“Stretched muscle?”
My right side hurts near my rib cage after reaching too far inside a plastic trash bin in an attempt to pick up loose pieces of trash. The stabbing pain is near the right rib cage. What did I do? How do I fix it, please?
Female | 62 years old
3 Answers
DoctorDoctor
Sorry to read about your rib cage issue. Thanks for sharing with the FATD community. I offer you my thoughts, tips, and suggestions regarding your pain. From what you wrote, your area of concern is your rib age area. The history seems like a sudden stretch (distraction of the tissues) suggests a muscle/tendon or ligament problem/damage. If the rib cage is still the same shape as the other side, then no bones moved from their resting anatomy. And the sharp pain makes me think it is a cartilage strain. This will heal over time. After clearing it with your doctor, Aleve tablets with food can help with the inflammation. Tylenol can help too, but only after you have asked your doctor about the safety of this, for you. Get some rest and maintain a normal breathing pattern (if it hurts to breathe). Gentle stretching with the wall can begin in 3-4 days. It make take 3-4 weeks to feel better, but try and maintain a full range of motion for your shoulders.
Probably a muscle pull.Try massage with a over the counter cream such as Voltaren or a lidocaine cream
You most likely pulled a muscle (your oblique abdominal muscle that attaches to your ribs). This condition should resolve on its own within a few weeks. The recommended treatment is ice, rest, and anti-inflammatory pain medication such as Aleve or ibuprofen if you can take these medications.
