Rib Subluxation

Rib Subluxation and Its Treatment

Sharp, unexplained pain in your back or chest can cause understandable alarm. Instead of a heart attack or other life-threatening ailment, however, you may be experiencing the effects of a subluxated rib. Rib subluxations can occur for a variety of reasons, leaving you with constant or recurring discomfort. Fortunately, this nagging problem has solutions. We're happy to provide effective treatment for it here at the office of Dr. Gary Martin, Irvine Chiropractor.

Woman reaching her back in pain

Understanding Rib Subluxations

Ribs don't connect to the spinal column in a totally rigid way. Instead, they connect via joints made up of cartilage and intra-articular ligaments. These joints give the ribs some ability to flex as you inhale, exhale, and move about.

A subluxation is a slight dislocation or misalignment within the components of a joint. This can happen to rib joints as well as other joints throughout the body. Common causes or rib subluxation include:

Postural abnormalities: An abnormal posture can allow ribs to drift out of their proper alignment. Temporary postural changes brought on by pregnancy can also cause this kind of rib subluxation.

Violent rib motion: If you have recently suffered severe fits of sneezing, coughing, or vomiting, that violent muscular action may have forced the ribs out of alignment.

Exercise injuries: Engaging in extreme exercises such as weight lifting can lead to rib subluxation, especially if you attempt more strenuous exercise than your abdominal and back muscles are currently in shape to handle.

Rib subluxation can cause pain in your back and/or chest whenever you sneeze, cough, laugh, or make any other motion that requires the ribs to move. You may also notice bruising, swelling, or numbness at the subluxation point.

Conservative Pain Relief from Dr. Gary Martin, Irvine Chiropractor

Rib subluxations can severely limit both your range of motion and your quality of life. Our Irvine chiropractor, Dr.  Martin, can take diagnostic images of your spine and rib cage while feeling for characteristic bumps that indicate alignment problems. Once he has pinpointed any subluxation, Dr. Martin can administer chiropractic care in the form of targeted adjustments to the joints in question. If a larger postural problem contributes to your rib subluxation, spinal adjustments may also help to correct this underlying issue.

Chiropractic care isn't the only treatment option we provide for rib subluxations. Massage therapy can relax tight muscles near the ribs without undoing the results of the chiropractic adjustments. We may recommend exercises or lifestyle changes to help you maintain a straighter, more rib-friendly posture.

Contact Our Irvine Clinic Today

Don't accept the discomfort of a rib subluxation. Call our Irvine clinic at (949) 559-7999 to request all-natural pain relief.

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