Fibromyalgia Symptom: Costochondritis
Costochondritis Symptoms
It starts as an ache in your chest and you think…hmmm, maybe I slept on my side too long. It comes and goes at no particular time and each time it hurts just a little more and depending on the side it’s on you begin to get really…Really…REALLY concerned!
Your anxiety starts to build and you mind starts wandering and wondering if this is now the worse of it. You google all your symptoms on your favorite fright-sight, get a word of prayer from church or start eating heart healthy. But that pain never goes away.
Diagnosing Costochondritis
And since it’s familiar to you, here we go again with the ring-a-round the rosie Doctor visits. Once again, like all the other twenty times, there’s nothing wrong with you. EKG is normal, cholesterol is normal and bloodwork is normal.
You may be suffering from Costochondritis.
Costochondritis, an inflammation of costochondral junctions of ribs (or chondrosternal joints). Let’s break that down.
Your ribcage is responsible for protecting your lungs, heart and provide structure to your body.
Sit up straight!
How things work
Your ribcage must also be flexible enough to allow your lungs to expand comfortably when you breathe. For this your body employs some unique design techniques. It uses bone where it needs the structure most and cartilages where it won’t compromise strength and where the bone and cartilage meet are small depressions in the bone where the cartilage fits into snugly, think Lego blocks.
Causes
When you get a terrible cough, injury or overexert yourself repeatedly the pain never really gets resolved. The neurons surrounding that area becomes inflamed and the pain signal never really shuts down. Couple that with physical and metal symptoms of anxiety and here you are at the emergency room at three in the morning.
Treatment
Once your Doctor determines that your condition is not life threatening you’ll probably get sent home with some pain killers and a hot water bottle. You can do some stretching exercises to help the tightness and knowing you’re ok and realizing Costochondritis is a common musculoskeletal condition might quell your anxiety (after that second opinion and a follow-up).
As of writing this post fibromyalgia in not largely considered an inflammatory condition but there are some indications that the immune system may be involved.
Conclusion
Costochondritis is a non-life threatening but painful condition. It’s localized in the chest and may be in the right or left side but typically it’s in the front. It usually start after a trauma, injury, a terrible cough or fibromyalgia. Costochondritis is caused by inflammation of the neurons in the junction where cartilage meets bone. Treatment is non-invasive and it may resolve on its own or managed with stretching, warm compress and medication.
Live well!
