Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

rib out of place

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • rib out of place

    Hi everyone,

    I'm new to the site.

    I've just been referred to SCSF spine center for treatment. It looks as though I'm a candidate for fusion.

    Scoliosis didn't bother me for many, many years. I stopped getting it checked because it seemed like a waste of resources. The last xray I had was in 1986.

    When I started to get pain, I was very stoic. I thought I could handle it myself and reach recovery through acupuncture and yoga...if I could just stretch this muscle here, move my shoulder back like this...I wasn't until I was desperate enough to see a chiropractor that I found out the extent of my problem. He was the one who found I have a rib that came out of place. We've been popping it back in every three weeks, but it doesn't stay. It seems like the ligament has given way and there's nothing holding it to the spine anymore.

    This rib is the one on the apex of my T4 curve. I imagine mechanical stress caused it to come loose.

    Has anyone else had this? This rib is colliding with other ribs, and pushing my scapula around. The scapula pushes my clavicle around, and my neck is certainly sore from all off this pushing. My dominant, right hand/arm is becoming more and more useless.

    I have to be careful about OTC pain meds, I had to use them when I had an industrial injury and my left femur was pulled out of the hip socket. After awhile I had developed sensitivites to them. I can take acetiminophen, but carefully becasue of the liver damage it can cause. I can take asprin, but try to stay away because of the stomach problems. I think my scoliosis has ruined my digestion besides. I take homeopathic remedies and get relief, but that's not going to fix my rib.

    What can I expect when I get in at UCSF? Fusion surgery? Or will they take my rib? Both?

    What craziness!

    Anna Hallquist

  • #2
    Welcome Anna

    Hi Anna,
    I know what it's like to be new here. And what you are wondering about is a very scary situation. It is and/or was for all of us here. I can't answer your question, but I can say with some degree a certainty, you'll find someone here that can.

    Don't be afraid to ask questions. Questions can lead to answers. And NO question is stupid!!!

    Welcome again,
    Shari

    Comment


    • #3
      Hi Anna. My name is Mandy and I am 18 years old. I had fusion on Feb. 1 2005. I think depending on the degree of curve they would consider a fusion surgery. Also if you have had much documented progression (since you are older than 18 the insurance companies usually require the progression to be documented by x rays or the such). Do you know what your curves were the last time you were measured?
      I think it is common to have a rib out of place. I go to my chiropractor once a week for an adjustment and he also makes sure that my ribs are aligned. When they decide to take from the ribs is when you have a big rib hump or lots of rotation involved with the scoliosis. With my surgery the doctor cut 4 or 5 ribs (i dont remember exactly which one) and took about 1 mm from each section in order to lessen my rib hump. It was good this way because he didnt need to take bone graft from my illiac crest to use in the fusion he just used what he was taking already from the ribs.
      The earlier you seek treatment from an orthopedist the better because with time your bones begin to fuse on their own and you get less correction. I think depending on the severity of your curves (I dont know what your measurements are) and your history with pain surgery might be an option. Def. talk to your surgeon at UCSF and discuss all options to see which one is right for you.
      I hope you find some answers. I know it can be hard to wait. Good luck in your journey ahead.
      Mandy

      Comment


      • #4
        Thanks everyone!

        Thanks everyone!

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by CurvySAT05
          Hi Anna. My name is Mandy and I am 18 years old. I had fusion on Feb. 1 2005. I think depending on the degree of curve they would consider a fusion surgery. Also if you have had much documented progression (since you are older than 18 the insurance companies usually require the progression to be documented by x rays or the such). Do you know what your curves were the last time you were measured?
          I think it is common to have a rib out of place. I go to my chiropractor once a week for an adjustment and he also makes sure that my ribs are aligned. When they decide to take from the ribs is when you have a big rib hump or lots of rotation involved with the scoliosis. With my surgery the doctor cut 4 or 5 ribs (i dont remember exactly which one) and took about 1 mm from each section in order to lessen my rib hump. It was good this way because he didnt need to take bone graft from my illiac crest to use in the fusion he just used what he was taking already from the ribs.
          The earlier you seek treatment from an orthopedist the better because with time your bones begin to fuse on their own and you get less correction. I think depending on the severity of your curves (I dont know what your measurements are) and your history with pain surgery might be an option. Def. talk to your surgeon at UCSF and discuss all options to see which one is right for you.
          I hope you find some answers. I know it can be hard to wait. Good luck in your journey ahead.
          Mandy
          Mandy...

          Do you still see a chiropractor (since your surgery)? And, if so, does s/he adjust within the fusion area?

          --Linda
          Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
          ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
          Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

          Comment


          • #6
            I do still see my chiropractor once a week. He does not adjust the fusion area (because there is nothing to adjust, or would be really scary if it did). He is able to adjust above and below (usually my cervical vertebra and sometimes lower lumbar. I have issues with inflammation post-op so it is harder to get any movement back in my lumbar spine (fused to L2). He also stretches my hamstrings, illiotibial tract, and others in order to keep some range of motion in my lumbar area. Hopefully once I am farther post op it will start moving better. I carry lots of stress in my shoulders and neck which gives me headaches. I have had migranes since my latest surgery, i dont know what it is related to, but they got worse once i went back to school. They put me on Florinal for the migranes and it works wonders. I am beginning to track when I get the headaches so I know what they are brought on by or when they start.
            Mandy

            Comment


            • #7
              Can't guess what will happen with my rib...

              You can believe me when I say it's painful! I can't even talk about how painful it is. I have no control over it anymore.

              My last scoliosis exam took place in 1986. It was found then that I had a 32 degree curve at T4, heading to the right side. Before that it was examined in 1982 and found to be 19 degrees. I have no recent xrays, I imagine UCSF will get some taken.

              I'm nearly certain I was told years ago when I sprained an ankle, that ligaments cannot be reattached. My family practitioner and chiropractor both feel that the #4 right rib is no longer attached to the spine at the T4/rib ligament.

              The scoliosis isn't hurting as much as the rib, so I'm more concerned about the rib. Ribs can become hooked around each other, poke you in the lung or liver, so something has to be done. And since, it's assumed, the rib ligament gave way because of the stress on the scoliosis curve, I'm to see doctors at the spinal deformity center at UCSF. There is danger that other rib ligaments can break. It's like a pile of 'pickup sticks.' Turns are taken pulling sticks out of a well formed pile, until the unlucky person who removes the one that makes the pile fall down.

              I guess what I'm wanting to find out is, what will happen to the rib during the fusion? Ribs need to 'float,' don't they?

              Anna Hallquist

              Comment


              • #8
                headaches/chiropractic

                Originally posted by CurvySAT05
                I do still see my chiropractor once a week. neck which gives me headaches. I have had migranes since my latest surgery, i dont know what it is related to, but they got worse once i went back to school. They put me on Florinal for the migranes and it works wonders. I am beginning to track when I get the headaches so I know what they are brought on by or when they start.
                Mandy
                YOU CAN GET HEADACHES IF YOUR CHIRO TWISTS/POPS YOUR NECK!
                Your neck is now more vulnerable after the fusion--DON'T let him do it!!!!

                See if it goes away. If not see a neurologist.

                Here is more info:

                Answers to Questions about Chiropractic:
                How Dangerous Are Frequent Neck Manipulations?
                Samuel Homola, D.C.
                Question
                I read your article about chiropractic subluxation theory at the Medscape web site. I have been receiving deep tissue massage from a licensed chiropractor/massage therapist who also has a degree in sports nutrition. She attended the Los Angeles Chiropractic College and seems conservative in her approach overall. She also refers patients to me for nutrition counseling, acknowledging that nutrition is not her specialty.

                My question for you regards her adjusting my neck twice per month. I provide individual nutrition counseling in a setting where I sit for 8 hours or more, 2 days per week. Because of this, I have chronic muscle tension in my shoulders, upper back, and neck regions. At the end of my 1-hour massage twice per month, she adjusts my neck with me laying on my back. She starts at the base of my neck for the adjustment, so I do not believe she is adjusting at the top of my cervical column. Typically only one side of my neck will "crack," and she does not force the other side if it does not pop right away. I do suffer from menstrual migraines 1-2 times per month, and I take Imitrex and Midrin for pain control. I have received an adjustment from her in the past while on the medication for a migraine, and it always makes me nervous about the risk of stroke.

                Is it dangerous for me to continue having her neck adjustments twice per month after massage; and is it dangerous for me to have them while on Imitrex? I also suffer from sciatica, and her deep tissue massages in my lower back area (long with daily exercise and stretching) have enabled me to not take any medications for pain control.

                Answer
                Whereas anecdotal evidence and studies of the literature indicate that cervical manipulation may be effective in relieving tension headache, a 1998 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that neck manipulation "does not seem to have a positive effect on episodic tension-type headache."

                Because of the risk of cervical manipulation damaging neck arteries to cause a stroke, it might be safer to rely upon massage and neck traction to relieve your headache. Since Imitrex and Midrin tend to raise blood pressure, I would not recommend the use of neck manipulation in combination with these drugs.

                I certainly would not recommend regular, routine use of neck manipulation as a preventive measure. Forced rotation of the head past 50 degrees tends to place a strain on the vertebral arteries at the atlas-axis level and may damage weak blood vessels, which would be especially hazardous while taking drugs that affect vascular structures.

                The pop you hear and feel when your neck is adjusted does not mean that you have misaligned vertebrae; it is simply cavitation produced when joint surfaces are forcefully separated to cause a vacuum that pulls in nitrogen gas to fill the space. This is similar to what happens when people "crack" their knuckles.

                While stroke caused by neck manipulation is uncommon, the problem is serious enough to be a valid cause for concern. Neck manipulation should be done only when specifically indicated and absolutely necessary -- and only then with informed consent. Quackwatch has a detailed article on this topic.

                _________________

                Dr. Homola is a second-generation chiropractor who has dedicated himself to defining the proper limits on chiropractic and to educating consumers and professionals about the field. His 1963 book Bonesetting, Chiropractic, and Cultism supported the appropriate use of spinal manipulation but renounced chiropractic dogma. His 1999 book Inside Chiropractic: A Patient's Guide provides an incisive look at chiropractic's history, benefits, and shortcomings. Now retired after 43 years of practice, he lives in Panama City, Florida.

                This page was posted on February 22, 2002.
                Last edited by Karen Ocker; 01-29-2006, 12:03 PM.
                Original scoliosis surgery 1956 T-4 to L-2 ~100 degree thoracic (triple)curves at age 14. NO hardware-lost correction.
                Anterior/posterior revision T-4 to Sacrum in 2002, age 60, by Dr. Boachie-Adjei @Hospital for Special Surgery, NY = 50% correction

                Comment


                • #9
                  If I only received the headaches after manipulation I would worry, but I get headaches daily to the point where I have to take medication for it 2 or 3 times in a day. I have only gotten the headaches since the surgery. Getting my neck adjusted along with massage and traction helps to keep the headaches manageable for a couple days. I am not worried about weak blood vessels along C1-C2 because I am only 18 and up until my surgeries have been very active. He does not force my neck to do anything, stops if there is pain or if it wont adjust. I see my surgeon on Friday and am going to discuss the headaches in more detail with him then because he didnt think much of them when I was only 2 weeks post op. I hope that they start getting better because they are beginning to rule my life. I get upset when it gets in the way of my classes and school work. Other than the headaches my surgery has been smooth sailing.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Hello everyone,

                    I am the one with the rib out of place.

                    I have no complaint with my neck, headaches, nor have I had fusion yet.

                    Perhaps those that have should post a new thread, because all these replies to my thread, that apparrently don't address my concerns, are confusing to me, as they must be to others.

                    Comment

                    Working...
                    X