Conditions we treat
Abdominal wall pain and slipping rib syndrome
For sharp, focused belly or lower chest pain that comes from a trapped nerve or a slipping rib, not from the gut.
Not all belly pain comes from the gut
A nerve trapped in the muscles of the abdominal wall can cause sharp, focused pain that feels like a stomach problem. Patients often go through scopes and scans that come back normal.
Slipping rib syndrome is a close cousin. One of the lower ribs moves more than it should and irritates the nerve beneath it, causing pain at the bottom of the rib cage or upper belly, sometimes with a click or pop.
Abdominal wall pain often travels with problems that keep it going: constipation and straining, tight pelvic floor muscles, and endometriosis or other pelvic pain. Pain in the pelvis can tighten and sensitize the belly wall, and the reverse is true too, so we look at the whole region.
Common reasons patients come to us
- Pain in one spot you can point to with a finger
- Pain that’s worse when tensing the stomach muscles
- Pain under the lower ribs, sometimes with a click or pop
- Pain with twisting, bending, or deep breaths
- Belly wall pain alongside endometriosis or pelvic pain
- Normal scopes, scans, and labs
How we treat it
- Finding the source first, with a focused exam that includes checking pain while you tense your stomach muscles and testing the lower ribs
- Ultrasound-guided abdominal wall and intercostal nerve blocks to confirm the diagnosis and relieve the pain
- Trigger point injections when muscles are involved
- Constipation care, since straining and a backed-up bowel can keep the belly wall irritated
- Coordination with pelvic floor physical therapy and physical therapy
- Coordination with gynecology for endometriosis and pelvic pain, and with GI or surgery when needed, including slipping rib repair
Often travels with
Ready to start?
Book online in a few minutes. No referral needed. We see children, teens, and young adults up to age 30 in Greenville, Charlotte, and by telehealth in SC and NC.