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Snapping scapula / slipped rib syndrome
I experienced consecutive injuries that have largely gone undiagnosed for 3 years. I worked construction and was stabilizing a piece of steel in front of my torso with my arms in full extension for way too long. I immediately felt my chest / shoulder on the left side felt tight when i sat next. I went to the gym to "work out the stiffness" and experienced a definitive pop near my shoulder blade, armpit, and spine. From that moment something felt out of place, off, misaligned, like something was pushing my chest wall forward. My left lat was completely missing. I could not see it in the mirror, nor could i activate it properly. I saw every specialist i could think of, was referred to physical therapy 7 times, and eventually sent to a psychiatrist when i started asking for pain medication.
I self diagnosed using a large language model that i had slipping rib syndrome. I saw one of 2 specialists in Denver who treat SRS and sure enough i have bilateral slipping ribs, worst on the left side where 3 of them started "curling in".
I felt vindicated, but after the surgery all my symptoms remained. I still feel like something is pushing my chest wall forward, and no one can offer me the slightest clue of what it could possibly be. Theres a definitive rotation in my spine now from the thoracic region all the way down through my hips. No amount of PT or manual therapy has made a dent and i feel like its getting harder to stand up straight. The spine specialists say its all within the realm of normalcy and shouldn't be causing me problems. The number of times ive heard my sypmtoms dont make any sense has me borderline suicidal. They blame it on everything but the injury ive been trying to explain to them. They are too reliant on their precious images. No one has approached this with the least bit of medical curiosity. My contingency is to drain my bank account at the CU Boulder sports medicine clinic until something breaks. I think its snapping scapula. My anterior spinatus feels like a solid object, that whole left side is a jumbled mess. it feels ive developed nerve damage. I dont know which avenue to persue.
If anyone can offer insight into my mystery injury i'd greatly appreciate it.
Thanks for your time if you read this.
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Very interesting.. I was diagnosed with slipping rib syndrome in 2020 .. the pain in my left side has me run down like a flat battery..in 2014!I was fitted with a Metronic stimulator, it broke down a few times , completely gave up working in 2019 I got 2 strokes out of it
.. and got it removed in 2024 September. I’m still wrecked from the chronic pain in my ribs left side .. I had €50,000 of my own savings trying to get fixed my self .. consultants only interested in money in my opinion..
@anthony29621
Thank you for the reply and im sorry to hear how much SRS has effected you.
I am going to avoid any additional surgeries / treatments until i get a concrete diagnosis. All i can do is strengthen from here.
SRS is unfortunately so rare they dont catch it until its caused a flurry of other symptoms. They say there's not much data online. If thats true, then researching it shouldn't take long.
Hello @owen1145, I'd like to invite @desertoasis and @antonmtz1228 to this discussion as they have both discussed a snapping sensation in their scapula as part of a larger issue and diagnosis.
I'd also like to invite @triplet3 and @9090opopklkl who also discussed being diagnosed with slipped rib syndrome.
@owen1145, it sounds like you have done a great deal of advocating for yourself and continue to seek out possible treatments and additional diagnoses. Your current providers confirmed your slipped rib diagnosis, what are you hoping to get in regards to a concrete diagnosis? Are you able to ask your current provider's for an additional referral to another specialist at a different facility, or is that not an option?