Pain in this area can be caused by injury, infection, or an underlying condition. If you have pain in your chest, you might worry about a serious condition, such as a heart attack. While it’s true that pain under your left ribs can be a heart attack symptom, discomfort in that area is not always related to your heart.

Rib pain has a variety of causes and can vary from dull to stabbing to throbbing. Rib pain following traumatic injury may be due to rib fracture, clavicle (collarbone) or sternum (breast bone) fracture, or internal injuries to the chest. Rib pain without traumatic injury may be due to muscle strain, joint inflammation, or chronic pain.

This occurs when the strong tissue (cartilage) attaching your ribs to your breastbone (costochondral joint) becomes inflamed. It can cause a sharp pain under left rib cage and your chest. It can be caused by injury or straining that area, or can result from an infection, for example an infection of your airways (respiratory).

Intercostal neuralgia is nerve pain in the chest and upper trunk that radiates from the upper back. The pain comes from the intercostal nerves along the ribs, chest, or abdomen. It can feel like a sharp or stabbing pain or like burning or aching pain. It can also cause additional symptoms like numbness and tingling.