What could ribs pain with difficult breathing suggest?
Patient: my husband is 44 yrs old and has pain on the left side under the rib cage, very tender to touch and hurts to breathe and move, he s not one for complaining and had a high tolerance for pain, i am concerned. should we head to the emergency room, it started yesterday and is worse today......what should we do? could this be muscle pain and give it a day or two?? Doctor: Hi,Thanks  for  your query.Strained muscle is the most probable reason. Strained muscle usually appears only when the chest is moving, and should be completely gone when lying down and not breathing. If the pain is sharp and well localized, more intense when breathing, rib nerve issue is the most probable reason.In both cases, rest and anti-inflammatory medicines like Diclophenac should help.I do hope that you have found something helpful and I will be glad to answer any further query.Take care