Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...

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Pain in Rib area?

Donnarae
Donnarae
I'm not sure if this has anything to do with RA, but thought that I would ask you nice people if you have had anything similar. Off and on, I get a sharp pain in my upper left rib cage... now I have 12 rib fractures... a few with multiple breaks the last ones about 2 years ago in that general area. It does seem to come on later in the day with activity. I was having some stomach issues last month and was sent to get an ultrasound on gallbladder to rule out and to see my GI dr. who upped by protonix for a few weeks... that issue seems to go away, but I still get the side pain... almost under armpit,,, top rib. I'm not sure if my RA is just aggravating old wounds or this is something else. I'm SO tired of going to the dr. and them not having much of an idea... and the idea of yet more X-rays (feel like I glow in the dark now) is not a happy thought. I still workout with a trainer and might let up on some of the exercises that might annoy that area. Any thoughts would be appreciated...

pain-free day to all I hope! Donna
WarriorGal
WarriorGal
in my totally unprofessional opin, nothing to with RA, as RA effects JOINTS, nor would i even think RA is exacerbating old wounds. RA WILL exacerbate a wound to say a knee, like a torn miniscus...but not the ribs.

Just be sure pain is not on deep breaths. That could be lung involvment and THAT coul dbe RA realted.
Donnarae
Donnarae
Thanks... I didn't think that it was.... I think that I tend to pull on that side more when I work out doing upper body. No problem with deep breathing and had a chest xray in February, heart echo and MRI last year, CT scan on ribs 2 years ago, MRI on gall bladder last month! would think that anything amiss around there would have shown up on something! I have alot of OA from all the broken bones... 2 in back, left pelvis, ankle and ribs... just a mess! doesn't seem to take much to set something off.... thanks again!
MeganElaine
MeganElaine
Hi there,

Wanted to say that RA can cause pain in the connective tissue in your ribs and sternum, as there ARE joints located there. However, it does sound like you might be experiencing pain from a pulled muscle vs connective tissue pain. If it's bothering you, your GP might be able to offer a diagnosis.

My first real RA symptom was sternum/chest pain, accompanied weeks later by the tell-tale hand pain/stiffness/swelling. Others can actually feel the areas of raised inflammation if they press in a line between my ribs. It feels spongey/crinkly like a swollen finger or toe joint.
Donnarae
Donnarae
MeganElaine... that's what my ribs, inbetween them, feel like! I can feel 'movement' inbetween them... kinda swishy feeling... maybe that is it... very strange. Yesterday was OK tho. weird disease!