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While rare, sometimes slipping rib syndrome occurs with no known injury or trauma.
![right upper chest discomfort right upper chest discomfort](https://www.calmclinic.com/storage/images/42/qhh40s/main/w1600.png)
Slipping rib syndrome most commonly occurs at the 8th, 9th, or 10th rib.
![right upper chest discomfort right upper chest discomfort](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1G-_FTEkoNw/maxresdefault.jpg)
Also called slipping rib syndrome, a displaced rib can irritate or compress a nearby intercostal nerve, which may cause sharp or electric-like pain to travel along the path of the rib from the spine to the upper abdomen or chest. Watch Spondylosis Video Slipping rib syndromeĪ traumatic injury, such as from a major collision or fall, can potentially displace a rib where it connects to the spine at the costovertebral joints in the upper back. With less space, a spinal nerve may become compressed or inflamed, causing pain to radiate from the spine in the upper back along a rib to the chest. As the spine eventually starts to degenerate with age, one or more intervertebral foramina (bony openings where the spinal nerves exit the spinal canal) may become smaller, called foraminal stenosis. See Upper Back Pain from Intercostal Muscle Strain Thoracic spondylosisĭegeneration in the thoracic spine, also called thoracic spondylosis, can involve thoracic osteoarthritis, thoracic degenerative disc disease, and other wear-and-tear conditions of the thoracic spine. For example, a strain in an intercostal muscle (muscle between adjacent ribs) can cause a band of pain felt along the rib in both the chest and upper back area. It is also possible for a muscle strain in the chest to refer pain to the upper back and vice versa. It is possible for muscles in both the chest and upper back to be strained at the same time, such as from overuse or lifting something that is too heavy. Several muscles in the chest and upper back are used together while performing activities related to the upper body, such as rowing, throwing a ball, lifting weights, painting walls, or washing windows. Some of the more common causes of upper back and chest pain include: Muscle strain