can a knot in your mid back area cause referral pain to lower front ribs? lot of aches on the side I carry my son.
Discussion
My wife had all sorts of leg and back issues when our kids were young.
Chat GPT Yes, a muscle knot (trigger point) in your mid-back can cause pain in your ribs. The muscles in your upper and mid-back, particularly the rhomboids, trapezius, and erector spinae, can develop tight knots that refer pain to nearby areas, including the ribs. This is because muscles and nerves in the back are interconnected, and tension or dysfunction in one area can cause pain to radiate to another.
Common causes of mid-back knots that refer pain to the ribs include:
• Poor posture (e.g., hunching over a desk or phone)
• Muscle strain from lifting or twisting
• Stress and tension leading to muscle tightness
• Lack of movement or prolonged sitting
• Underlying spinal issues (e.g., misalignment or nerve compression)
If you’re experiencing this kind of pain, some things that may help include:
• Foam rolling or massage to release tight muscles
• Stretching (e.g., thoracic spine extensions, doorway stretches)
• Heat or ice therapy to relax the muscles
• Good posture support while sitting or standing
• Strengthening exercises for back and core muscles
If the pain persists, worsens, or is accompanied by other symptoms like difficulty breathing, it’s worth checking with a doctor to rule out other causes.
Yes
I’m a massage therapist and yes that makes sense. Look at the human skeleton, the ribs make up the entire back beneath all that muscle. There aren’t “back bones” it’s all spine and ribs that make up the thoracic region. The body is 3d, there’s a clear relationship between the front and back. I work the rib cage/diaphragm and pelvic floor a lot in my practice for this very reason. Find yourself a good massage therapist and they should be able to help.
For self care, try foam rolling on your rib/lats. Lay down twists are great too. Also consider doing a “gut smash” with a softball or even basketball sized ball. Your gut holds more tension than you think especially for women who’ve been pregnant and sewn back together without any kind of rehabilitation PT for their core and hips.
wife used those wraps and front/back packs for our 3 🤙🏽
in theory, yes 🤝