When I bend to the right side, or extend at the thoracic spine and breathe deeply, I get a tight sensation over my right ribs. Almost like my abs are flicking over something. It’s with the left ribs as well, but not as noticeable. I have no idea what could have caused it.
My guess is that I might have either fractured a vertebrae without realizing it, or have developed early-onset degenerative disc disease. Both of these would cause some loss of height in the spine, therefore sinking the ribs lower into the torso, and maybe creating some pressure on the internal structures below.
Another thing it could be is spondylolisthesis - where one or more vertebrae slip over each other and protrude forward into the abdomen. This could also lead to a loss of torso stature, which could lead to the ribs being sunk lower into the torso, which could lead to a feeling of tightness around the ribs.
Spondylolisthesis itself can also be symptomless, so this rib thing might be the only way of feeling that you have it…?
The problems you bring up present nothing like you are describing. I think they were right in the other thread when they said your real problem is that you are a hypochondriac. The most likely problem is an intercostal muscle (the small muscles between each rib) that is cramping. That is it.
This tight rib feeling has occurred after I went to the physio about the tightness I was feeling in my back. She said I had facet joint dysfunction in the junction where the t-spine meets the lumbar spine, perform erector spinae, quadratus lumborum, hamstring and hip flexor stretches, and it should clear up in two weeks.
It’s gotten better within those 2 weeks, but the tight feeling in the rib happened, seemingly as a result of doing the exercises she prescribed for me to do. It really feels like the rib cage is sunk lower on the torso and is compressing my organs, but that could just be my rectus abdominis spasming. I don’t wanna pay and go back to the physio basically 2 weeks after seeing her - does anyone know what my problem sounds like?
If you guys bend hard to the side (such as if doing some sort of extreme range of motion dumbbell side-bend) - do your lowest ribs come into contact with the top of your pelvis?
Does this happen if you twist to the side, and then side bend hard towards that same side?
Or when you’re on all fours (quadruped) and you leave your knees where they are but walk your hands round so your torso is being bent right round to either side - eventually do your bottom ribs come into contact with the top of your pelvis?
How about just getting a CT scan or something? That’d settle this whole business.
As for paying more money… well you’re asking a bunch of strangers on the internet what they (most of them being unqualified in any kind of medical discipline) think you have based solely on what you can feel (as opposed to what they can see/feel/detect).
The value of the advice you’re getting is pretty much what you’ve paid for it.