Have you ever suddenly had your breath taken away after bending in an awkward position? As Chiropractors we see a lot of dislocated or subluxated ribs. I had a patient who was getting ready for a fishing trip and bent over to get his tackle box when suddenly a sharp pain occurred in his chest and he couldn't breath without an agonizing sharp pain. It was bad enough that he went to the emergency room to get help. After ruling out any life threatening conditions, he was given a muscle relaxer but unfortunately it didn't help. When he came into the clinic he wasn't even able to lay on the table because it was so painful. I went ahead and found the dislocated rib and was able to realign it with him standing using the wall. Immediately after the adjustment he was able to breathe again. He could then lay down for some additional muscle work and massage. People often mistake rib pain for heart, shoulder, or chest pain but if you feel a sharp pain when you breath in or out and when you lean sided to side, chances are you've got a rib out!
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