QuestionHello Glen,
I have just a few more questions for you I'm hoping you may be able to answer for me. Thanks again for your advice and suggestions yesterday.
I have talked with my doctor about possible intestinal/stomach issues again. The doctor has scheduled me for a consultation for a colonoscopy and an endoscopy. Can you desribe these processes to me? Do you think intestinal/stomach disorders may be causing my pain, even though I have no problems with food, and or my bowels (although, when I do proceed to remove a bowel on am empty stomach, I feel the pain worsen in my right area, only on a very empty stomach though)I'm quite thin, I'm 5'3 and only 105 lbs, 25 years old. Don't know if that makes any difference or not. I'm just curious is problems with intestines or stomach related can still cause problems without causing the normal bloating, bowel problems, etc. Although, I do notice mild bloating at times. Not totally sure if it's related or not. Also, what organ is directly under the 10th, 11th ribs? I ask because since I've been experiencing this pain, a bulge seems to be under there, which pushes my 10th rib out a little bit. At first, the doctors thought my rib may have come detached, but xrays and an mri proved that theory wrong. Is there an organ, intestines, or a large muscle directly under there that may be swelled which is cause the rib to "protrude" a little?
Do you know anything about accupuncture? I am schedule for an accupuncture appointment today. I still have the massage therapy appointment Monday too. I would love to hear the answers to my questions if you know them. THANK YOU!
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Followup To
Question -
I beleive that I have injured my external abdominal oblique muscle on my right side. I
have been experiencing pain on my right flank for about 6 months now. I feel it on my
lower ribs, on the right side of my belly button, sometimes down near my hip bone,
extending right my lower ribs into my back (just below the hip bone but below the
ribcage) on my back. I have had an MRI done, but everything was normal. However, my
doctor said that injuries such as this do not always show up on an MRI. Is that correct?
Also, how far does the external abdominal oblique muscle extend into the back?
I am wondering why this injury is taking so long to heal. It has been 6-7 months now. Is
that normal? I'm wondering if I keep reinjuring it in some way, but I do not exercise much
at all anymore due to this, I only walk. Sometimes at a moderate to brisk pace though. I
notice the pain is worse when I sit at my desk. Perhaps this is prolonging it from healing?
I also notice the pain increase on an empty stomach while trying to remove a bowel as well.
Since this injury, I've been having severe muscle tightness in my back, on both sides while
I'm sitting, or standing for long periods at a time. I'm unsure how to stop this from happening
and I'm also unsure as to how to heal this injury. The external oblique muscles are in constant
use all the time. And I'm raising my right arm to reach for my headset, telephone, and to type
for work. A few days ago, I moved my telephone and headset to the left side of my desk, but I
am still needing to raise my right hand to use my mouse, and to type. Could this be hurting it
more? What can I do to heal this injury? How much time does it take to normally
heal? Thank you.
AnswerWe're thinking the same about the referral to the GI specialist. The deeper the structure, the more diffuse the pain you'll be getting (generally) and the, well, weirder the pain pattern. (Case in point: heart attacks referring pain to the left shoulder...)
If you look at a picture of the transverse colon (part of the large intestine) at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intestine, you'll see one good example of an organ that comes up close under your ribs. Refer this question to your GI doc. I'm not an expert enough to rule it in, but I also haven't ruled it out from what you've said. Your doctor was paying particular attention to Irritable Bowel Syndrome or various (often autoimmune) illnesses that cause skip lesions along your bowel, but I would think that there are causes that would be independant of presence or absence of food. Some good palpation in the area by skilled fingers would tell a lot, as well as the increased toolbox that your GI specialist would have. (Sorry to be so vague, I'd have to go back to do some review - not an everyday question for me. Maybe one of the other experts here could help?)
And the catchall answer that we seem to be coming up with - a muscle spasm between the ribs could also cause this feeling.
Don't you love musculoskeletal probs?
Let me know how it goes.
--Glenn
