Pain in the costal arch – How dangerous is that?

Pain in the region of the costal arch can be due to various causes. In many cases, the pain is harmless and sometimes disappears by itself after a short time. Sometimes, however, serious illnesses are also the cause of the pain, so that a doctor should be consulted promptly if such a clinical picture is suspected.

Depending on which costal arch or in which spatial relation the pain is localized to the ribs, specific organic diseases can be responsible for the complaints. In addition to the liver and spleen, these include the stomach and pancreas. Furthermore, a medical consultation should be carried out as soon as possible, especially in the case of suddenly occurring symptoms, as this can also be an indication of an acute event at the heart, which may manifest itself as radiating pain.

Pain in the right costal arch

Pain in the right costal arch can have various causes: Pain in the area of the right costal arch may indicate a problem with the gallbladder. In the case of biliary colic, strong, cramp-like pain occurs in the right upper abdomen and thus also in the area of the right costal arch. The cause of biliary colic is, for example, gallstones that obstruct the bile duct.

The bile duct reacts with cramp-like contractions that are intended to expel the stone. An inflammation of the gall bladder (porcelain gall bladder) can also cause such symptoms. The region in the right upper abdomen is usually painful under pressure.

The liver lies directly under the lower right ribs and normally ends a maximum of 1 cm under the right costal arch. It can be palpated there during deep inhalation. Diseases of the liver can manifest themselves by pain in this area, e.g. enlargement of the liver or inflammation of the liver (hepatitis).

With chronic alcohol consumption, a so-called fatty liver develops over time, i.e. the liver stores more fat and thus becomes enlarged. The tension in the organ consequently increases and the organ capsule is put under tension (increased capsule tension). This can manifest itself as pain in the area of the right costal arch and a feeling of fullness.

Inflammatory processes can also lead to a reactive enlargement of the liver and cause similar symptoms. Do you have pain on the right side of the chest? The intestine is distributed throughout the entire abdominal cavity.

The large intestine in particular reaches up to the right costal arch, since it runs in the so-called colonic frame, i.e. it forms a frame from the right lower abdomen via the right upper abdomen to finally the left upper and lower abdomen. Inflammation of the intestine or short-term constipation can also cause pain in the costal arch region. Herpes zoster (shingles) is a viral disease caused by the same virus as chickenpox.

Shingles is characterized by a unilateral skin rash, which is characterized by itching and burning blisters and a distinct reddening of the skin. In its course, the rash follows the course of the nerves along the ribs, as the viruses are located in the nerve plexuses along the spine before they find their way along the nerves. The pain can be very severe.

Shingles can be treated with antiviral drugs. A more harmless cause of pain in the costal arch region is a rib injury caused by an accident or the like. This can cause a contusion of the ribs.

The contusion of the ribs is usually very painful, but is generally considered harmless, as the ribs are not broken. The therapy is based on conservative measures, such as cooling and, if necessary, painkilling medication. In the case of a broken rib, injury to the lungs must always be excluded.

This can quickly be perforated by a bone splinter, which can cause the lung to collapse (pneumothorax). This must be treated surgically. Uncomplicated rib fractures usually heal without surgical therapy and are treated with painkillers.

Muscular causes

Incorrect movement or even sports injuries can lead to pulled muscles, torn muscle fibers between the ribs and irritation of nerves. All of these conditions can manifest themselves as rib and costal arch pain. In most cases, however, these injuries are harmless and heal by themselves. A wrong movement or even sports injuries can lead to pulled muscles, torn muscle fibers between the ribs and irritation of nerves.All of these conditions can manifest themselves as rib and costal arch pain. However, these injuries are usually harmless and heal by themselves.