Question: I have been experiencing discomfort along my lower left ribs (front) for more than a year. When I lay on my right side, there's a sense of pinching below the sternum; when I lay on my left side, there's a sense under my left ribs that feels like something rolls around or folds under my left ribs and that's even more uncomfortable than the pinching. At times, when i'm laying flat on my back, it seems as if the left side of my rib cage (below my sternum) is being pushed out and appears higher (when lying down) than the right side and I feel a pulling sensation; I can sometimes move my back and then it shifts and is not as uneven. When I cross my left leg over my right, a side vertical muscle at the bottom of my rib cage just above my hip bone pulls tightly. I also feel a bit of shallow breathing from time to time when sitting or standing, sometimes after meals.
More recently - and I believe unrelated - I was diagnosed with post-viral neuropathy with symptoms of tingling in hands and feet, difficulty swallowing which resulted in weight loss, so I've had an endoscopy, colonoscopy, chest CT, and chest xray, so I've been focused on recovering from that, but through all of that testing, nothing showed up that would explain the pre-existing rib discomfort. My GP just says sometimes we're not symmetrical...that frustrates me, so I've stopped bringing this issue up to him. I've done online research and wonder about some sort of hiatal hernia or maybe slipping rib syndrome although not sure where to go from here. Any suggestions as to what it could be and what type of doctor to ask would be helpful. Thank you so very much in advance.

Dr. Tayal,

Thank you very much for your response. That is very helpful and eases my concerns.

I do have a follow-up...what type of doctor/specialist should I work with to help along the way? Are there blood or tests that should be done? Is costochondritis a condition that can go away or is it lifelong?
Thanks.