Sharp, band-like pain along the ribs that flares with a breath. Once serious causes are ruled out, acupuncture calms the irritated nerve.
Intercostal neuralgia is nerve pain that follows the path of the nerves running between the ribs. It brings sharp, sometimes band-like pain around the chest or ribcage that can flare with breathing, twisting or pressure.
Once a doctor has ruled out cardiac and other serious causes, acupuncture is a gentle, effective option to calm the irritated nerve and the tight muscles around the ribs.
If any of these sound like your experience, acupuncture is worth a conversation. This isn't a diagnosis, your first visit is.
Three layers at once, local, segmental, and central, chosen for what your body is asking for.
Every patient gets the same unhurried four-beat rhythm, the first visit includes a complimentary consultation.
Among diseases presenting with chest pain, intercostal neuralgia is characterized by sharp, paroxysmal pain that follows the distribution of the intercostal nerves. It typically involves tenderness in the anterior cutaneous branch of the intercostal nerve, located at the sternum and along the inner edge of the rectus abdominis muscle. This condition presents as a band-like pain on one side of the chest, often accompanied by sensory abnormalities such as numbness and tingling in the same area. It is more common in women, especially affecting the left 5th to 9th intercostal nerves. Deep breathing, coughing, and other movements of the rib cage can trigger pain episodes, so it is essential to differentiate this condition from diseases affecting the muscles, fascia, and pleura.
In traditional Korean medicine, treatment involves IntraMuscular Electro Acupuncture Stimulation Treatment (IMEAST), which helps relieve pressure on the affected nerves by targeting the muscles around them and quickly eliminating any metabolic waste within the muscles.
Real outcomes from our practice, shared with consent and lightly anonymized. Individual results vary, your first visit maps what's realistic for you.
The patient experienced pain in her right side while breathing, starting three days prior. The pain was localized between the ribs, and after diagnosing intercostal neuralgia, IMEAST treatment was initiated. After the first treatment, the pain was reduced by about 40%. The second treatment was performed three days later, after which the patient reported no pain. The treatment was then concluded.
These accounts describe individual experiences and are not a guarantee of results. Acupuncture is one part of a personalized plan.
Same-day appointments are often available. Direct billing to most extended health plans, ICBC and MSP.
