Rib pain is not always caused by a rib injury. There are also a number of disorders that trigger rib discomfort, which means it can sometimes be tough to figure out the source of the problem. In this article, we'll cover some that are obvious, but we'll also endeavor to describe some rib pain causes that are not widely known to the general public.

First on the list will be rib pain from a rib injury.

Fractured (Broken) or Cracked Ribs - When you have this type of rib injury, you generally know it because the pain is extremely sharp and severe. Those who have had a cracked or broken rib are likely to say the pain is worse than any other injury they've ever experienced. When a rib cracks or breaks, it's usually the result of an auto accident, a fall, or a blow to the body during athletic competition. Painful breathing is a typical symptom. The area around the injury will be sore and sensitive to pressure, and any movement of the torso is likely to produce discomfort.

Cartilage Injury - The soft tissue that connects your breastbone to your ribs is called cartilage. Besides facilitating the expansion and contraction of your chest during breathing, it also gives your ribcage the flexibility to absorb a certain amount of force from a blow. When this cartilage is damaged, it will feel like a rib injury. Cartilage damage in your chest will cause pain when you're breathing, laughing or coughing.

Soft Tissue Damage - Dozens of muscles, tendons and ligaments surround your ribcage like latticework. All of these can suffer damage in a variety of ways: you may try to lift, push or pull something that's too heavy for you. You can also hurt yourself performing the same muscular task or repeating the same motion for an extended period of time (known as a repetitive motion injury). The resulting pain can easily be mistaken for rib pain or rib damage.

Bone and joint disorders can also be a cause of rib pain. Some of the more common include the following.

Joint inflammation - The older we get, more likely it becomes that we'll experience joint inflammation in any number of places. When joints near the ribs become inflamed, the pain can feel like it's happening in your ribcage. Many people are prone to two conditions in particular.

Osteoarthritis - Osteoarthritis occurs when joints wear out, causing irritation and inflammation. It sometimes affects the areas which connect the backbone and breastbone to the ribs, resulting in ribcage pain.

Rheumatoid Arthritis - This is a disorder in which your immune system attacks itself, causing pain in the joints. When this happens in joints and connections around the ribs, it causes pain in the ribs.

Rib pain can also be a symptom of a number of disorders, including those that follow.

Pleurisy - The lining between the lungs and the ribcage is known as the pleura.

Pneumonia - Generalized rib pain and discomfort in the chest area is one of the symptoms of pneumonia. Anything that involves movement in the upper torso can be painful, especially laughing, coughing or sneezing.

Tuberculosis - Rib pain is also characteristic of tuberculosis (commonly known as "TB"). Fatigue, fever and coughing are among the other symptoms.

A variety of cancers can produce discomfort and pain in the ribcage area (both in the front and back). Lung cancer and multiple myeloma are at the top of this list. Approximately 80 percent of myeloma patients report ribcage pain as one of their symptoms.

Rib pain is often a symptom in several lung diseases related to smoking or long term exposure to pollutants. Mesothelioma and asbestosis lead the list in this category.

A number of medical diseases that cause ribcage pain fall into the "miscellaneous" category.

• Gallbladder problems, especially a gallbladder attack or gallstones

• Spinal or other nerve-related injuries and disorders. Shingles is ia disease which often starts with acute pain in the ribcage area before erupting into an extremely uncomfortable rash.

• Individuals who abuse steroids often experience rib pain after long term use.

• People who are under a great deal of stress are more prone to rib pain because they often take deep, heavy breaths. This type of breathing may strain the network of muscles around the ribs..

Finally, chest pain from heart problems (known to doctors as "angina") may be mistaken for rib pain. Angina, of course, is characteristic sign of heart disease.

Clearly, there are many, many different kinds of conditions and injuries that result in rin pain. Some are relatively minor and require little or no treatment - the pain simply goes away with time. Others are very dangerous.

Rib pain that continues for more than a few days, or is growing more intense, probably merits a call to your doctor.