rib pain

Both sides feel briused. SO sore what the heck is this? Feels like someone kicked me. Any one else have this?

Lovelabs,

Rib pain and soreness is listed as a Lyme symptom. Doctors call it costochonditis. I've been having it for years and it is not fun. In fact, I'm sore again ever since my LLMD pushed around in that area. It can become pretty uncomfortable for sure. I found that the only thing that helps relieve the pain/soreness is emu oil. The girls here recommended it and it does help.

LymeinMD,

Oh no hun, you're good! I'm glad you gave an explanation of what you had too. It's good to have different stories, that way the person posting can compare symptoms, etc. Since she just listed rib pain, I figured costochondritis might be what she's experiencing. A lot of Lymies have it, but you never know....she may have facial pain too and never knew what it was. That's why it's good to post your experiences.

You are not the only guy here. We have a few that come in and out. JamesFromMissouri is one of our regulars.

Lyme MD, I know what you mean with the whiplash injury. It does not help the situation one bit! I was hit by a drunk driver last month. My neck was already screwed before that happened! Physical therapy isen't touching it. Just when you think it can't get any worse right?

Thanks for all the info. I do have foot pain and sometimes jaw pain but kind of cones and goes with my herx reactions. The rib pain just seemed to get worse lately. Enough so that I asked about it here. I am going to my LLMD next week, if I tell him this will he do a "rib exam" or just be like oh that is chostochondritis(that is quite a word) and leave it at that? Oh and where do u get emu oil? I can't imagine anything helping this. It really hurts.

I also had rib pain but it went away and has not come back in over a year. Foot pain is a symptom of bartonella. You might want to check out other symptoms.

That's right where the neuro pushed on my ribs, Lovelabs I was going to call "our" doc this week to tell him about the small fiber peripheral neuropathy diagnosis. I want to get his take (also had the reports sent to him). I have bartonella as well, and I could well be Herxing because it seems the foot pain has been getting significantly worse of late. But I am going to give this neuro a shot (he's in Annapolis). Very "out of the box" thinker, and I have to say that it makes sense given some of my chronic symptoms (my facial, torso, leg, and foot pain kicked in RIGHT AFTER my mono in 1997, which was the predication for the skin biopsy). He is convinced that the neuropathy was brought on by the one-two punch of Lyme and EBV. I will definitely keep everyone posted on this. Still not psyched about the proposed treatment, though.

You might think I'm way off here, but, when I used to suffer with chronic coughing, I actually coughed a ribs out of position about 4 times, and it was so painful it actually felt like they were broken, OMG the pain was bad. Well, my chiropractor was able to find the problem right away and fix it each time.

So if you've been sneezing or coughing a lot lately and noticed the pain shortly after, you might want to have a chiro check it out. That kind of injury would have nothing to do with Lyme specifically, but something you may consider.

Anything to ease the pain without more meds, right?

Hey gang, I know this is basic stuff and has probably been discussed here MANY times before, but I cannot underscore more the role muscles play in the Lyme equation. I have been able to give myself at least temporary relief from muscle and joint pain just by listening to my body (through a biofeedback device), and remembering how basics like proper sitting and standing posture, as well as breathin and gait, are vitally important to coping with everyday chronic Lyme pain. You guys would not believe the amount of gadgets I use (mostly dog toys like rubber balls, rope bones, and rubber tug toys) on a daily basis to apply pressure to certain muscles/trigger points that I otherwise would need a therapist to release. Relief without popping pills of any kind, or shelling out tons of money for physical therapy...a novel concept ;-)

There are two fantastic publications most if not all of you on the forum are familiar with, but I'll mention them here as a reminder for the vets as well as Lyme newbies:

Claire Davies' "The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook" - IMO, the finest self-help book ever written for those with chronic soft tissue pain of a known or unknown origin. Predicated on the work of Travell and Simons (nice illustrative maps), BUT VERY EDUCATIONAL for the layperson in terms of explaining exactly what certain muscles are designed to do, what shortens them or throws them into spasm, and how to clear the spasm. I got some of the ideas about using rubber balls and leverage from chairs, the wall, or the floor, and was able to develop a few of my own along the way. A MUST OWN for any Lyme sufferer, IMO

Bonnie Prudden's "Pain Erasure" - Where Claire's book falls short, Bonnie's picks up the slack. Claire does a great job of telling you about what muscles do and what everyday activities make them hurt. But I think he understates the importance of stretching and strengthening shortened muscles for maintenance and long-term improvement of your symptoms. Bonnie's book provides great stretching exerises, and illustrates them with various photos.

I don't think I would have made it as long as I did in my career (law enforcement) without either of these publications. I know there are days you may not want or feel like you are able to get out of bed--I know, I have been there, and still have days like that. But try your best to, even if it is only for 5-10 minutes every hour. Ironically, most beds are NOT friends of fatigued and shortened muscles in spasm because of poor sleeping position or improper support of the spine. I have had a great deal of success in relieving pain and spasm, even if it is only for a few minutes. And I am a HUGE proponent of biofeedback. You may think you are listening to your body, but you really aren't listening to your body until you give biofeedback a shot and notice how you can feel your muscles relax as the tone gets lower, and how stressful thoughts will get the tone very high almost immediately. Such a simple concept, but I know having developed 41-years of bad habits myself, just sitting in a chair watching TV or listening to music may seem "relaxing," but try do it with a biofeedback device. You may be surprised what you hear.

It goes without saying, but human beings are creatures of habit. Healthy people with bad habits (poor posture and gait, and shallow/short breathing) can get away with them and deal with the minor aches and pains they cause, but not us. Only now am I fully appreciating just how important proper posture, gait, and breathing is to overall wellness. I think sometimes we are so desperate and so focused on the pain, we look for that magic bullet and forget the basics. I know I do.

Lyme in MD,

Thanks for all of the info.