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Doctor insights on: Can A Pinched Nerve Cause Rib Pain

If you're asking...: ...whether the two are related, it's not likely. Also, a "pinched" nerve does not mean you will have "pinching" sensations in the affected limb. That's a misinterpretation of a colloquial term for a compression neuritis/neuropathy or radiculitis/radiculopathy.

Too many areas: Nerves supply specific areas. There's no nerve that supplies both your hands, chest and lungs. I think the pinched nerve hypothesis doesn't explain your symptoms. Instead, perhaps you should be fully evaluated. A chest x-ray, ekg, blood work and other tests as needed would provide a lot of information.

Yes: Relatively rarely, a lower cervical radiculopathy can present with chest pain. Obviously, one would want to do a thorough workup of the much more common and worrisome cardiopulmonary causes of chest pain first. I do have a few patients that have had multiple cardiac workups that were negative and only got relief after neck surgery.

Unclear.: Elbow pain can come from varied conditions including musculoskeletal, rheumatological, and neurological which would include a pinched nerve. Chest pain is always a potentially very serious condition as it could represent a life threatening cardiac condition. Unless medically cleared, all complaints of chest pain should be treated as a medical emergency in an appropriate setting (e.g. Er).

Yes: Pinched nerve in neck at c4, c5 levels can cause anterior chest pain.

Depends: The nerves from the neck do not typically refer into the chest- usually more into the arms or shoulder blade region. Nerves from the thoracic region more often refer to the chest. See your primary care doc to make sure that you do not have any more urgent causes of chest pain. A physiatrist can help determine if the pain is coming from the spine.

Yes: Yes, it does sound like a pinched nerve somewhere. In general, when you bring your chin down to the chest it increases pressure in the spinal canal, which traditionally will bring on symptoms from a pinched nerve. Don't hesitate to be seen.

Nerve: Sounds like it could be a pinched nerve in your lower neck. Typically these will get better on their own. You can try icing, antiinflammatories and give this some time. If it doesn't seem to be letting up, an MRI can be done and other treatments can be tried. Follow up with your doc too.

Arguably: Arguably the worst possible cause of severe pain felt in the shoulder blade and deep into the chest would be an uncommon condition called aortic dissection. Problems with the gallbladder and heart can also cause pain in the region of the shoulder or armpit (axilla). The spinal nerve corresponding to t2 also feels an area that involves the armpits and hoop-shaped strip of skin that runs across your chest above your nipples, through your armpits, and across your back at about the same level (it also involves part of the skin on the arm). After excluding things like dissection, heart problems, and gallbladder problems, a neurosurgeon may be helpful to get to a diagnosis and some relief.

Pinched nerve: Seems like pinched nerve. Does moving the arm, back, neck reproduce the pain-that supports musculoskeletal (MSK) especially if previous trauma. What happens when you have a deep breath any sharp pain? Would just ask the doc about possibility of clot, if there is significant pain on breathing- ask today. Rarely may also be gallbladder. MSK should slowly improve over time. F/u/ w/ doc

Yes: When exercising did you feel a 'tear or pull' sensation? Is it chest or arm? Perhaps just persistent inflammation of a muscle/ligamentous structure, or nerve. Is it tender to touch? That would indicate a musculoskeletal structure, as opposed to in internal chest structure. Try stretching exercise, and Ibuprofen/naproxen OTC. If severe, or exertional, or associated w/ shortness of breath, see a Dr

Chest pain: Hi, most likely anxiety, which causes the patient to breathe faster and therefore for a seconds the blood calcium level falls and causes this sensation, blowing a paper bag might help.

Why did you have it?: What was the reason for the surgery? Could you have impingement on an intercostal nerve? Yes. If so, response depends on the background situation. If you don't have pain proneness and no other background pain syndromes then injection of an impinged intercostal nerve can be helpful. Was the background problem something that could be progressive? Do you need re-eval for that?

Get imaging: Could be...I'd get imaging of the Thoracic spine (an MRI). if it wraps around one side and gives you numbness is a classis distribution, it could be a disc herniation or a pinched nerve for another reason. If it's on both sides, i'd get some imaging of this area given your history of duodenal issues

Yes it is a possible: That there could be referred pain or that you may have some muscular pain or myalgias from your infection in that region. It could also be just muscular pain from being inactive while you were sick. The other remote possibility is that the infection may have spread to the spine if it was a bacterial infection so if the pain is increasing or persisting tell your physician.

Need more detail: Do you have multiple nerve problems? Did you see neurologist?

No: A pinched nerve in the neck would not effect the ribs or dorsal spine area.

MRI of neck: At this point an MRI would probably be useful. The MRI visualizes the spinal nerves and will tell if you do have a " pinched nerve."

Not likely: Probably need plain xrays, a bone scan, determine if alk phos is originating from bone and rule out paget's disease among other items.

Spondylosis: Thoracic spine spine spondylosis can give you muscle spasm and pinch nerve.