Table of contents:
- Causes of costochondritis
- Symptoms of costochondritis
- Various ways of treating costochondritis
- 1. Medicines
- Narcotic painkillers
- Antidepressants
- Anticonvulsant drugs
- 2. Therapy
- Stretching exercises
- Nerve stimulation
- 3. Home care
The ribs are connected to the sternum by a tough protective tissue, called cartilage (cartilage). When the cartilage is inflamed, you usually experience chest wall pain or in medical terms it is called costochondritis. The pain caused by costochondritis resembles a heart attack. Here are the various causes and various treatment options.
Causes of costochondritis
Source: Mayo Clinic
The exact cause of costochondritis is sometimes not known with certainty. However, here are some things that can commonly cause chest wall pain.
- Injury. For example, an accident in driving or falling.
- Chest stress. For example lifting heavy objects, strenuous exercise, and persistent cough.
- Arthritis. For example, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis (rheumatism), or ankylosing spondylitis.
- Joint infection. Viruses, bacteria, and fungi (such as tuberculosis, syphilis, and aspergillosis) can attack the rib joints.
- Tumor growth both cancerous and non-cancerous in parts of the body near the chest such as the breast, thyroid, and lungs.
Symptoms of costochondritis
The following are various symptoms that you will experience if you have costochondritis, namely:
- Pain that attacks the left side of the sternum.
- The pain was sharp and stabbing like being pressed.
- The pain gets worse when you take a deep breath or cough.
- Pain occurs in more than one rib
Various ways of treating costochondritis
Although this condition does not always require treatment, costochondritis can be treated in a variety of ways from medication to therapy.
1. Medicines
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Ibuprofen (Motrin IB) and naproxen sodium (Aleve) are among the types of NSAIDs without a prescription that you can buy at the nearest pharmacy. However, doctors will usually prescribe stronger NSAIDs for severe pain.
Narcotic painkillers
Very painful pain will usually be treated with drugs containing codeine such as hydocodone-acetaminophen (Vicodin, Norco) and oxycodone-acetaminophen (Tylox, Roxicet, and Percocet).
Antidepressants
Tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, are often used to control chronic pain, especially if the pain interferes with your sleep.
Anticonvulsant drugs
The epilepsy drug Gabapentin (Neurontin) can also be used to treat pain due to costochondritis because it has been shown to successfully control chronic pain.
2. Therapy
Stretching exercises
Light stretching exercises for the chest muscles can help control and prevent the pain from getting worse. You can practice it every day while adjusting the breath pattern as you stretch.
Nerve stimulation
The transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) procedure is performed by sending a weak electric current through an adhesive patch on the skin near the painful area. This is intended to confuse and hide pain signals and prevent them from reaching the brain.
3. Home care
Source: Health Ambition
Apply heat or cold to the affected area several times a day until you feel better. In addition, getting enough rest can help control pain. Avoid activities and sports that can make the pain more obvious.
If these methods cannot reduce the pain, the doctor will give you drugs to numb the pain as well as corticosteroids directly into the inflamed joint. In fact, if the pain doesn't go away then a surgical procedure may be done if it is the only best option.
