I have been having ribcage/back pain (both sides). i seem to get worse pain on the right side though. it tends to get worse if i am twisting or bending. stretching sometimes helps but with severe episodes, it doesn't. what's going on?

Severe?: When people use the word severe I tend to tell them to see a doctor. If the bad enough to stop your daily activities then a visit is more than justified. It shouldn't take long to get an idea if it is muscular or neuralgic. It's hard to tell from here if it's muscle spasm, herniated disc or something like shingles.

Musculoskletal pain: Sounds most likely a musculoskletal pain. If you are older and has osteoporosis it could be a compression fracture of the vertebrae. xray might help to rule that out.