully with your upper body to reduce stress.
Repetitive or excessive pulling on one side of
the body (eg. vacuuming) can cause the muscles of
the rib region to overwork and pull the ribs out
of place. A good way to prevent this is to
remember to alternate between hands with regular
activities
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Home treatment
Ice/heat
Ice in the first day or two helps to numb pain
and reduce some muscle spasming. Using either a
cold pack, gel pack or even a bag of frozen
vegetables for 10-15 minutes can help reduce
pain.
Allow for at least an hour break in between icing
sessions.
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Compression 
A good way for people to deal with pain
associated with breathing and coughing is to
apply a light compression to the ribs using a
tensor bandage (Ace wrap). This helps prevent
excess movement of the rib which can cause
irritation and sharp pain when taking deep
breaths. Apply very lightly to avoid restricting
breathing.
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Ball on the wall
One way to self massage a pesky spot on the back
is to use a ball against the wall. Using a ball
(eg. Tennis ball) placed against the wall, lean
back onto the spot that causes pain and roll the
ball around while applying your body weight to
massage the area.
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Treatment
Chiropractic adjustment
The quickest way to alleviate rib pain, is an
adjustment to put the rib back into place. While
this treatment can be quite intense and painful,
the adjustment only lasts a split second. Most
people will feel immediate relief of the area.
Usually, a few adjustments are required to keep
the rib in place.
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Massage
Treating the muscles and tissue surrounding the
rib will help reduce pain and prevent future
episodes.
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