What the FAQ? What the Hell Is Slipped Rib Syndrome and How Do I Know If I Have It?
You asked. We're trying to answer with credible answers.
We get lots of questions and this one is good one. We promise to research and provide credible responses as best we can. So as we’re trying to answer this one, know it’s as sticky as your ribs. But reminder and disclaimer, we are not doctors and even doctors don’t know what to do on this one.
Q: So... what exactly is Slipped Rib Syndrome (SRS)? Sounds sketchy.
A:
Slipped Rib Syndrome (SRS) is when one of your lower ribs — usually ribs 8, 9, or 10, called the "false ribs" — slips out of its normal position because of weakened or torn ligaments that normally anchor it to your spine or sternum.
Translation: your rib goes rogue and moves more than it’s supposed to, irritating the surrounding nerves and soft tissue. Cue sharp stabbing pain, popping sensations, and pure rage. And it can stay mad for a long time until you get it back in line.
Medical nerd definition? It's called costal margin syndrome or slipping rib syndrome in the literature. It's a form of rib hypermobility. Some sources even lump it under hypermobility-related disorders.
Q: How would I even know if I have it?
A:
Here’s your shady checklist:
Sharp, stabbing, or "catching" pain in the lower ribs, often worse with deep breaths, bending, twisting, coughing, or laughing.
Popping or clicking feeling when you move — sometimes you can feel or even hear the rib moving.
Localized tenderness along the rib margin — push on it, and BAM, it hurts.
Pain relief when you press on the rib or hold it steady (some patients instinctively push on the area to stop the pain).
Pain that radiates into your abdomen, chest, or back, sometimes getting misdiagnosed as gallbladder, cardiac, or GI problems.
No So Fun Fact: Up to 50% of SRS patients get misdiagnosed with everything BUT a slipped rib first.
[Source: Harrison, M. J. G. (2009).]
Q: Can I test for it myself at home?
A:
Sorta, but don’t sue us — seriously, see a doctor.
There’s a "hooking maneuver" that trained physicians use:
The doctor hooks their fingers under your ribcage and gently pulls up and forward. If it recreates your pain (and you swear at them), that’s a pretty strong clinical clue.
[Here’s a deep dive into that]We’ve seen online some hEDS patients see relief with a twisting motion described here.
Important: This isn't something that always shows up on an X-ray or MRI! It’s often diagnosed based on clinical exam + history, not fancy imaging.
Q: Who's at risk for this nonsense?
A:
Oh, just lucky folks like:
Hypermobility patients (Hello, Ehlers-Danlos fam — this one's for you!)
People with any type of connective tissue disorder
Athletes or dancers who hyperextend or twist a lot
Anyone after trauma like a bad fall, accident, or even... an epic sneeze
[Source: Foley, et al 2019]
Exercises to consider:
Trunk rotation stretch: Lie on your side, top leg bent, and top arm reaching towards the floor to open the chest.
Thoracic and pec mobility: Side-lying with knees stacked, arm overhead, working towards the ground.
Half cobra stretch: On your stomach, elbows on the floor, lift up on your elbows to stretch the spine.
Active stretch 6: Kneeling, stretch one leg to the side, incline the trunk, reach with arms.
Seated rib release exercise: Sit with feet flat, rotate towards one side, feel the ribs stretch.
Rib rotation stretch: Sit, reach across the body with one arm, use the other to pull the elbow further into the stretch.
Lunge matrix: Lunge forward, raise arms overhead, laterally flex trunk towards front leg, then lunge diagonally.
Gentle Breathing Exercises: Focus on gentle breaths, allowing the ribs to expand and contract with each inhale and exhale.
Q: Can it be treated, or am I doomed to pop like Rice Krispies forever?
A: Good news: There are options beyond the suggested exercises above for home release:
Physical therapy focused on core strength and stability to prevent repeat offenders
Jeannie Di Bon EDS expert physio shared this video to guide hypermobile people with SRS release
Rib blocks — nerve-numbing injections to kill the pain temporarily
Prolotherapy or PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections to try to tighten up the sloppy connective tissue
Surgical rib stabilization (resection or fixation) — when conservative stuff fails and you’re still feeling like a broken shopping cart
Reminder: Not all doctors even know SRS exists, so you may have to educate your provider or seek a specialist familiar with it.
[More on surgical outcomes]Tidbit: A fellow EDSer shared this resource if it’s helpful on a doctor treating this as his specialty (we have no knowledge on if this is appropriate treatment or not- so pursue with caution).
Bottom Line:
If you feel like your ribs are pulling stunts behind your back (literally), you're not crazy — and you're not alone. Slipped Rib Syndrome is real, painful, and totally underdiagnosed.
Find a doctor who knows hypermobility, understands SRS, and will believe you when you say you feel like a bag of marbles being shaken around. Good luck getting unstuck in all the places we do. Keep the FAQs coming.