Rib cage pain includes any pain or discomfort in the area of the ribs.
See: Chest pain
With a broken rib, the pain gets worse when bending and twisting the body. Such movement does not cause the pain in those who have pleurisy (swelling of the lining of the lungs) or muscle spasms.
Rest and immobilization are the best cure for a rib cage fracture.
Follow your health care provider's instructions for treating the cause of rib cage pain.
Call for an appointment with your health care provider if the pain is persistent, prolonged, or unexplained.
The health care provider perform a physical examination and ask questions about your symptoms and medical history, including:
Tests that may be performed include:
Pain - rib cage
Lee-Chiong T, Gebhart GF, Matthay RA. Chest pain. In: Mason RJ, Broaddus VC, Martin TR, et al. Murray & Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2010:chap 30.
Reynolds JH. Thoracic trauma and related topics. In: Adam A, Dixon AK, eds. Grainger & Allison's Diagnostic Radiology: A Textbook of Medical Imaging. 5th ed. New York, NY: Churchill Livingstone; 2008:chap 20.
Updated by: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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