Why Does Breathing Cause Sharp Pain?

Thank you for joining us for today’s livestream where we talked about experiencing sharp pain when breathing in. We’re going to be explaining today the possible reasons as to why this is occurring as it’s something that naturally concerns people. We’ll also explain what can be done to help. Rib joint pain or sharp pain when breathing in usually occurs as a result of those rib joints moving around. It can be a very concerning type of pain, especially if it’s after any kind of physical exertion.

If that’s the case, do make sure you get checked out by your healthcare provider. There’s 3 red dots on the image we show in the video. The rib joints are on the right, the transverse processes are on the left. It’s possible to strain the rib joints or the facet joints. It’s generally very difficult to injure just one structure, so you may end up straining a facet joint as well as having a disc injury. These areas can cause sharp pain when breathing in, as the rib joints will naturally move.

Commonly this is going to cause pain in the back. If it hits a nerve, the pain may shoot around to the front and feel like it’s affecting the chest. If you have a history of lung or heart issues, do make sure to be checked out. You may also experience aching that travels from about the middle of the collarbone, directly down. Even if you’ve got a broken rib, there’s nothing that can be done besides rest at home.

The ribs are required to move so that you can breathe, but that also means healing will be a little slower. Controlling the inflammation is the best you can do by getting some ice on the area would be ideal. Other factors that may be helpful would be trying to maintain good posture, trying not to alter your breathing and trying not to sneeze. Live Q&A near the end of the video.