Hey–thanks for stopping by! My name’s Sarah 👋🏽 and I’m here to spill the tea 🫖 on my wild ride with Slipping Rib Syndrome (SRS)–a rare but overlooked condition that causes rib hypermobility and affects the functioning of organs and nerves.
After a 5-year rollercoaster ride of fighting for answers, I accidentally cracked the code and figured out the issue on my own––leading to a rare surgery that set me on a new path.
Now, I’m on a mission to spread the word 🗣️ and raise awareness about SRS in order to help others avoid similar struggles.
I started Ribs Gone Rogue 🩻 😈 as a space to: Give the lowdown on SRS, talk about my experiences, share advice for all you other displaced gym rats out there, and provide tips for anyone navigating the healthcare maze.
If my story helps one person find the right diagnosis or even just feel seen, then mission succeeded. 🩵
Wanna know more about me and how Ribs Gone Rogue got started? ⤵️
Slipping Rib Syndrome (SRS) occurs when the costal cartilage securing ribs 8, 9, and/or 10 to the sternum, breaks–causing the affected rib(s) to dislocate and move around abnormally.
The tips of the detached rib(s) can slip under or over surrounding ribs, affect functioning of various organs, and impinge on the many nerve networks lining the ribs–resulting in chronic pain, and causing multiple (often seemingly-random) systems of the body to malfunction.
SRS is considered to be extremely rare–SO rare that most medical providers have no idea it even exists. 🤦🏼♀️
HOWEVER–most of us who ARE familiar with the condition, suspect that SRS is actually *not* all that rare–just severely underrecognized and underdiagnosed.
Aside from the lack of knowledge about SRS among the general public and even the medical community–diagnosis is further complicated by the fact that SRS is a complex condition that causes a mixed bag of widespread, nonspecific, and often confusing symptoms. Many patients have no clue their ribs are even the issue, because the pain and symptoms they cause are referred everywhere else. In addition, SRS is easily overlooked on standard imaging like x-rays and CT scans, and these modalities will almost always result in a missed diagnosis.
As a result, patients almost always find themselves in an endless loop of referrals and with a long list of incomplete diagnoses and/or misdiagnoses. Arriving at an accurate diagnosis almost always takes years.
Check out the blog to dive deeper into my story and the world of SRS. ⤵️
Interested in learning more about Slipping Rib Syndrome?
Wondering how to get assessed/diagnosed?
Want to engage with a community of others with SRS?
Struggling to find an informed and qualified doctor with experience in diagnosis & treatment?
I got you!