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Rib cage tightness: Not sure what it might be
Digestive Health | Last Active: May 5 11:19am | Replies (95)Comment receiving replies
it is indeed nearly impossible to explain the feeling and not being pain, people don't understand that it can be just as debilitating. my quality of life is very low right now. this has been happening for me for a little less than a year, but that's long enough! i understand there is not a definitive test for MS. do you know of one besides all the diagnostic testing to rule everything else out. i don't choose to go that route.
your statement, "it might be due to tight fascia in the rib cage area or maybe something to do with my diaphragm." is what rings true for me as well. i think it's my intuition and i'm trying to listen to that. i have a chronic case of post nasal drip for over 10 years which causes me to cough a lot, sometimes hard in the mornings b/c it gets stuck in my throat. i feel the muscles that are already tight, tensing considerably when i have to do that. it's every morning. groundhog day! it's another relentless symptom of something, i know not what. so i think i strained my diaphragm or rib cage or fascia....just as you said. and i can't wait to go to bed at night, as that is my only complete relief. sitting is better than walking, but still obvious. yes, please let me know what you find as you explore. i will do the same. thank you for your thoughtful reply.
Replies to "it is indeed nearly impossible to explain the feeling and not being pain, people don't understand..."
How are you now? I feel like we have the same symptoms! I also have hiatal hernia with neck and thoracic disk herniations and disk degenerative disk disease which I believe could contribute to it. I’ve also had the MALS surgery which has not help. I’m trying myofascial release on my thoracic and not my diaphragm and so feel like it’s helping since the nerves from the thoracic run to the front of ribs. I do have some anxiety which I want to give medication a try just to help me relax with stuff I have no control over. Hope you have found more answers since you last posted. I’ve also have been living with this for 6 years and it got better but now struggling with air hunger and dizziness. Some things get better but others get worse.
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I do not know much about testing for MS. I only know that the Neurologist that I went to said to me that if I had MS I would definitely know it. I imagine he meant that after having this condition for such a long time already, I would be dealing with other symptoms as well, so I can pretty well eliminate that.
This was about two years ago, by the way, so I'd already had this condition for two or more years at that time. He also went by the results of a blood test and checked my reflexes and that's all I remember about that. I have other medical conditions but nothing that would suggest MS other than this extreme tightness.
I do think that you should have this possibility eliminated if possible. However, like you, I think we often intuit correctly what's wrong with us.
I find the Internet a useful tool when looking up conditions and their symptoms. If I was you, I would look up everything you can find on MS, see if any other symptoms listed apply to you as well, and look up all other conditions that might apply.
Also, please feel free to contact me any time you want. In fact, it's good to have some support from other people who are going through the same thing.