Question
About 4 months ago I started to have pain in my floating right rib, it hurt to touch. I had a chest x-ray that was negative. The rib pain subsided but Out of the blue one morning my lower back started hurting. The back pain moves around from lower back to mid back and the pain is in the ribs in the back as well. I had an MRI of my lumbar spine and it was normal. My right rib is hurting again along with my back. IT is hard to understand. My back hurts to bend over yet the MRI was negative. Basically the pain moves around my back and into my ribs. I also have been having tingling in my right foot and sometimes either hand. Do you have any idea what might be causing this. I have pain when I touch my ribs on my sides (just above my hips also) It feels like there is a lump on the one side.

Thanks so much

Answer
Hi Colleen,

Wow...that's a lot of ground to cover.  With something so widespread in location and symptoms there are any number of possibilities.

Obviously, someone with hands-on examination should give you the best information.  A Chiropractic doctor might very well find that some mechanical work will allow the body to adapt and improve in fairly short order.

Ribs do get tweaked where they articulate with the spine and are used as anchors for a number of muscles.  I treat them successfully every day.

The other parts of the back get into the picture as they compensate and then fatigue.

The doctor should also be able to give a quality opinion about potential underlying causes.  Kidney problems can mimic a lot of what you have complained about.  The diaphragm attaches on the inside of these ribs, so breathing trouble can cause this pain.  Some neuromuscular problems can begin to manifest this way.  

As I said, wide-ranging possibilities.  I wish that it could be more specific.

Bottom line:  consult a Chiropractic doctor.  It may be that simple.

God bless, Dr Pendergraft