Many people get aches and pains or a feeling of fullness in the lower rib cage. Often they have no obvious organic cause and Western Medicine does not treat them. Even more often the symptoms are so vague that people don’t bother to tell their doctors about it.
Traditional Chinese Medicine recognizes several conditions that could produce those symptoms. In fact they are often early warning signs which, if treated, can save a person from developing a more severe condition. If you have an intense pain that is localized on one side of the rib cage, you should see a doctor about it. If you have more vague pain on both sides of the rib cage, then try the tips at the end of this post or see your acupuncturist.
In Chinese Medicine, when we talk about the internal organs we are talking about more than the anatomical/ physiological organs as Western Medicine understands them. We are talking about their energetic functions along the entire course of the meridian they are associated with. Each organ is also associated with an emotion or complex of emotions, a body tissue, and a sense organ. The liver is associated with the lower rib cage. It is also associated with anger, frustration, stress, and suppression of emotions. It has to do with the free flowing quality in everything in our lives. Vague pain in the lower rib cage usually is a result of the liver energy becoming stagnant. This frequently leads to indigestion and gassiness as well.
I have three favorite ways of returning the liver to its natural free flowing state:
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The Inner Smile I have described this one in an earlier post, here.
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The Seven Shakes This is a good one to do in groups. If you are in a meeting or teaching a class and everyone is losing focus and looking sleepy get them up and do the seven shakes. Stand up and shake your right arm seven times, counting out loud. Then shake your left arm, right leg, and left leg seven times each. Then shake them 6 times, 5 times, etc., down to one time. Finish by jumping into a karate stance, or any stance you like and shout Ha!
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Qi Gong: Liver Healing Sound Stand with your feet about shoulder width and parallel. As you inhale raise your hands into the air as if you were embracing th sky. Holding your breath, bring your arms down until the elbows are pressing your ribs cage and your palms are facing your face. Close your hands into fists and lean over as if you were skiing and exhale with the sound shhh. Repeat three to seven times.
Doing each of these exercises every day will certainly lower your stress and increase your energy. If your rib cage pain is due to simple liver energy congestion, it should relieve that as well. Have fun and keep moving.
{ 79 comments… read them below or add one }
I have pain in my lower rib cage on my left side. it sounds to me that when you speak of cures your talking about just pain coming and going, mine just seems to stay do you think that I just pulled a muscle or is it bigger than that? please help! I don’t want to look stupid if I go to the docter and I’m perfectly fine. Signed, Help!
Continuous pain of any sort needs to be checked out. If it is intense I would have it checked immediately.
Do certain movements make the pain worse. If stretching your left arm over your head makes it worse, it could just be a muscular problem. If it feels better after trying the techniques I mentioned, you probably don’t need to worry about it.
If you think it might be a muscular problem go see a massage therapist or acupuncturist, first. They can tell you if you need to see a doctor. If it does not go away at all after two weeks, I would see a doctor.
thank you very much for helping me. The pain went away. It asted for a whole day. I don’t know what it was but it’s gone now. Should I still get it checked or let it go?
Thankyou
If you had pain for one day and it is gone, I would not worry about it. If it comes back it may be a good idea to get it checked out. As I mentioned in the last comment, it is helpful to know what made the pain feel worse.
ok will do thank you for the advice it really helped!
I am experiencing pain randomly about every month or two, in my lower left rib cage. I can pinpoint the pain. It occurs when I am walking in a retail, or grocery store. The pain feels like my rib cage is being strecthed apart, or clamped extremely hard. I have been ignoring this pain for a year now, because it comes and goes. It only lasts for about 3 hours…until I get home and lay down, then it is gone. About another month, it comes back. There are times when it is really hard to breath, the pain is so intense. I am 36 male with type 2 diabetes. I am one who handles pain extremely well, but this is getting to be a concern for me. I feel that it is just a muscle pain, but do the ribs have muscles?
Sam
Sam,
I would have your doctor check it out. The intensity of the pain and the fact that you are diabetic makes me want to err on the side of caution. If the doctor does not find anything significant, try my suggestions or see an acupuncturist.
I think i just have a sensation of pointing or very mild pain
at lower right and left of my rib cage, some times i feel it can be pointed some time i feel like my ribs are touching my skin, some times it is on one side and some times i feel on both but again it is not pain it is just a sensation, i dont have any medical history
Any idea what it could be.
Thanks,
Nik
Hi Nik,
What you are describing sounds like it fits in the category of qi stagnation, which is what I am talking about in this post. Try my recommendations and let me know how it goes.
Ed
Thanks Ed!
I will try these, one more question i have is that can this slight sensation of pain be any where in lower rib or abdomen and also it is not loaclized, sometimes on left some times on right . I hope this is not something serious.
Thanks
Ed, also forgot to mention sometimes in centre abdomen i feel like something is contracting. Is it all same and inter-related to what you said above.
Hi Nik,
If the pain is vague and it comes and goes, that is a good sign. If it is anywhere in the lower rib cage or abdomen, it fits within what I am describing in this post. If after a week or two of following my suggestions, there is no improvement, I suggest you seek out an acupuncturist, or perhaps a doctor.
Thanks Ed,
I will try the three steps which described above for next couple of weeks, also on precautionary note I have taken an appointment after 2 weeks .
Is there is some thing to do with the diet, i generally eat one meal outside (which i cant avoid, but generall soup, salad and many time cola drink), is i have to be controlling anything, any suggestion.
Thanks
Dear Ed,
My pain started about three days ago. It hurts the most when I go to sleep. Its like a muscle, or rib pain, in the lower part of the ribcage, left side. It also hurts when I sit down. When I walk, the pain is less. What can it be. I am more aware of it, since I was diagnosed with diverticulatis about 6 months ago.
Thank you.
ed,
i have a pain in my lower inner left side on my ribs. it hurts when i move positions , in the process or getting up or sitting down or coughing ect. It does not hurt when i breath deeply. There is no pain underneath the rib or in my stomach area. I’ve had this pain for about a week now. I remember having this pain in the past; it always seems to come and go. never thought anything about it but this time its more severe. Any ideas for me? Do you think this is serious enough to go see a doctor?
thanks
jade
Mayra and Jade, I suggest you both see someone about your pain. Mayra because of your diverticulitis, and Jade because it is a returning pain that is worse than before. An acupuncturist would be my first choice for both of you. Mayra, you may also want to see a Naturopathic doctor as well as your regular doctor.
Hi Ed,
I have a vague pain which can be in my lower left ribs or on the left side of my abdomen across from my belly button. It isn’t really painful, more a vague feeling that all is not right. Its been on and off for a few weeks & no type of movement seems to set it off or make it worse. Do the above suggestions fit my bill?
Thanks, Kat
Hi Kat, I would definitely try these suggestions to start with, if I were you. You may also find abdominal self-massage helpful. Check out these instructions: abdominal self-massage.
Ed
hey ed
Well mine is a little diffrent then everyone eles i only have pain on and off and it is usually at night when i am laying down i cant lay on my back but when i lay on my side it hurt too so it is very uncomfertable at night its been about 2 weeks now and i ddont know if i should go to the doctors or not i also have stomach pain with it any suggestions???
Hi Kayla,
If it is only troubling you when you are laying down, and especially if you also get stomach pain, it is probably a digestive problem. I would get it checked out by a doctor. If there is nothing serious, try my suggestions. Try them any way, they should help.
thanks so much Ed it is very kind of u to share your knowlage with everyone eles thank you for the advice i will make an appt. as soon as posible thanks agian
Kayla
my mom has been having sharp pains under her ribs. she says it feels like someone put a large belt around her stomach and is making it really tight. shes been having this for about 2 days. she says it makes her feel really weak and the pain goes all the way around her stomach to her back. is was hoping you could help me and my mom out and tell us what we should do.
lisa.
Lisa,
In This case, I would get a diagnosis from a doctor right away.
Ed.
I have been suffering with a pain in my left side but at the back , it seems to have staeted when I had a virus that lasted a long time, the pain is worse when I stand for long periods of time and then eases when I rest. When I wake in the morning its not there then as the day goes on it gets worse. please help
Hi Helen,
For any pain that seems to be residual from a virus, I highly recommend acupuncture. Chinese medicine believes that it is very important to completely recover from an infectious disease. Any symptoms that don’t resolve by themselves need to be treated, to avoid lifelong problems.
I have been waking up with pain in my rib cage…(lower rib cage) for quite sometime now. It use to go away not too long after I got out of bed, and got going. My husband & I even bought a new high dollar bed thinking that would help. It got better for a very short time, but came back. Only now, it’s all day. It doesn’t seem to go away as I get up and moving around. Any thoughts? It’s not an unbearable pain, but it’s definitely noticable, and concerning. It’s an achey feeling….?
Hi Stacy,
My guess is that you have a postural problem. I would look for an Egoscue method therapist, an acupuncturist who understands structural imbalances, an osteopath or a chiropractor. If you want to check out Egoscue exercises on your own, buy Pain Free, and try the set on page 130. Of course, without a thorough evaluation, that is only a guess.
I randomly have sudden intense abdominal pain, mostly on the left under my ribcage spreading to the right. It is very painfull, i cannot take in deep breaths as it makes the pain worse. The pain/ache then slowly fades within a few minutes. Besides that, I am a healthy 20 yr. old/female with a consern as theses symptoms reapear more requently.
Hi Isabelle,
You don’t say how often you are getting these symptoms, but in any case, it sounds bad enough to have it checked out. I would see a doctor or acupuncturist as soon as you can.
Ed
Hey ED….if i sit down for even 5 minutes my whole back & lower back, ribs, starts to hurt so much and cant sit for to long….and if i sleep over 5 hours my whole body starts to hurt and feel like burning……… o_O
Hi JP,
That does not sound very comfortable at all. It also sounds like something you should have checked out. I would see a doctor and/or acupuncturist, to treat that.
i have a sharp stabbing pain on my left lower rib cage. ive had it for nearly 3 years and it comes and goes. when i get it is extremly painful and i have to try and walk it out. sometimes i get real light headed and feel that i have to sit down or ill pass out. im a 17 year old girl and ive had it since i was 15. it feels like the pain is in the bone of the rib. thankyou sami.
Hi Sami,
That definitely sounds like a problem that requires attention. If you have already seen your doctor about it, go see an acupuncturist. As a teenage woman, with those kind of symptoms, Traditional Chinese Medicine will make a big difference in your well being, for the rest of your life.
I fell against somthing sharp in my lower left back a few days ago.
There is intence pain between my left hip and the lower floating rib.
It seems to be improving.
I fell the other day and hit my lower left back side of my lower rib cage between the last or floating rib and my hip. It is very painful espically
to walk, also painful to touch
Hello John,
That kind of injury should clear up, on its own. However, Chinese medicine can speed up and ensure complete recovery.
Hi Ed,
I have vague discomfort in my lower rib cage for about 6 month and went thru a lot of blood test and any possible scans and nothing my doctors found that could cause that. It’s not localyzed and I don’t event know what to think. Really disturbing thing. I am 36 years old and this effecting on quality of my life. Dull discomfort is on both sides of lower rib cage (going 2-3 ribs up) and sometimes in the middle. Please help me to understand what it is. Thank you, Tim.
Hi Tim,
If all medical tests come up negative, I would definitely try the tips in this post. Do them regularly for two weeks and see how you feel. I would also consider going to an acupuncturist. They will find the underlying imbalance that is leading to these symptoms.
Thank you Ed, Can liver cause this on right and left side as well? Also, is there any technique to find good acupuncurer? As far as I undertand they are not all good, Am I correct?
A disruption in the energy system associated with the Liver can cause pain on both sides, but it is unlikely that a problem with the liver itself would.
As with any health practitioner, the best thing is to get a recommendation from someone you trust. You may also try contacting one of the state acupuncture associations.
i have pain at the lower left and right of my lung ,which is the ribs i supposed. its more on the lower left and i have been having short episodes of it for half a year since i had a lower left lobe pneunomia. Doctors that i have approached ignored me on this problem. I am wondering what is actually wrong. do advise me .
Hi Shavonne,
It is difficult when we “recover” from a major illness, and our doctors ignore our lingering symptoms. In Chinese medicine lingering symptoms are taken very seriously. They are seen as a sign that the disease has not been driven completely from the body, and that we are still in a weakened state, susceptible to catching other diseases. I suggest you find an acupuncturist or a naturopath to continue your healing process.
thanks a lot on that. But i was wondering , why have i not recovered from the pneunomia for half a year already and I am only fifteen.
I am kinda of confused but ….from what i understand from you now, there is a high chance that my pain is related to my previous lung problems right?
Thank you .
Only fifteen? That is a surprise. It is very possible that it is related. Also it could be a muscular problem that is related to the illness. If your breathing muscles were constricted a lot during the illness, they may not have gotten over that. Sometimes muscles forget how to go back to normal. Often chronically tense muscles will develop trigger points, which can be very painful, as well as cause pain nearby. In any case it is unusual for someone your age to take such a long time to recover.
If it is a muscular problem and you don’t like the idea of acupuncture, a good massage therapist should be able to help.
Thanks Ed. I will check all that out and hopefully, its not something bad or serious.
Yeah,
I get this pain in like the center lower part of the rib cage and sometimes it moves to the right. But it generly only happens at night..
What should i do?
Hi Kaylee,
If you eat a meal shortly before bed time, it can cause that problem. Also any tension late in the evening could cause it. Try the exercises I suggested for a week and see how it goes. It could also be acid reflux that only bothers you when you are horizontal. If you are still bothered by it, see a naturapath or an acupuncturist.
Kia ora Ed
I’ve read over a few of these, and im having the same problem, and you probably will say the same thing and that is do the exercises, however i tried them and it hasn’t work. I’ve had pain in both sides first developing below my ribs, and now it seems to be localised to my right side in between the bottom 2 or 3 ribs, when i push in on it, it feels good, however when i release it, it feels sore again. It can last up to 20 minutes, then go away for a few days. Theres no set time it happens or set position, it just happens randomly. ITs quite uncomfortable, do you have any suggestions?
Well my next advice, of course, is to see an acupuncturist. However, I’ll give you some suggestions. Press with your fingers between the bones on top of your foot. You should find one or two sensitive spots, probably between the first two toes or the third and fourth. If they are sore on both feet, hold both sides together for about two minutes. If only one foot is sore hold two points on the same foot. Press into the space between the inside edge of the shin bone and the calf muscle, with your thumb. Go down the whole length of the shin bone, holding each point for a second or two. Rub your palms together to make them warm, then rest them on your lower rib cage. As you inhale get a sense of how the area is. If you are visual, visualize it. Otherwise just feel it. As you exhale, imagine sending warm energy from your palms into your ribcage. Do that for about five minutes. Do all of those things once a day, for two weeks, then let me know how you are doing.
yr. 2006 i was diagnosed with costochondritis. the pain in my left ribs comes and goes..yr. 2007 i was checked with my blood, got ecg, lung xray exam and all normal etc.. 2008 i got the pancreas, liver, gall bladder and so is my kidney and its all normal. btw, i hv this heart exam 3x a yr from 2006 till 2008 bec. im going hypochondriac because of the pain. i am 47 yrs. old and into peri-menopausal stage. i hv this ibs/constipation thing in my system. my mom sez…if i hv serious disease of any sort..ill be dead by now. bec. its almost 4 yrs that im like this. the rib cage pain comes and goes and its all the ribs…i can feel it because whenever i pressed the ribs it hurts..even my collar bone hurts, my shoulder blade hurts and so is the left shoulder back w/c sometimes my left arm bones is painful. i can feel the pain whenever i presses my arm bones. what could this be?
the constipation is hitting me badly. im drinking prune juice, soya choc. milk, eating fishes, im not so keen in eating meats. pls. help
Hi Ester, I would suggest you see an acupuncturist. Acupuncture is very good for both IBS and costochondritis.
Ed
I am 32 yrs old male. Just started a new pain 2 weeks ago. Pain occurs when I am sitting down on couch and little lean forward or right side. The pain is in the lower back of right side rib. The pain heals back when I lean to left side for little bit otherwise the pain keeps on until I stand up or lean back. Any suggestions and informations are very welcome;;on what is it the symptoms for and what should I do for treatment ??
Hi Sam,
Sounds like a pulled muscle. I would try massage or acupuncture for that.
Ed
hey my ribs are really sore
I’m 37 weeks pregnant
and I can’t eat cause It’s really hard for me to breath
I no the baby has no room left at this point therefore it is normal for baby to be near the ribs
but I’m struggling to breath and I’m worried
I alos can’t sleep
Hi Jessica,
This is an issue that I don’t have an answer for. I would suggest talking to a midwife or your doctor about it. I wish you the best, and hope you have a heappy, healthy baby.
6months ago i went to breast clinic, as ive had alot of chronic breast and rib pain , doctor says its post menopausal i also have fibrocystic decease (breast cysts)) but it settled down for a time , well bearable, but now its back and really pains me , not due to see him again till jan , do you think it is menopausal?
Hi Susie Jean,
I am sorry, but that is too difficult to determine from a distance. I suggest you see an acupuncturist and/or your doctor about it.
Ed
As i was laying in bed i relized that i have a sharp pain in my left i inner ribs and im having trouble breathing and sitting up and im only 12 so its unusual for a younger person to have this prob but i have active asma and sometimes mucel spazems is there any thing wrong with me? if there is will any thing help!!!!!
Hey ed,
When I went to my GP the other day, he suggested that my pain in the lower rib cage had something to do with my lung membrane. He didn’t really tell me much cause I was there due to a cold. What does my lung membrane has to do with the pain?
refer to my posts in july . Thanks!!!!!
Hi Shavonne,
It sounds like your doctor is referring to pleurisy, which is inflammation of the pleura, or membranes surrounding the lungs. Because the pleura are close to the ribs, it can feel like rib pain. Pneumonia can lead to pleurisy. Sometimes it clears up on its own, but sometimes it causes scarring of the pleura, which can lead to chronic pain. I don’t know if Western Medicine effectively treats chronic pleural problems. A competent practitioner of Chinese Herbology should be able to help. I believe Western Herbology also can help. I would try to get a definite diagnosis from the Doctor before deciding what to do next.
Good luck!
Hi,
I am a 15 year old teenage girl, very active in soccer girl. For the past couple of months sometimes I have been having a pain in my lower left rib cage. Its most of the time not a horrible sharp pain but more like something in side me or my skin feels like it is streched against my rib cage. And to stop it from hurting I have to put a fist under my rib cage. It is really quite bothersome, but not unberable. Some times it gets pretty painful. I have been reading up a lot on it and I have find that I have what other people explain. I have really bad posture, and frequently lower back pain. Alot of people talk about going to a doctor, but I would rathe not cos tmy family a lot of money if its nothing. Do you have any suggestions on what this might be?
Thanks,
Elyse
Hi Elyse,
You almost certainly have a strained muscle in the rib cage. Massage or acupuncture will help. Eventually, it should go away on its own, although if, as you suspect, it is related to poor posture, it could take a while. I suggest you buy the book, Pain Free, and do the exercises for the back.
To really correct the problem, you’d want to see an Egoscue practitioner. The next best thing would be to buy the Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion, and follow the exercises for your body type.
i fractured my left ribs before and when the doctor felt it he had said the bone and the cartilage had seperated. and now its coming back it makes me feel like im going to vomit. its awful. i was up one night crying because the pain was soooo intense.
btw i fractured my rib sover 2 years ago
and i get awful back pain.
could this all be related?
im 14.
Hi Sheridan,
It is possible that it is all related. I am surprised that it would come back after 2 years. I would definitely get it checked out. An Osteopath would be my first choice. If you can’t find one, then an acupuncturist or a chiropractor. You probably have something out of alignment.
i woke up the other morning and had a very dull pain on my left side below the ribs it only bothers me when im standing or lean into it, sitting is fine…is this a pulled muscle, i feel fine, and going to the bathroom regulary and have no decreased appetite
Hi David. It sounds like a pulled muscle. It should get better in a few days. If it doesn’t or if it is getting worse, see your doctor or acupuncturist. Massage or acupuncture will speed the recovery.
I have pain in my left rib whenever I stand up for too long. I remember at my sister wedding 10 yrs ago ( yes I have this now for a while) i was standing for a long time during the ceremony i felt pressure on my left rib….it makes me jalt and have to stretch to kind of calm it down….It happened to me today while i was shopping all day. It always occurs when I’m standing for a long period of time. It feels very awkward. Any auggestions?
Hi Rachel
For that kind of muscular pain to stick around for so long, you probably have a structural imbalance. It is possible, however, that you have chronic trigger points causing it. I would get your alignment checked by a practitioner of Egoscue Method, a chiropractor, or an acupuncturist who specializes in structural alignment. If you are well aligned, a good massage therapist should be able to iron out those knots.
I forgot to mention that when i wear a waste belt or a top that ties or is tight around my waist ( where my upper ribbs are) the pain comes back….Thats what happened to me today. I’ve been in pain since around 2 p.m and its 6 p.m now….
For six weeks I have had lower left rib pain. It started during a bout of vomiting when I felt a sharp pain mid way through getting sick and it stuck around a bit. It felt like a sharp pain/muscle spasm. Since then it is about 80% better and yet I still has some muscle tension/spasming as well as a sore/tender spot on the lower most rib itself. I also feel like it may be a bit out of joint (if thats at all possible) compared to the other ribs on my front left side. It feels to stick out slightly further. In addition, I had been dealing with a mild bout of costochrondritis after doing a bit too heavy of weight lifting two weeks before the vomiting. The costo was at my sternum on the left side by my breast bone. That seems to have completely resolved itself, but I am worrying about this lower rib pain. I tend to have a lot of health anxiety so I automatically think the worst.
Hi Kirsten
You probably just pulled a muscle. Although, if it feels like a rib is “out” it may well be. That is an easy fix for a chiropractor or osteopath. The sooner you get it fixed the better. Massage or acupuncture will help with the pulled muscle, as will my suggestions in this post.
Hi
I have had a pain in my lower right back about three inches below my rib cage. It is also sore on my right side. It’s like an aching burning sensation. When i press on my hip bone and hold it it feels good and the pain goes away until I let go.
My wife was pressing on my back on the right where it hurts and can feel a bulge or an inflammed muscle. It feels sooooo good when she presses it. We put some deep cold in the area and it make the pain go away for a while but eventually it all comes back.
When I am driving a long distance it tends to hurt more or if I sit for a long time. I’ve used an electrical messager on areas of my side and it also feels good and tingly almost a watm sensation throughout.
Any ideas?
Sounds like a strained muscle in your back. Acuouncture or massage therapy should speed up the healing.If the way you are sitting or using it is continuing to aggravate it, it may not heal by itself.
Hi, I wrote to you about a month ago and listened to what you had to say and went to see a pratitioner and she told me that I have instability in 2 ribs ( # 11 rib and #12 rib ). Basically, my ribs move out of place and I keep twisting my torso to put them back in place. She gave me some exercises and told me that I need to workout my inner abbs. What do you think?
Hi Rachel. Assuming the findings are correct, which is likely, it sounds like good advice to me. If you are diligent for 4 to 6 weeks, and still not getting any improvement, you can seek another opinion. It may take longer than that to resolve completely, but you should start noticing improvement within that time.
Hey Ed,
I’m a swimmer who swims about 8 hours a week and about mid practice, i get a really bad pain, like a cramp in my lower right and sometimes left rib. it only happens when i swim or run and i was wondering if there were any exercises i could do to help. Thx!
Hi Kira,
Read my article on abdominal massage. Do the whole massage, and at the end, where it says” press just under the rib cage”, press with all four fingers of one hand under the rib cage, up toward the chest. Do it gently as you exhale. Avoid the center line, and do two areas on each side. In other words, one hand’s width covers about one half of the front of one side of the rib cage. Try doing the massage once or twice a day, for a couple of weeks. If that doesn’t help get back to me.
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