Can Fibromyalgia Cause Chest Pain?

Please share this one!

… Continued …

  1. Costochondritis usually affects the left side of the sternum. It can occur in more than one rib, especially in the fourth, fifth, and sixth ribs.
  2. Many times it’s preceded by minor trauma, an infection in the upper part of the respirator system, or exercise.
  3. How does chest pain associated with costochondritis feel like? It’s usually aching /pressure-like, which sometimes may be sharp – and typically occurs on front chest wall. It may radiate elsewhere in the body such as shoulder, abdomen, or back. And when you put pressure on the rib joints, you usually feel reproducible tenderness.
  4. The pain often worsens with lying down, sneezing, physical activity (exercise), hugging someone, wearing a seatbelt, pressure on the chest, or when you cough /take a deep breath.

Interestingly, both costochondritis and fibromyalgia are more common in women. Furthermore, many times there is no clear (definitive) cause of costochondritis. But sometimes the disease may be triggered or caused by the following conditions:

  1. Repeated minor trauma or injury to the chest wall.
  2. Physical strain – overuse of the arms, severe chronic coughing, strenuous exercise, or frequent heavy lifting for examples.
  3. Viral infections in the respiratory system.
  4. Having a surgery in the upper chest. After surgery, the cartilage and joint are more vulnerable to get infected.
  5. Certain health conditions, such as ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis, might have a role to increase the risk of costochondritis.

As mentioned earlier, costochondritis often heals on its own. But if you have fibromyalgia, treatment may be necessary since any other sources of pain can make it more difficult to cope with fibromyalgia.

Here are some home remedies that may help:

  1. Heart or ice remedies might be helpful to soothe the pain. Try putting a heating pad on the affected area. Do it several times a day. And just make sure to set the heat on a safe, low setting! Afterward, placing an ice pack to the painful area might help, too.
  2. If necessary, take regular breaks at work!
  3. Write down any activities that worsen your pain and avoid them!
  4. Some over-the-counter pain relievers might help relieve your pain.

Sometimes physical therapies are used to help improve the symptoms. These include nerve stimulation therapy, acupuncture, or stretching exercises to train the chest muscles. Discuss with a doctor for more guidance!

.

Please Leave a Few Words

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *