Introduction
A rib blockage occurs as part of a stiffening of the joints between the ribs and the thoracic vertebrae. The main symptom is pain, which is motion-dependent and accordingly restricts the person affected in everyday life. Triggers for a rib blockage are manifold: they range from carrying a heavy bag on one side to incorrect posture when working at a desk or tense back/chest muscles. In the following, you will learn how you can correctly release a rib blockage yourself and which exercises can help you to do so. How you can distinguish a rib blockage from a heart attack and what other symptoms are typical for a blockage can be read in our appropriate article: Rib blockage – causes, symptoms and therapy
What are the options for resolving a rib blockage?
A rib block can only be released mechanically. This means that the blocked, joint-forming parts between the affected rib and the associated vertebra must move back into their correct, original position. However, how this mechanical maneuver is achieved is left to the patient and his therapist.
Most often, a rib blockage will release itself by accidental movement. It is therefore important that those affected are sufficiently covered with painkillers so that they do not assume a relieving posture. Only then can they move freely and a spontaneous “settling” of the affected rib joint is possible.
To achieve freedom from pain more quickly or to have an alternative to painkillers, heat can also be applied. The heat supports the blood circulation of hardened muscles and thus releases the tension around the affected costal joint. As a result, more play of the joint-forming partners is possible and the rib can more easily assume its original position in relation to the vertebral body.
If rib blocks are very persistent, manual adjustment is of course also possible. However, this procedure is more suitable for difficult rib blockages and should not be repeated too often, as it can also injure ligaments or surrounding structures. Manual therapy is one way to release a rib blockage.
The basic principle of this therapy method is that the treatment is carried out by the hands of the therapist. By means of supported movement or pressure and traction, joint partners are mobilized and possible blockages are released. In the case of a rib blockage, manual therapy can therefore include both movement exercises and massages.
It is only important that the musculoskeletal system and its associated structures such as bones or muscles resume their actual position and function by means of physiological movement patterns – whether actively or passively exercised by the person affected. The use of medication is therefore not part of the classic manual therapy, but can be prescribed by a physician as a supporting measure. It is also important to define the term “manual therapy” precisely.
Manual therapy is a branch of classical physiotherapy and includes various techniques such as chiropractic therapy or osteopathy. If a prescription from the family doctor states “manual medicine”, the practitioner is virtually free to choose which technique he considers most effective for the patient. Chiropractic is strictly speaking a manual therapy of the spine.
It is well suited for the solution of a rib blockage, since this type of disease is characterized by a functional disorder between a rib and the corresponding vertebral body. If all vertebrae are in the intended position in relation to each other and the curvatures of the spine are physiological, they form optimal joint partners for the ribs, and a (new) blockage should not normally occur. The name “osteopathy” already reveals that this form of treatment is primarily concerned with bones.
Both the ribs and the vertebral bodies are bones. The aim of osteopathy is to remove the restriction of movement caused by the rib blockage and thus achieve freedom from pain or at least a reduction in pain. This is also achieved in almost all cases when the bony malposition between rib and vertebral body is corrected by means of special grip techniques. The following article explains which diseases can cause rib pain: Rib pain – These are the causes
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