prompt: I have been having this constant pain on my right side for the past few months. Initially, it was around my rib cage area but now, it has spread to my back as well. Sometimes, it even travels down towards my hips. I am not sure if it's muscular or skeletal. The intensity varies throughout the day. During the mornings, it's bearable but later in the evening, it becomes really unbearable. I take some painkillers to manage the discomfort but they don't seem to help much. I also tried going to a physiotherapist but he didn't find anything wrong with my muscles. What could be causing this?
chosen.role: system
chosen.content: A chat.
chosen.role: user
chosen.content: I have been having this constant pain on my right side for the past few months. Initially, it was around my rib cage area but now, it has spread to my back as well. Sometimes, it even travels down towards my hips. I am not sure if it's muscular or skeletal. The intensity varies throughout the day. During the mornings, it's bearable but later in the evening, it becomes really unbearable. I take some painkillers to manage the discomfort but they don't seem to help much. I also tried going to a physiotherapist but he didn't find anything wrong with my muscles. What could be causing this?
chosen.role: assistant
chosen.content: Step 1: Self-Diagnosis
  To start off, try to figure out whether the pain is muscular or skeletal. To do that, think about the location of the pain. If it's more towards the ribs, then it's probably muscular because bones don't ache that way. However, if the pain radiates to your back and hips, it might be skeletal.
  Step 2: Muscular vs Skeletal Pain
  If muscular, then there's a good chance that it's caused by a strained muscle. To diagnose further, try this: Take a hot shower. After getting out, notice if the pain eases up. If it does, it's definitely muscular. If nothing changes, proceed to step 3.
  Step 3: Skeletal Pain
  The next step here would be to consider what parts of your skeletal system are affected. It seems to be affecting your rib area, which leads us to one of two things: either your spine (specifically, the thoracic vertebrae) or your ribcage itself. To narrow it down, try to pinpoint exactly where the pain originates from.
  
  Step 4: Spinal Pain
  If the pain originates between your shoulder blades, then it may be your posterior intercostal muscles (PIMs). This is a condition called thoracic outlet syndrome. If the pain originates from the middle of your spine, then it could be thoracic outlet syndrome, too (just not sure which part in the middle of your spine). If it's on the sides of your spine, it could also be a herniated disc.
  If it is your muscles that are affected, then you need to strengthen them. Start stretching your upper body more often. Try yoga poses that target your shoulder girdle. The key here is strengthening your pectoralis major and minor muscles.
  If the pain is originating from the lower part of your ribcage, then focus on stretching the lower back, specifically focusing on strengthening your hip flexors.
  Step 5: Ribcage Pain
  Ribs can get displaced easily if you have bad posture. Try to correct your posture to prevent further displacement. Also, try to stretch your ribcage muscles regularly.
rejected.role: system
rejected.content: A chat.
rejected.role: user
rejected.content: I have been having this constant pain on my right side for the past few months. Initially, it was around my rib cage area but now, it has spread to my back as well. Sometimes, it even travels down towards my hips. I am not sure if it's muscular or skeletal. The intensity varies throughout the day. During the mornings, it's bearable but later in the evening, it becomes really unbearable. I take some painkillers to manage the discomfort but they don't seem to help much. I also tried going to a physiotherapist but he didn't find anything wrong with my muscles. What could be causing this?
rejected.role: assistant