Costochondritis a pain in the chest!
February 17, 2011 | Posted by alanf 
For the past 14 months (it seems like a whole lot longer!) I have had another overuse injury/health issue going on. The condition is called costochondritis, which is more simply know as a strain of the sternum (that flat area at the front and centre of your chest where all the ribs join on to). It may also be considered as another form of a Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI).
Up until I injured it, I didn’t even know that there was anything there to injure. I had been working out in the garden carrying stones in a bucket (a large muscle activity involving upper arms, shoulders, core, back) on and off for a day, when I finally sat down and noticed a general ache around the sternum area, as well as everywhere else I should hasten to add! Over the course of the next few days, all the aches disappeared except the one in the sternum. It was at that stage that I realised I’d injured something, I just didn’t know how bad it would be. Symptoms can include pain, tingling and an itching sensation around the centre of the chest area.
Over the course of the following week, I resumed my normal life doing picture framing, but noticed that I could induce bad pain in the sternum area when attempting to push against something heavy. This wasn’t good! At this point I did a little research and found out about costochondritis. It is an injury to the soft connective tissue between the ribs and the sternum and can take a long time to heal due to the fact that there is not a huge supply of blood circulating to this area. I also got the advice of my GP who said that I just needed to rest it.
For the next 3 months I did my best to rest the chest area, which meant no lifting, pushing or carrying of anything remotely heavy in weight (including shopping bags!). One main difficulty I found was trying to rest the sternum while sleeping. The natural position of the body when sleeping on your side is to have both arms on the bed. This posture forces the sternum to be compressed and as a result does not give the area ample rest during sleep. Having restless nights also doesn’t help matters in this regard. One solution that I found is to sleep whilst hugging a pillow. The pillow has to be a puffed out largish one to keep the chest area open. It has proven to be a very useful method.
After 3 months of resting, the sternum had improved to the extent that I could actually do more. The question was, how much more? This, I found out by trial and error. If I did too much, the sternum would get more prickly, “itchy” and sore. It followed the same pattern every time: perform an activity, followed by prickly, itchy soreness for a few days, then it would calm down and I’d feel better again after a week. The trouble was that this went on for the best part of a year! Even now – some 14 months after the initial injury, I still have to be choosy about whether to try lifting something heavy or not. All in all, this injury has taken a long time to get better, and is one I could most certainly have done without!
The following are a few recommendations I would make for anyone suffering from costochondritis -
- Rest up well for 2-3 months, avoiding all lifting of things including heavy shopping bags.
- Hug a pillow while sleeping on your side to keep sternum area from being compressed.
- Gentle reintroduction to exercise – yoga can be a good form of exercise to start recovery, so too is swimming.
- You can use NSAIDs, eg ibuprofen to help with symptoms, but consult your GP first. I have also found much relief by taking Devil’s Claw (a natural anti inflammatory)
- Have patience and don’t rush your recovery. After 14 months I feel like I am back to 90%, but I’ve been in the 70-80% range for a long time (nearly a year) and have frequently found a way to aggravate it somehow, usually by carrying something heavy. This has happened even up to the 13 month mark!
This condition has certainly been very persistent, and has been quite frustrating to deal with mentally as well as physically, but after 14 months I am finally feeling like I am getting there. Fingers crossed!
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Categories: fitness, Health, Lifestyle, RSI | 
Tags: commentary, costochondritis, injury, Lifestyle, resting, sleeping, Yoga | 
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Man Alan you can’t catch a break with these RSI‘s
Hi Justin,
yes as my doctor likes to say I have problems with my connective tissues!
Alan
Hi Alan,
Very interesting write up on a little know condition (even thought alot of people suffer from it).
I myself have suffered for around 15 months first several were pure pain sometimes feeling like a heart attack (was not on pain meds due to bp).
But now 15 months on and like you around the 70%ish mark but sometimes relapse.
Hopefully people will read what you have written as it is sound advice
Chris
Hi Chris,
sorry to hear you are still suffering from it after 15 months. Its definitely a persistent condition!
I should also add in to the article that I was from 3 months onwards using a rubber exercise ‘thera’ band to do exercises with. I was recommended these by a physiotherapist. The exercises are similar to ones for rotator cuff injuries, but also exercise the sternum. I was also advised to strengthen my back muscles in between the shoulder blades, which again helps open the chest area.
Hope things improve for you.
Alan
Hi Alan,
Quick question for you since you have suffered from costochondritis,
Have you found that your sternum/center chest area kind off locks-up (hard to explain) feels like it seized up and you have to twist of turn your body to relieve the pressure that is their ie the area cracks.
As since i have had costoc this happens regular basis (mainly sitting of leaning forward)
Thanks Chris
Hi Chris,
I have experienced cracks in the sternum when twisting, both before and after the injury. Not sure its related to the sternum injury as my wife can get a cracking sound in her sternum when twisting too, I think its a fairly common thing. The sternum injury just felt initially for the first few months achy around the edge of the sternum. Thereafter varying degrees of aches and mainly itch. Which was taken care of by either Ibuprofen or Devil’s Claw.
Its important to keep the area exercising (gently at least). Therabands with the correct physio exercise is important, swimming would be good, and I do some Yoga to. Its now 18 months and I am getting much better and have more confidence in it now, but I can still aggravate various small muscles in the chest which aren’t used to being used as much any more, and am only gradually doing some weights now. Best help was probably hugging a pillow whilst sleeping, still have to do that to this day. Its a long slow injury to heal, but it does heal eventually which is the important thing.
Alan
Chris,
one more point about the sternum, its not great to ‘slouch in the couch’ as the sternum compresses and for me this used to cause sternum aches. To counteract this, its really important to work out the middle back muscles from the lower scapula to the spine. You can do this by Theraband use, or simply by lying face down on the floor putting your arms out in front of you and raising them off the ground and holding the posture for a while. You can work up to doing this for a few minutes at a time, but start out at a few seconds first. My physiotherapist told me how important the middle back muscles were towards helping you open the chest/sternum area, as well as telling me how unfit my back muscles were!
Alan
I have been in severe pain for the last 4 weeks. Last week was diagnosed with costochrondritis. Cannot drive, need help getting into and out of the car. Can’t lie down, sitting mostly OK as long as I am propped up super straight. Ibruprofen, vicodin, percoset have been no help. Need help to get dressed. I’m wondering if this level of disability is “normal” for this condition or do I have something else. All bloodwork, ekg, mri, xrays have come back normal.
I will try devils claw (never heard of it before) but any other feedback would be helpful.
Many thanks, Gerry
Hi Gerry,costochrondritis
sorry to hear that you are in so much pain. I can’t say I was ever in that much pain thankfully with the condition, although maybe it depends on how badly injured you are. I’d maybe trust the doctors opinions over anything I have to say. The condition for me initially could create a lot of pain when I tried to do too much like move something heavy then I’d get searing pain and knew that I needed to rest and not do that again. Rest of the time it was just a prominent but dull ache around the sternum, especially as I leaned forward or slouched. This eventually on the healing process lead to a whole lot of itchiness which has now mainly subsided. If it is costochrondritis, hope it starts to feel less painful soon, its a drawn out process to recovery (or it was for me) – a lot of improvement by end of 3 months, but minor symptoms and certain restrictions in what I do even now 2 years later.
Alan
Hi,
I have had around 10 ECG’s and 1 chest Xray over the past 2 years due to this condition.. I get pain in the center of chest.. mass inflamation under the armpit etc and pins in fingers (due to the agravation to the nerves). I highly recommend seeing a GP if you get the sympthoms to rule out heart issues first then if they do find it to be this take it easy.. I went to the gym yesterday and used the cross trainer and today im getting the odd sharp spike pain in the chest… Good luck to anyone that has it and i like the advice here on hugging a pillow.. it seems that laying on my side has a lot to do with the aggravation i have also..
Hi Dean,
I found that lying in bed on my side was a very bad trigger for the condition. The pillow once you get used to it is the best way to counteract it and make sure it gets rest. I still hug a pillow at night to rest it even though I have had the condition for quite some time now. For me it seems to struggle to get back to 100%.
Alan
I’ve had this condition since June 2011. I work out with heavy weights, so I thought it was an ab strain. My chiro told me it’s costo can we did 10 days of ultra sound and icing. I’m still not improving much and I will try Cat’s Claw. I don’t want to lose strength or muscle and I already took 2 months off in the summer from the gym. Didn’t help much.
While taking ultra sound, I took 2 weeks off, but still not doing so great.
Has anyone heard of cold laser treatments working for this ailment?
Hi Sharon,
I’ve had the condition since October 2009, and I still live with its after effects to this day and I am an active person (Yoga, Kayaking, cardio (bike,elliptical)). One thing that is meant to be good for it (but I haven’t tried) is swimming, but I’d suggest activity only after resting it first to allow healing, otherwise you may aggravate it. I just have to be careful what I do and when. ie not to overdo whatever activity I am doing. Initial recovery for me (getting over worst pain) was 3 months (I could still do cardio, but no weights or kayaking or yoga).
Not sure whether there is any easier way to promote blood flow into the sternum area, but if you find one let me know. Whenever I push the chest too much these days, I get prickly pain, which the devils claw does help to relieve. Stick to hugging the pillow at night for the best way to rest the sternum.
Alan
Hi
I have been suffering from left rib pain for over a year.started after I shoveled snow off drive. I had a month of painful muscles spasms then after carrying a heavy bag on my left shoulder inexperienced heat and constant pain in my 3 rd an fourth ribs starting from sternum. Mammo chest xray clear. Was your pain constant or only with activity? Glad to hear you are on the mend x
Hi Karen,
The background ache/pain was constant for first few weeks, and the more acute pain was there when I tried to do things that I shouldn’t like carry heavy stuff.
It took 3 months to recover from the main injury (that’s 3 months of resting ie getting other people to carry stuff for me).
Sorry to hear that you have it to its a very slow injury to heal. I got to about 70% after 3 months, but it seems to take many more months on the journey from 70% to 100% (not sure I’ve reached 100% yet, but I’m hopefully close!)
Good luck.
Alan
Hi again, Alan,
I’m back at the gym and trying to get to where I was lifting prior to the injury. It’s a slow trail.
I wanted to mention that I made a mistake when I talked about trying Devil’s Claw. I called it Cat’s Claw..lol.
There was a formula that interested me called Flexiprin, and it does contail Devil’s Claw. The problem is that I researched side effects of DC and it can mess with your blood sugar which I cannot afford to take that chance.
So, I found another product that has helped significantly. I was using Traumeel Ointment and that was easing the pain, but I found something better. It’s called Topricin. It’s exactly like Traumeel, but the base is not petralatum, it’s coconut oil. They also leave out the mercury component which Traumeel contains.
I use it as often as I feel I need it. It penetrates through the muscle and helps in the healing of soft tissue. You can research it and see for yourself.
I’m short of money these days but I would really like to give cold laser a try.
I will have to wait on that one as funds are scarce at this time.
I found Topricin on Vitacost.com, and was able to get it at a discount price. It usually sells for about $25 retail. They also make a diabetic foot cream and that covers fibromyalgia too.
Sharon
Hi Sharon,
thanks for the update. I hadn’t heard that about devil’s claw.
Alan
Hi Sharon,
thanks for the update. I hadn’t heard that about devil’s claw.
Alan
Hi Alan,
Just another update on how Topricin and Traumeel are working for me.
I’m not sure if it’s a coincidence, that the chiro visits helped or my body is just healing itself.
I truly believe that the ointments worked on their own. I am back at the gym now lifting almost as heavy as I did last Spring. I’m not doing any ab or core work yet, but I plan on it (just a little..like perhaps plank) by the end of Spring.
I bring an ice pack to the gym and apply it after the workouts just to be sure there is no inflammation. I use the ointments throughout the day as needed. I have good and bad days, but lately, a lot of good days.
I think people should give these topicals a try as it seems to be working nicely for me.
Thanks Sharon.
I think I have this problem. I over did my pushup/pullup/situp program, and started getting a dull ache in the sternum area. I can still go about my day with no pain (just that “itchy” feeling); however, the biggest problem is at night. After I sleep for a while, if I roll over or otherwise flex my abdominal muscles, I get a very tight, dull pain right by my sternum. Once I loosen it up, however, the pain is gone. Has anyone else had this experience with this area tightening up after long periods of rest? Is this just part of the healing process?
Thanks.
I recognise your symptoms. Bed is actually one of the danger spots with this injury when you don’t hug a pillow. Hugging a pillow is key here, as it keeps your sternum open as opposed to collapsed in on itself, which causes the injury to ache more when you wake up. I had this a lot before I started to hug a pillow all night. It sounds silly, but it works! I still do it as I still get sternum itch on and off depending on what I have been doing.
ps. push-ups can aggravate the condition.
Alan
(From the USA) Thanks for the info. There are posts and suggestions that will be helpful.
I checked this site, as I am having a return bout. This time around I have itching which I didn’t have before. Same injury re-created 5 years later, making same hyperextension-with-momentum mistake.
My first bout was severe enough that I had trouble just getting dressed. The first month of healing was the most difficult, and it tapered off from there. Within a few months, I was healed. So I wish all of you quick healing.
Thanks for the reply. So far there has been little improvement in a month. However, I don’t have any pain during the day, which is good. The area just freezes up at night depending on how I sleep still. If I elevate my head, there is no pain upon waking up. However, if I lay out all the way, it aches upon rolling over and/or sitting up. However, once I get moving, all pain subsides. Hugging a pillow is hit or miss, as I sleep on my back. I usually drop it while sleeping.
Any ideas on when I can begin upper-body exercises again, as I have no pain during the day? I really want to get back to working out.
My Doctor recommended swimming as an exercise that helps the condition, but I wouldn’t over do things too soon. I certainly would skip the push ups until its gone.
Alan
Hi Alan
Have you had any further improvements? I am alot better than I was in January but still feeling a dull ache. Like the other posters I have the itching as well and I was very interested to read what Sharon has written that she has got much better using traumel (will google it later) Heres hoping we are all feeling a lot better x
@Karen…I’ve done very well with Topricin or Traumeel.
If you try either one, buy it from Vitacost.com as it’s much cheaper than retail.
I took 10 sessions with my chiro (ultrasound and ice) and that may have started the healing ball rolling, but I still didn’t feel great. When I tried the creams, I saw a difference right away.
I’m not perfect, but I’m back doing exercises that I didn’t dare do before (pullups, etc.)
I won’t do any situps or any core work except occasionally, I ‘ll do some planks.
If I feel discomfort, I’ll still use the ice packs, but I haven’t used them in a while ..just the cream.
I have some days that are better than others, but all I can say is that it worked fairly well for me.