Chest pain, cracking and stretching?

Posted , 5 users are following.

Hello, first off, I don't believe I have Costo or Tietze's (going by what I have read online) but I just hoped for some opinions by anyone who can either realate or has any knowledge about what I'm describing. 

So, about 6 months ago, when I was doing some light yoga, I noticed that when rotaing my left shoulder, I experienced a very noticeable deep cruching in my sternum area. The about a month later, I was sitting down and suddenly experienced a very insstense pain in my chest to the point that I could not take a deep breath. It was immobilising and I could only manage shallow breaths. It felt as if I was directly in my sternum but encompassed the entire chest region and last under a minute. I got the same thing a couple of weeks later. 

The odd thing is that this triggered a memory for me that I'd had this before. Then I distictly remembered about 3 yrs previous, getting a pain like this on a couple of occasions and looking it up online and reading about Costo, etc, but I didn't seem like it was that and I never got the pain again until last September. 

Subsequently after the pain in Sept. I kept getting this constant urge to crack my sternum. When I rotate my torso It usually cracks/clicks. I also had this constant feeling of needing to strecth my ribs. All I'd be doing constantly was stretching my pper body and cracking my sternum. 

This lasted 2-3 weeks and then went. But then about a month ago, niggly chest pains started again and the urge to sternum crack. One evening I had constant chest twinges that suddenly caused discomfort in my throat. It wasn't painful but my throat just felt a bit weird. he following morning it went. 

Over the past month I've had a few of the intense chest pains that have only last maybe a few seconds each time, but this ongoing need to twist/stretch upper body. A couple of days ago it cause the same weird feeling in my throat and I still sort of have it. Thought I was getting a cold, but nothing. 

I'm making an appt with my GP this week. Does anyone have any opinions about this at all? 

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Posted

    My advice would be to have your doctor check for any upper, middle and lower back for any issues that may be causing any pressure on nerves, disk issues or DDD.  When you lay flat and put pressure on your sternum do you get any pain there or in your ribs from the sternum to your back??  Does activity make it worse??  You could be having muscle spasms from what your describing that radiates to your neck.  You wouldn't believe where muscles and nerves are attaching from, even your shourlder muscles attach to 16 ribs and blah blah.  I have Costo, actually Tietze, because of the tearing of ligaments and tendons have built up scar tissue.  So now their is an entrapped nerve somewhere so I also have Intercostal Neuralgia, extremely painful spasms when I move wrong or too much.  It sucks!!  Keep us updated on your appointment.  You make sure and tell them you KNOW something isn't right!!!!

    • Posted

      Thank you for the reply. No, there is no pain when I apply pressure to the sternum and the pain is not related to activity. I've not had it as severe as I did in September, with just twinges here and there and general discomfort what with needing to twist and stretch. People with Costo/Tietze seem to be in a lot more ongoing pain.

      My posture is quite poor but that's about it. 

      Anyway, thank you for your advice.

  • Posted

    I have Tietze/Costo and have researched all over the Internet about it because the pain is so severe I have been desperate for support and answers. I have read articles that describe a Costochondritis attack lasting just a few minutes. Also, GI issues can cause the problems you are describing in your throat. I would start with a visit to my primary care physician with all the details you have given here and let them start the work up. The human body is so fascinating and bewildering - the way one thing affects another thing and referred pain is the hardest to track down - I sure didn't expect a problem in my neck to cause 2 of my fingers to go numb but it does. Hope you find the cause of your problem and don't get stuck on the medical merry-go-round.

    • Posted

      Thanks for the response. Yes, I posted on the GI forum as I thought the same as you. I have heard of GERD causing similar symptoms, but again they don't really connect in the same way as tey don't woth Costo.

      Thank you for your advice and I shall see what happens with doctor. 

  • Posted

    I have dealt with this similar type of pain and condition for over 10 years. A few days ago I stumbled across a supplement called Glucosamine. Within the first day of taking it I felt some relief. Now this may very well be temporay relief, but I praise God/His Son who is able to cure and heal any ailment forever.

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