Thoracic Injuries

Patients with thoracic injuries (including injuries involving the ribs and sternum) may present with a variety of symptoms, including but not limited to;

• Sharp and/or stabbing pain
• Dull and/or achy pain
• Unilateral and/or bilateral pain
• Pain on inspiration and/or expiration
• Tightness and/or stiffness and/or restriction

During the patient history and examination, careful consideration should be given to exclude visceral pathology that may present as somatic pain.

Common injuries presenting to a Chiropractor for assessment include;

• Thoracic disc injuries
• Thoracic facet also known as zygapophyseal joint strain
• Costotransverse and/or costovertebral joint strains
• Functional and structural scoliosis management
• Intercostal muscle and connective tissue strains
• Sternocostal joint strains
• Diaphragm tightness
• Neural tissue irritation

Thoracic injury predisposing factors;

• Flexion based lifestyles (upper and lower crossed syndromes)
• Structural development changes (military spine, sway-back spine, kyphoscoliosis spine)
• Bone density (osteoporotic compression fractures commonly seen in the elderly and frail who may present with
• Barrel chested, pectus excavatum and pectus carinatum
• Paradoxical breathing (chest breathing instead of diaphragmatic breathing)