Back pain under the left rib cage is a dilemma for all patients suffering from it. Doctors view any constant pain seriously and treat it as a serious disorder or disease. The rib cage is a structure that is formed by the thoracic vertebrae and ribs, sternum-breastbone, and the costal cartilages that connect the ribs to the sternum. A common definition of the term cage is a large enclosure where animals are kept. The rib cage can be considered as a cage that houses or holds the largest animal heart and lung, also called a thoracic cage in medical terms.
In the thorax-chest, nerves exit from the spine and bifurcate into two parts. One part goes up to just under the skin and sends fibers to the surface and further travels around half way around the chest. This could be a probable reason for pain feeling in the back to the side of the chest. Second part travels deep under the bottom of the rib around to the sternum-chest bone, comes up to the skin and runs back toward the side on the same level as the other branch. Pain in the rib cage can include any pain or discomfort in the area of ribs.
Common causes could be - Cracked or fractured rib, Costochondritis (inflammation of cartilage near the breastbone, Osteoporosis, and Pleurisy. If you suffer from such problems of rib pain, it is advisable to get the area x-rayed so as to eliminate fractured ribs. In the event of fractured ribs an immediate surgery is warranted. If the pain is of longer duration more than 3 months it is also necessary to go for an MRI or CT Scan and consult health care professional to rule out the possibilities of any nerve damage, tumor or cancer.
Inflammation of the cartilage that is between the ribs and breastbone can cause pain around the back and down the arms. This pain is such that it might radiate a sensation as if you were having a heart attack or lung problems. Although the duration of this condition is short but very painful and uncomfortable during the period it lasts.
There may be times when you will visit a gastroenterologist because of the constant back pain under your left rib cage because the problem starts with your stomach. You might often feel hungry and the feel the urge to let out a big growl, no matter how much you eat it still does not matter, but instead results in heart burn and pain on the left side underneath the cage. To eliminate the possibility of an infection of the intestine or pancreas routine blood pathology is conducted. Digestive, gastro and bowel disorders should be ruled out after seeking doctor’s medical advice. These indications might make you think it’s due to twisted bowel, so a through checkup of the colon should be scheduled.
Constant pain under the left rib cage is very uncomfortable for pregnant women especially those in advanced stages of pregnancy. They experience extreme pain near the area where the ribcage and breast meet. The pain causes extreme trauma and sometimes makes it difficult to sleep.
