Pain Explained: Chest, Ribs & Tendons

Clear explanations of common pain conditions, grounded in how the body actually moves and heals.

Pain Explained→ 

Lower limb & foot pain→

Conditions affecting the hips, ankles, and feet, often linked to walking, running, and load.

Knee pain→

Common knee conditions related to movement, load, and joint mechanics.

Spine & back pain→

Neck, mid-back, and lower back pain often influenced by posture, lifestyle, and movement habits.

Upper limb & shoulder pain→

Shoulder, elbow, and wrist conditions affecting daily movement, work, and training.

Chest, rib & tendon pain→

Pain around the thoracic region, ribs, and surrounding soft tissue structures.

Head, neck & jaw pain→

Headaches and jaw dysfunction often driven by tension, posture, and joint irritation.

Pain around the mid-back, ribs, or chest may be coming from the rib joints.

These joints connect the ribs to the spine and allow for movement during breathing, posture, and rotation.

Common Symptoms

Rib joint pain can present as:

• Sharp or aching pain in the mid-back or along the ribs
• Pain when taking a deep breath or coughing
• Discomfort with twisting or certain movements
• Tenderness around the rib joints or surrounding muscles

In many cases, pain can feel quite sharp and localised.

Referred Pain & Associated Symptoms

Rib joint pain doesn’t always stay in one place. It can refer into:

• The front of the chest
• The side of the ribs
• Around the shoulder blade

Some people may also experience:

• A feeling of tightness when breathing
• Mild shortness of breath due to discomfort
• Pain that mimics chest-related conditions

Because of this, it’s often mistaken for something more serious.

What It Can Be Mistaken For

Rib joint pain can feel similar to:

• Muscle strains in the chest or upper back
• Intercostal muscle irritation
• Shoulder or upper back issues
• In some cases, symptoms people associate with cardiac or lung-related conditions

This is why proper assessment is important, especially if symptoms are new or unclear.

What’s Happening?

The rib joints connect each rib to the spine and are involved in breathing and upper body movement.

Pain can occur when these joints become:

• Irritated
• Stiff or restricted
• Overloaded through movement or posture

It’s also common to see strain in the surrounding erector spinae muscles, which can tighten in response to protect the area.

Why It Happens

Common contributing factors include:

• Prolonged positions or movement habits that may contribute to stiffness or discomfort
• Repetitive strain or prolonged positions
• Sudden movements (twisting, lifting, coughing)
• Reduced mobility through the thoracic spine

Over time, these factors can place increased stress on the rib joints.

The Bigger Picture

Posture and movement may be contributing factors for some people. A rounded upper back and forward posture can:

• Restrict rib movement
• Increase stiffness through the joints
• Place extra strain on surrounding muscles

This often develops gradually, rather than from a single event.

Severity & Recovery

Rib joint pain can vary in severity.

• Mild cases may settle within days to weeks
• More persistent cases can last longer
• Some presentations may become persistent or recurring.

Appropriate assessment and management may help improve movement and support recovery.

The Right Approach

Effective treatment focuses on:

• Restoring movement through the rib joints and thoracic spine
• Reducing muscle tension in the surrounding tissues
• Improving posture and alignment
• Supporting normal breathing mechanics

This approach aims to reduce symptoms, improve movement and support longer-term management.

Where musculoskeletal factors are contributing to rib or thoracic symptoms, Osteopathic assessment and treatment may be incorporated to address movement, joint and surrounding soft tissue factors where appropriate.

Key Takeaway

Chest and rib pain can have musculoskeletal causes, but new, severe or unexplained chest symptoms should be appropriately assessed to rule out other causes. Where rib joints, muscles or movement are contributing, treatment and rehabilitation may form part of management.

Heal. Move. Thrive.

Pain around a joint, especially with movement, lifting, or pressure, may involve tendinopathy, bursitis, or a combination of both. These conditions often occur together and can be difficult to separate without proper assessment.

Common Symptoms

Tendinopathy and bursitis can present as:

• Localised pain around a joint
• Pain with movement or activity
• Tenderness when pressing the area
• Stiffness, especially after rest
• Pain when lying on the affected side (common in shoulder or hip)

Symptoms can vary depending on the location and severity.

What’s the Difference?

• Tendinopathy involves irritation or overload of a tendon (the structure that connects muscle to bone)
• Bursitis involves inflammation of a bursa, a small fluid-filled sac that reduces friction between tissues

Because they sit close together, both can become irritated at the same time.

What’s Happening

These conditions may be associated with changes in activity, repetitive loading or demands that exceed the tissue’s current capacity. This can come from:

• Increased activity or training load
• Repetitive movements
• Muscle imbalance or weakness
• Prolonged positions

Over time, tissues can become sensitive when demand exceeds their capacity.

The Bigger Picture

It’s rarely just about the local area. Other contributing factors may include:

• Muscle tightness or weakness
• Joint mobility restrictions
• Alignment and posture

For example, in the shoulder:

• Tendon strain can be influenced by scapular control
• Spinal positioning can affect how the shoulder moves and loads

These factors may influence how load is distributed through the joint, tendon and surrounding tissues.

Load vs Rest

Rest alone is not always the answer. Tendons respond best to gradual, controlled loading, while bursitis often improves when excess friction and pressure are reduced. A balanced approach is key.

For people returning to exercise or training, Osteopathic sports injury rehabilitation may help progressively manage load, strength and return to activity.

Exercise rehabilitation may form an important part of progressively rebuilding strength, control and tolerance to load.

The Right Approach

Effective treatment focuses on:

• Reducing irritation and unnecessary strain
• Restoring joint movement
• Improving muscle strength and control
• Addressing alignment and movement patterns

This approach aims to improve the area’s capacity to tolerate load and support longer-term recovery.

Where appropriate, kinesiology taping may also be incorporated as a temporary adjunct during movement, activity or rehabilitation.

Recovery Expectations

Recovery depends on the severity and how long symptoms have been present.

• Mild cases may improve within weeks
• More persistent cases can take longer

With the right plan, progress is very achievable.

Key Takeaway

Symptoms may be influenced by more than one structure or contributing factor. Managing load, movement and progressive rehabilitation can help support recovery.

Heal. Move. Thrive.

Understanding what may be contributing to your symptoms is an important first step towards deciding what to do next.

At Corrective Pain Relief, we take a personalised approach, considering your symptoms, movement, activity and individual presentation to help identify contributing factors and guide appropriate treatment, rehabilitation or referral where needed.

Get a personalised assessment and take the next step towards moving and feeling better.