It starts with a stabbing pain in his chest, so bad that he thinks he’s having a heart attack and rushes to the hospital.
Sharp pain can last from minutes to hours after strenuous exercise, lifting something heavy, or straining a muscle. It may occur without any obvious cause or damage.
However, despite its resemblance to a heart attack, if you are not experiencing other common symptoms of a cardiovascular event, such as pain radiating to your neck, jaw, or arms, you may actually have costochondritis. may be.
This condition occurs when the cartilage that connects the ribs to the sternum (sternum) becomes inflamed, and although it is benign, it can be painful and debilitating.
Costochondritis occurs when the cartilage that connects the sternum to the ribs becomes inflamed. Inflammation causes pain that radiates from the front of the chest to the back and neck.
Erin, who lives in New York City, told DailyMail.com that she once experienced a bout of costochondritis that was so painful for 14 hours that she wondered if she should go to the hospital to rule out a heart attack or blood clots.
She said, “The pain was so bad I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t do anything.” I had to crouch forward to get some air. ”
The exact number of people who experience costochondritis is not known because costochondritis is often unreported, misdiagnosed, or not diagnosed at all.
However, in his 2019 book, Costochondritis: the forgotten symptomPeter Akes, a physical therapist and founder of the American Rib Pain Institute, writes that 1 million to 2 million people each year who visit the emergency room for chest pain may have costochondritis.
Additionally, of the 62 million people who visit a doctor each year with chest pain, up to 18.5 million may have costochondritis.
Additionally, approximately 80 percent of these patients are women, and most do not receive proper diagnosis or treatment.
Costochondritis is caused by inflammation of the body’s protective tissue called cartilage, which connects the ribs to the breast bones.
When that cartilage becomes inflamed from too much strenuous activity, movement of the rib cage can create pressure and pain that can spread to the spine.
Because the chest wall expands and contracts, the pain may increase when you take deep breaths, and you may feel pain when you press on the area where the ribs meet the sternum.
Costochondritis can be difficult to diagnose because it is a diagnosis of exclusion. There are no laboratories or imaging tests that can detect inflamed cartilage.
When people seek medical care, doctors first try to rule out potentially serious conditions such as heart attacks, blood clots, broken ribs, pneumonia, and collapsed lungs before costochondritis develops.
Some people only experience pain for a short period of time, while others experience it for months. The condition usually resolves on its own within four weeks, but it may recur.
TikToker named Melissa explained Her costochondritis was a “horrible cycle” of radiating pain.
She said: “I have chest pain, but I also have pain in my back because my ribs are always connected.”
Common causes of costochondritis are strenuous exercise and heavy lifting.
Her video has received dozens of comments detailing similar experiences.
Kelsey Sullivan said she too has the disease and feels like she’s “having a heart attack.”
Another woman experienced costochondritis and said, “I thought I was having a heart attack.”
A user named Hayley added: I had the same symptoms for a long time, and after crying for a long time, I finally went to the doctor today. [session] I thought I was having a heart attack at 27 years old. ”
There are many reasons why you may experience costochondritis. Examples include excessive forceful coughing, viral infections, heavy lifting, and chest injuries.
Sarah, also from New York, experienced costochondritis after lifting her 20-pound cat, Thurston. She didn’t expect her 14-year-old cat to weigh so much, but she soon started having chest pains, so she went to the doctor.
Concerned about the severity of her symptoms, her doctor told her to go to the hospital immediately, she told DailyMail.com.
Doctors then became concerned that she had a potentially fatal blood clot and conducted a series of tests, including blood tests, a CT scan and an electrocardiogram.
Her tests came back with no worrying results, but doctors said she had “massive inflammation” in her breasts, which could be caused by strenuous physical activity such as heavy lifting.
The only hard thing she could think of was lugging around a 20-pound pet.
Sarah was told to rest for several days and take large doses of over-the-counter painkillers.
Another common cause of costochondritis is exercise, and Erin told DailyMail.com that she believes this is the cause of her pain.
Erin attributed her costochondritis attack to her yoga practice and the advanced poses she was doing, especially Chaturanga Dandasana.
To do so, the yogi must hover over a low plank, keeping the elbows at a 90-degree angle by the body.
Erin attributed her costochondritis attack to her yoga practice and the advanced poses she was doing, especially Chaturanga Dandasana (pictured above).
This is a more advanced pose that requires you to lower your body to your stomach while keeping your body parallel to the ground and push your chest forward.
When you do a low plank, the weight of your body presses on your chest, putting strain on your rib cage and costal cartilage (the tissue that connects your ribs to your sternum).
Lowering the body also compresses the ribcage, putting additional pressure on the inflamed area, which can make symptoms worse.
Kathy Narkees, a yoga instructor in New Jersey, says yoga is good for improving flexibility and strength, but if you don’t flow properly from one position to the next or don’t strengthen supporting muscles, it can lead to conditions like costochondritis. It warned that it could cause injury and irritation. It’s definitely 100% possible that’s the cause.
Ms Narches, owner of Thrive Yoga, told DailyMail.com: Not any other part of the body, but the shoulder. ”
She says many people simply think they need to perform a motion or imitate their neighbor, and end up pushing themselves into positions they’re not ready for, and that’s when injuries occur.
Treatments for costochondritis are limited and recommend taking over-the-counter painkillers such as ibuprofen or resting for a few days with a heating pad placed on your chest.
Physical therapy or chiropractic may be prescribed.
