ribs hurt to touch

[maria26]

Yet another panic. My ribs are tender in places to touch. I immediately panic thinking bone cancer. I have poked and pressed so much now I am getting stabs of mild pain around the area. So this scares me more. I am not sure which ribs they are as it seems like about 2 or 3 different ones. The areas that hurt feel like a vein or something on top. I try and move the tissue away to see if it is the bone but I am pretty skinny and not much tissue to move.
Does anyone elses ribs hurt when pressed. I know I sound like a crazy girl but I am shaking with fear. Had chest x ray but then read it may not show cancer.
Thank you

[maianixon]

Ribs can very often hurt bc of bad posture or general muscle tension from stress - poking them doesnt help for sure!

Also last year when I had an ECG because of what I thought was chest pains, a cardiologist pressed on my ribs and they hurt so bad!! But he said that that is normal for women for some reason we tend to have more tender ribs that can hurt sometimes it's something to do with hormones idk but basically normal.

[.Poppy.]

Read up on costochondritis - it sounds like that may be your problem. For whatever reason, it seems to be tied to anxiety.

It's painful and irritating, but not harmful. Naproxen and heat may help with the pain.

[maianixon]

i read it up too and yeah this is exactly how mine felt too! my pain went away just like that it seems like it comes and goes and thinking about it now, i do get it when im more anxious

[maria26]

Thank you both so much for bothering to answer. Means a lot. I dont think its costochondritis as that is pain in front of ribs where it joins sternum. Mine is lower right back. I have a lot of muscle tension and bad posture hence the upper back pain. Would not worry if it did not keep stabbing me and only hurt when touched. Then again I have poked and twisted. Thanks

[.Poppy.]

Thank you both so much for bothering to answer. Means a lot. I dont think its costochondritis as that is pain in front of ribs where it joins sternum. Mine is lower right back. I have a lot of muscle tension and bad posture hence the upper back pain. Would not worry if it did not keep stabbing me and only hurt when touched. Then again I have poked and twisted. Thanks

Have you pressed on the area by your sternum, is it tender at all?

I had back/side rib pain and thought for sure it had to be something else, but apparently you have nerves that travel all the way around the ribs, so costochondritis pain can hurt really anywhere around the rib cage. If it hurts when you press, it's a good bet that's the cause (according to my doc).

But surely bad posture doesn't help either.

[maianixon]

i get a lot of lower back pain (sometimes on just one side) from my posture or generally not being very active so it could be something like that very easily

[M00nlight]

Yes! My ribs have been giving me grief for awhile.. completely anxiety related. My floating ribs are the worst and touch inbetween the ribs makes me winch.

[ChildOfTheKing]

Could be pulled muscle or something like costochondritis. Which can be very painful.

[maria26]

I truly appreciate all your replies. Did any of you get twinges of pain when still around the ribs or only when you pressed or moved. This is my main worry now but I admit I have been twisting my body a bit to look at the bruises on the back where I had pushed so hard. I know I sound mad but the cancer phobia is so severe I am on edge with every twinge. I hate Health Anxiety. Would be great to find someone else who has had these twinges and it went. Have had ct just before the pains started due to another scare. All clear. DR also did more chest x rays thoracic spine bloods all clear. Then I google x rays and see they dont always pick up cancer ribs and off I go. Feels very tender today. I also have acid reflux due to stress but dont think it will make ribs hurt.
Please help anyone.