Help! Is it possible to knock a rib out of place by exercising????

I was running on the treadmill and got a terrible pain in my rib area a week ago and everyday since it still hurts.  I have been very physically active since May 07 so it is not just those out of shape cramps.  It now hurts even on the elliptical and now all the time.  Went to the doc- she acted like I was crazy and they did an ultrasound.  Of course they didn't get back to me but I am sure it has to be with my rib cage.  I can feel it now in my back and up at the top near chest.  I can even see one side sticking out when I look at my lower stomach.  So has anyone else every had something like this happen??  If I rest will it get better or does it need to be popped by a chiro? When I am not running it feels more uncomfortable than painful. 

I have no idea but I can't believe your doctor dismissed you like that.  You should follow-up on those ultrasound results or, better yet, get a second opinion!

They probably arn't going to call you.  Call them back, if they said they found nothing, I'd go to someone new and get an x-ray, since untrasounds are for your insides, right?

I'd go se my chiropractor for this instead, but not everyone has one.  I usually see him for my ailments before my medical doctor, they always seem to mess something up for me =\.  Maybe I just have bad luck.

Did you start running at High speed or low?

Because In the Israeli army physical training they always instruct you to run slow first because if you just start running really fast you shock your muscles and you get these cramps that stay with you almost forever.

The other problem is that I didn't get to see my usual doc.  I get treated at a military treatment facility but they are booked so they sent me downtown.  I can't go back and talk to the doc w/out a referral and I have to know what is wrong to go back.  I asked to go see a chiro but it is not looking good....

 I started running at a low speed first.  I usually warm up for 3-5 minutes and gradually increase my pace and then I run at about 5mph.  So really I am still not going that fast.  It just happend one day out of the blue.  I have been running for weeks and then one day it just hit.  I don't recall injuring myself though....

I did that about two years ago doing standing reverse curls.  My deal was that it dislodged the rib near where it connects to my spine, though the pain radiated all the way around to the front of that same side of my chest.  It didn't hurt when I did it (though I felt it go) but when I woke up the next morning, every breath felt like I was going to DIE.

Of course that was on a Saturday.  I suffered until Monday, then went to the chiropractor.  A couple x-rays and a few loud popping noises later, instant relief.  I had to baby it for a couple days, but it's never happened again.  I'd bet money that's what you have going.

Mine was caused by "snapping" the weight up instead of being fluid in my movement, but my chiro said any number of things can cause it.

Go get cracked.  I'll betcha it helps.  Good luck, take care.  I feel your pain.

Are you sure it's the rib that's damaged and not the muscle on top? Last year I somehow managed to damage the muscle across my ribcage (I have no idea  how - I just woke up one morning with it hurt!) and it was agonisingly painful to take a deep breath and inflate that lung for months. For the first few weeks moving the arm was painful too.

Thank you all for your replies.  I think I probably disloged a rib like pistolpete21 said.  The pain has radiated pretty much all over now.  I started feeling it in my back late Friday or early Saturday and this morning it was my whole chest.  It hurt to breathe or even move.  It may be unrelated but I have been sick to my stomach all day too. That could also be that I'm anxious since I haven't been able to exercise since Friday and that hurt like heck.  I can't sit in a computer chair or anything for very long because it starts to hurt. Got a list of chiro's so plan on calling around tomorrow to get this taken care of. 

Thanks again.