Re: Rib cage pain and RA outside the joints

[Guest guest]

I couldn't understand the first time I had severe pain in my sternum. I knew

it wasn't a joint, so why would it hurt? I saw my Rheumy soon after that,

and it turns out that it is a joint! Of course, at my age, I could pinpoint

the pain to know it wasn't my heart. I can see how frightening it can be for

a 6 year-old to complain about, " my heart hurts " . I don't know about that

'pain management'.

Bluenightsleep, I always had pain and swelling everywhere except in my

joints. Even now, I don't have much deformity of joints, but still a lot of

pain and swelling in areas not normally associated with RA. My Rheumy was a

teaching professor at the University of Texas Health Center and I had

opportunities to 'teach' my version of RA to the students so they know it

can exist outside the joints.

Dennis

Re: [ ] Rib cage pain to Lori From Missy

> Lori,

>

> My six year old has had rib cage pain before. Being only six she

> kept on saying her " heart " hurt. Which of course scared me to death.

> Took her for a chest X-ray to rule out pneumonia, or a broken rib or

> something, and they said she now has arthritis in her ribs. Stupid me, I

> never realized that ribs are all joints.

>

> Missy

>

> Lori Maynard <lorimaynard@...> wrote:

> My 12yod is experiencing a bad flare right now and it seems to

> have started

> in her rib cage. It really hurts her when she takes a deep breath. Right

> now her rib cage, back, neck, feet, knees and hands are really hurting her

> and she is fatigued. This seems like a regular RA flare to me and with the

> oppressively humid weather and rain we've been having all weekend, I can

> understand where it came from.

>

> We see the rheumatologist tomorrow morning, but I was wondering if any of

> you get bad rib cage/chest pain with your RA and what kinds of things you

> do

> to manage that pain.

>

> Thanks.

>

> Lori