Localization of pain

The stomach begins approximately at the level of the 10th rib. It is therefore easy to imagine that stomach pain is misinterpreted as intercostal pain. In order to differentiate whether the pain originates from the stomach or the intercostal nerves, attention can be paid to whether the pain can be increased in certain situations.

A connection with food intake or an increase when lying down tends to indicate a cause that affects the stomach or the esophagus, while breath-related pain tends to indicate intercostal neuralgia. In addition, in older women with stomach pain, a heart attack should also be considered, as it can also be atypical with stomach pain in this group. Do you want to know more about the causes of stomach pain?

Then click here. Pain between the ribs on the right side may indicate nerve irritation or rib bruising as well as complaints of the liver, gallbladder or intestine. If the gallbladder is the trigger for the pain, there is often a pain localized under the costal arch.

This is perceived as extremely strong and is only present in phases. This is also known as colicky pain. If the cause is actually in the area of the right abdominal organs, other symptoms such as digestive problems are usually added.

Left-sided pain between the ribs can of course also have a quite harmless cause, such as muscular tension or irritation of a nerve, but the cause can also lie in the area of important organs. For example, pain below the lower left ribs may indicate a heart attack, which can be perceived as radiating into this region. In addition, the pain can also indicate problems in the stomach.

If the pain between the ribs is mainly at the back, this may indicate a rib blockage. This is a stiffening of the joints between the ribs and the spine. These joints are needed to enlarge or reduce the size of the chest when breathing.

Therefore, the pain occurs especially when breathing at the joints in the back. Furthermore, it is important to differentiate between intercostal pain and flank pain. The latter is somewhat deeper and is usually caused by a kidney problem or muscular tension.

A belt-shaped pain below the ribs that is accentuated in the front area can be indicative of a pancreatic disease. An inflammation of the pancreas is characterized by extremely severe pain and is often accompanied by nausea and fever. Furthermore, the pain in the front may also be caused by costochondritis.

This is an inflammation of the cartilage at the transition between the breastbone and the ribs. Often there is also swelling in this area, which is also very painful under pressure. Pain under the costal arches can be harmless, but it can also be caused by an illness requiring therapy.

Since the costal arches lie above the abdominal organs, the pain can also be due to complaints of these organs. Possible causes include inflammation of the stomach lining, intestinal complaints, inflammation of the gall bladder or enlargement of the spleen. Shingles can also be a painful skin change between the costal arches. In many cases, however, it is merely a muscular tension of the intercostal or abdominal muscles.