The ribs serve the purpose of protecting; lungs, hearth and liver and more. The ribs articulate posteriorly with the thoracic vertebrae, and most attach anteriorly via their costal cartilages to the sternum , which makes it pretty stable.

When an area is stable, the movement capacity decreases. But the slight movement in the ribs are essential, because it’s necessary for being able to breathe. If one gets injuries around the ribs; which could be a locked(dysfunctioning) rib, bend or broken rib, it hits the breathing capability. And is usually very painful.

It’s also important to have proper breathing, that your ribs are functioning correctly and do not lock in.

If you experience a rib injury, you can’t technically rehabilitate it by training. The reason for this is that that usually injuries pertaining to the ribcage consist of a fracture, or dislocation which causes the rib to be misaligned from the chest or the back. This is not dangerous! But usually calls for one or more treatments with an expert to help the rib realign back in its original place.

A pressed rib will normally recover on its own over time in regards to pain, but that does not necessarily mean that the joint has come back in the correct place. It could be that the surrounding tissue of muscle and tendon have adapted to the “new” malfunctioning position. Therefore, as a rule, you should always se an expert if you want to make sure your ribs are redirected correctly.