Back/side/rib soreness

slyguy1

I am 50. I have always had back soreness... going back over 25 years. Sitting at a desk a long time, etc. Over the last 10 months, I have developed a discomfort on back, left side. It is basically a sore spot when pressed a couple inches left of spine about mid back, and sore along bottom few ribs toward side. If I press on those spots I can feel soreness. Otherwise the only time I feel anything at all is when I move in specific ways, sit for a long period of time or sleep on my left side. Rotate trunk 90 deg left or right. Raise left arm and left shoulder to lean right. Other than that I don't feel it at all. It does not seem to have gotten much worse over that time.

I have been trying to figure out what I did this year that may have caused this. I have been physically active. I have done a lot of outdoor work with lifting heavy fence posts... a bunch of moving heavy boxes, etc. I have also been working 100% at home and sitting at a desk all day. With one laptop that I use 50x/day positioned to my left, where I was always leaning my left side and lower rib on the arm of the chair. I changed chairs two months ago and no longer lean on chair arm, but no change. From a lot of reading it seems I have symptoms of slipped rib syndrome... and possibly an issue at the rib/spine joint.

My primary Dr did a kidney ultrasound and chest x-ray and all were normal... and is sending me to a physical therapist. I am thinking I want to see an orthopedic first... to see if I need any other test... I did not see a whole lot of rib pain threads on here... just looking for any feedback from anyone else who has had a similar issue.

Thanks!