01/11/2026
I certainly hope not! We can adjust ribs, in fact, we likely get ribs adjusted when we don’t intend to during a thoracic adjustment. Why? Well, the posterior rib connection to the spine is through 2 joints. The costovertebral joint and the costotransverse joint.
The rib joints can get “stuck“ or I prefer the term “restricted” in one or more of its ranges of motion. A rib moves through elevation, depression, and rotation forward or backwards. To read more about rib motion and correction read our recent blog post on this topic.
A rib can be dislocated if there is significant trauma. Think a fall landing on something with pressure on the thorax, sternum, a punch, a car accident, etc… So a rib can be “out” but that is a dislocation and not something that I can just put back. So when someone presents and says their rib is out, the questions around trauma need to be addressed to make sure there is no “rib dislocation”. When we adjust a rib, the amount of movement is very small and within the anatomical limits of the joint. Think a few millimeters of motion not centimeters.
Are you in need of care? Call 905-529-2911 or click the link in bio to book an appointment.
