During pregnancy, pain can sometimes occur in the costal arch. A common cause of this pain is stretching of the abdominal muscles, especially in advanced pregnancy. The abdominal muscles start at the ribs and can cause pain here due to the stretching and overstraining.
Introduction
The growing child displaces more and more the organs in the abdominal cavity, which can also lead to right-sided discomfort at the costal arch, for example, because the liver and bile are located here. Nevertheless, an organic cause for the pain should always be clarified in order to rule out pregnancy complications. In the therapy, a causal approach is taken.
In physiotherapy, rib pain, which is caused by the stretching of the abdominal muscles, can be treated in particular. Breathing exercises can also help to relieve pain in the ribs. Besides active exercises, passive techniques are also used.
Physiotherapy
In physiotherapeutic treatment for rib-arch pain during pregnancy, the pain that arises due to stretching of the abdominal muscles can be treated in particular. Gentle massage or friction of the approaches in the area of the ribs can relieve the pain, but should never be performed too intensively to avoid further irritation of the muscles or even the sensitive periosteum of the ribs. Furthermore, the application of kinesiotapes can help to relieve the abdominal muscles, and thus also their attachment points on the ribs.
A posture correction, which is particularly aimed at straightening the thoracic spine, supports the physiological position of the spine and thorax and makes the muscles’ work easier. Overstrain is avoided and pain is relieved. Sometimes the pain is not caused by the abdominal muscles but by the respiratory muscles.
This can be especially the case after frequent coughing. In physiotherapy, breathing exercises can be performed to loosen the respiratory muscles and promote relaxed mobility of the thorax. These techniques can be supplemented by gentle stroking of the intercostal spaces (where the intercostal muscles are located) or fascial techniques.
It is also possible to learn positions that expand the thorax and abdominal cavity so that a certain relaxation for the lungs and organs is achieved despite the lack of space. Sometimes the pain is not caused by the abdominal muscles but by the respiratory muscles. This can be especially the case after frequent coughing.
In physiotherapy, breathing exercises can be performed which loosen the respiratory muscles and promote relaxed mobility of the thorax. These techniques can be supplemented by gentle stroking of the intercostal spaces (where the intercostal muscles are located) or fascial techniques. It is also possible to learn positions that expand the thorax and abdominal cavity so that a certain relaxation for the lungs and organs is achieved despite the lack of space.
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