Where do you feel costochondritis? Always call a doctor or go for emergency care if you have chest pain. Applying heat with compresses or heating pads can help, particularly in the case of muscle overuse. Proulx AM, et al. Some people may feel an aching pain. [1] Patients older than 35 years, those with a history or risk of coronary artery disease, and patients with cardio-pulmonary symptoms should have electrocardiography and, possibly, chest radiography. Do not apply the heat source directly to your skin. A heart attack is usually a dull pain with pressure and is associated with numbness in the arm and jaw. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or heartburn, Injury or trauma to the chest, including muscle strain, Acromegaly, rickets and other systemic diseases, Pain affecting at least one rib, but usually more, An increase in pain when taking deep breaths, coughing, lifting or doing other strenuous exercise, Pain that may travel to the back or stomach from the front of your chest, Sensitivity or tenderness when you press on the affected ribs where they meet the breastbone, A decrease in pain when you rest and breathe calmly, Tumors in the chest that grow on, inflame or press on the cartilage connecting the ribs to the breastbone; the tumors may or may not be cancerous, Heavy exercise, manual labor or lifting heavy items, Infections that can cause joint inflammation, such as, Post-surgery or post-intravenous (IV) needle infections, Having regular exposure to irritants, if you have allergies, Having rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis or reactive arthritis (Reiters syndrome), Prescription-strength or over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (, Prescription pain relievers, such as narcotics containing codeine, Anti-seizure drugs, also to control chronic pain. Thank you. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). In adolescents aged 12 to 14, costochondritis accounts for 10% to 30% of chest pain complaints. Many natural remedies can interact with NSAIDs, insulin or other common medications. This inflammation is called costochondritis. Adults (especially people assigned female at birth) older than 40 are at a higher risk for costochondritis. Symptoms of costochondritis include: sharp pains or aches on the side of your sternum area pain or. Yes, the pain of costochondritis can sometimes spread (radiate) to your back. Your doctor will be able to advise you of any potential interactions between the over-the-counter medications and your other medications. It accounts for 10%-30% of all chest pain in children. The symptoms often mimic a heart attack, so accurate diagnosis is essential. Children under age 18 should not take aspirin due to the increased risk for Reyes syndrome. Its vital to get the right diagnosis so you can receive the best treatment. However, both the Mayo Clinic and the National Health Service (of the United Kingdom) suggest that TENS can be an effective pain relief method for some people with costochondritis. We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. Try one of these 12 great options. Tell your doctor if you have heart, liver, or kidney disease, high blood pressure, ulcers, or have had internal bleeding in the past. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. If youve been diagnosed with costochondritis, contact your healthcare provider if your pain gets worse or doesnt get any better with treatment. It sends the signal through sticky patches on your skin near the painful area. Some types of exercise can aggravate this condition, including rowing and weightlifting. Enjoy! Costochondritis symptoms Costochondritis causes chest pain, felt at the front of the chest. Do not apply the ice pack directly to your skin. Your healthcare provider will figure out whether the cause of your chest pain is costochondritis or something else. Seek medical attention immediately if you experience chest pain while performing any of these activities. It occurs in a single rib 70 percent of the time, usually within costal cartilages of ribs two through three, predominantly in rib two.1,2,6 Infectious, rheumatologic, and neoplastic processes may cause it. If those dont help with your pain and swelling, your healthcare provider may prescribe: If needed, your primary healthcare provider may refer you to a rheumatologist (a physician who specializes in diseases of the muscles, bones and joints) or a surgeon. People with fibromyalgia have long-lasting (chronic) muscle and joint pain all over their bodies. Costochondritis causes are usually unclear. Costochondritis is a common condition seen in patients presenting to the physician's office and emergency department.1-4 It is also known as costosternal syndrome, parasternal chondrodynia, or anterior chest wall syndrome. An infection in the joint, such as tuberculosis, syphilis, or aspergillosis. Seek immediate medical care if youre experiencing persistent, intense chest pain. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting or changing a treatment, exercise or diet plan including herbs and supplements. Focus on a diet rich in a variety of vegetables and fruits. Prescription-strength nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) similar to ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin). When to Call 911 Seek emergency care if you experience the following symptoms consistent with a heart attack: Cold sweats Dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting Nausea or vomiting Pain or discomfort in one or both arms or shoulders You may notice that your costochondritis pain worsens when: Diagnosing costochondritis starts with a process of elimination. Key sign is pain on palpation of costochondral joints (particularly the second to the fifth). Try the Sphinx pose. If a younger person who is not at risk of heart attack experiences these symptoms, they should seek emergency attention if their chest pain is sharp and does not improve with rest. The information in our articles is NOT intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. All Rights Reserved. This article is based on scientific evidence, written by experts and fact checked by our trained editorial staff. Diet doesnt prevent costochondritis. Theres nothing you can eat or drink that can reduce your risk. Reamy BV, et al. This article was co-authored by Ni-Cheng Liang, MD. This pain can gradually increase over time, or come on suddenly. An easy way to do this is to brace your forearm against a doorway and then slowly lean forward until you feel the muscles below and around your shoulders stretch. Treatments are available to help reduce the pain associated with costochondritis while you heal. She may request x-rays, CT scans, an MRI, or an electrocardiograph. Your doctor may ask you to undergo other tests to rule out other conditions frequently associated with chest pain, including osteoarthritis, lung disease, gastrointestinal conditions, or an infection of the joint. X Get plenty of healthy fats via walnuts, fatty fish (such as salmon or mackerel) and olive oil or coconut oil. In many cases, doctors do not know what causes costochondritis. Dominique Fontaine, BSN, RN, HNB-BC, HWNC-BC, pain that becomes worse when theres pressure on your chest, like when you wear a seatbelt, pain that intensifies with coughing or deep breaths, pain that increases with physical activity, trauma to the chest, such as blunt impact from a car accident or fall, physical strain from activities, such as heavy lifting and strenuous exercise, certain viruses or respiratory conditions, such as, recently had a physical trauma or fall that affected the chest area, have allergies and are frequently exposed to irritants, oral steroids or injection of a steroid into the area involved, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), which is a mild electric current that is delivered to the area via a small, battery-powered device, fatigue and inability to rest due to pain. Pain that is reproduced by palpation of the typically affected areas suggests costochondritis, but depends on the exclusion of underlying causes (Table 21,2,7,8,12,16-20). There are also things you can do at home to manage the pain, like taking over-the-counter pain relievers. How can I get rid of costochondritis pain fast? Costochondritis pain may go away without treatment, usually within a year. Thus, cervical or shoulder problems may refer pain to the chest wall.2, Costochondritis can affect children as well as adults. However, if your diagnosis is costochondritis, it is generally considered a harmless condition. We avoid using tertiary references. Thankfully, the condition does go away on its own in time. Costochondritis does not lead to cancer. The pain may get worse because of: Remember that you should go to the emergency department if you have severe chest pain. An upper respiratory infection which causes severe coughing can trigger costochondritis. Though causes are often unknown, in some instances, the condition can be the result of one or more of the following: Doctors call costochondritis that has no known causes idiopathic costochondritis. The pain can start suddenly or develop slowly and spread across your chest. Then open your chest, stretching up and backwards. Do not use heat or ice for more than 15 minutes at a time. All rights reserved. Costochondritis feels like a sharp or aching pain. Impingement of these nerves by movement of the overlying rib or cartilage can cause pain.12 The shoulder girdle muscles develop in the lower cervical region and carry this innervation with them as they move to attach to the chest wall. With fibromyalgia, you may experience soreness in your chest in addition to: If you experience chest pains along with these other symptoms, talk with your doctor about getting tested for fibromyalgia. do any of the activities I enjoy. There is a variation of costochondritis called Tietze syndrome. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. This may include a blow or straining sustained during carrying heavy items or severe coughing. Data sources include IBM Watson Micromedex (updated 5 Feb 2023), Cerner Multum (updated 22 Feb 2023), ASHP (updated 12 Feb 2023) and others. To rule out a more serious cause of your chest pain related to your heart or lungs, your doctor will probably start with tests like an echocardiogram (ECG), chest X-rays, and blood test for heart damage, among others.. He or she will touch your chest and may move your arms to see if this causes pain. Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Costochondritis: Diagnosis and Treatment. Concentrate on opening your chest and letting your shoulders roll back. If costochondritis happens because of an infection after surgery, youll have redness, swelling, or pus discharge at the site of the surgery. The doctor will also be able to advise you on how to best combat the pain while you wait for it to heal. While this condition is usually temporary, it can be alarming, as the pain can become so significant it mimics a heart attack. Tietze syndrome is a rare inflammatory condition that causes chest pain and cartilage swelling near your upper ribs. Discrete areas of tenderness can be better localized by palpation with a single digit. The pain is worse with movement, exertion and deep breathing. The pain can be severe or mild. One prospective study found that one third of patients had persistent chest wall tenderness at one year.17 Adolescents may also have a chronic course.4 Patients with costochondritis should be educated and reassured that this is a benign condition that will eventually resolve itself. Because the pain is in your chest, you might misinterpret costochondritis as a heart attack. Costochondritis is inflammation where your ribs join the bone in the middle of your chest (breastbone). If its costochondritis, theres no reason to worry. Costochondritis is caused by inflammation and typically presents as chest pain that gets worse with certain movements or pressure. In some cases, however, it is caused by infection, manual labor or heavy lifting, strenuous physical activity, a tumor or systemic disease. More than one (in 90 percent of patients), Costochondral junctions most commonly affected, Arthritis of sternoclavicular, sternomanubrial, or shoulder joints, Tenderness to palpation of specific joints of the sternum; evidence of joint sclerosis can be seen on radiography, Analgesics, intra-articular corticosteroid injections, physiotherapy, Tenderness to palpation of costochondral junctions; reproduces patient's pain; usually multiple sites on same side of chest, Simple analgesics; heat or ice; rarely, local anesthetic injections or steroid injections, Destruction of costal cartilage by infections or neoplasm, Bacterial or fungal infections or metastatic neoplasms to costal cartilages; infections seen postsurgery or in intravenous drug users; chest computed tomography imaging useful to show alteration or destruction of cartilage and extension of masses to chest wall; gallium scanning may be helpful in patients with infection, Antibiotics or antifungal drugs; surgical resection of affected costal cartilage; treatment of neoplasm based on tissue type, Symmetric tender points at second costochondral junctions, along with characteristic tender points in the neck, back hip, and extremities, and widespread pain, Graded exercise is beneficial; cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), antidepressants, and pregabalin (Lyrica) may be beneficial, Clusters of vesicles on red bases that follow one or two dermatomes and do not cross the midline; usually preceded by a prodrome of pain; postherpetic neuralgia is common, Oral antiviral agents (e.g., acyclovir [Zovirax], famciclovir [Famvir], valacyclovir [Valtrex]); analgesics as needed for pain; may require narcotics or topical lidocaine patches (Lidoderm) to control pain, Tenderness at sternoxiphoid joint or over xiphoid process with palpation, Usually self-limited unless associated with congenital deformity of xiphoid; analgesics; rarely, corticosteroid injections, Tenderness and hypermobility of anterior ends of lower costal cartilages causing pain at lower anterior chest wall or upper abdomen; diagnosis by hooking maneuver: curving fingers under costal margin and gently pulling anteriorlya click and movement is felt that reproduces patient's pain, Rest, physiotherapy, intercostal nerve blocks; or, if chronic and severe: surgical removal of hypermobile cartilage segment, A single tender and swollen, but nonsupportive costochondral junction; usually in costochondral junction of ribs two or three, Simple analgesics; usually self-limiting; rarely, corticosteroid injections, Traumatic muscle pain and overuse myalgia, History of trauma to chest or recent new onset of strenuous exercise to upper body (e.g., rowing); may be bilateral and affecting multiple costochondral areas; muscle groups may also be tender to palpation, Simple analgesics; refrain from doing or reduce intensity of strenuous activities that provoke pain. Sudden weakness, especially if you cant speak or move. This condition happens when your rib cage cartilage becomes inflamed. Your doctor may want you to get an X-ray to make sure theres nothing abnormal going out with your lungs. With or without treatment, costochondritis normally goes away within several weeks. Costochondritis most commonly affects the upper ribs on the left-hand side of your body. Chest pain linked to costochondritis usually comes on after exercise, minor trauma, or an upper respiratory infection. In fact, when it happens in isolation, it is considered harmless, other than the symptoms it causes. It can indicate something serious, such as a heart attack. You should seek emergency medical care if you have any heart attack symptoms. Costochondritis and Tietzes syndrome are sometimes confused because they have similar symptoms. MS: Can the Mediterranean diet help preserve cognitive health? Costochondritis. It usually gets better on its own over time. Electrocardiography and chest radiography are recommended for patients suspected of having costochondritis who are older than 35 years or for any patient with signs and symptoms of coronary artery disease, infection, or other serious conditions. Symptoms include chest pain, swelling and tenderness near your ribs.