I have heard of this before (Costochondritis) and I do have a doctors appointment for the 22nd of this month, was planning on asking about it. My husband is active duty military and we have tricare which you would think is great since we don't really have any co pays or costs but unfortunately it means that we have to be seen at a military treatment facility, and some of the doctors there are over worked and simply don't care. I have tried to get a different doctor but because we live so close to the facility it has been impossible. The only way we can get a different doctor is to change our insurance to tricare standard and then we would have out of pocket expenses. I am hoping that they find out what this is soon as the pain is unbearable at times. Did they finally get rid of the pain for you? I take the percocet for the pain now and don't want to live on pain meds for the rest of my life.
34 year old male, work at a desk 10 hours a day for the last 7 years. I walk a couple miles a day, and that seems like it helps a little.Also ive been using ice lately, and that seems like it might be better then heat.
Rib outage-see a chiropractor
When a patient feels pain between the shoulder blades or in the upper back, it is almost always locked up thoracic spine and/ or rib joints. When the rib joints get locked up it can even hurt to take a deep breath. Pain will also increase when the patient bends the head down, or reaches across their chest using the hand on the most painful side.
If the rib joints are kinked long enough, it can extend pain in the front of the chest near the sternum. I have had many patients who have even feared they were having a heart attack because they have chest pain and difficulty breathing. Once a patient has had a rib problem they can tell the difference between this and a heart attack.
i agree with you 100 percent i believe some doctors need to stay in school alot longer than they do and some just are in it for the money not your health and we know more bout are health than what they actually do and thats very scary in society today what will become of people and there health when we arent getting the right answers that we all need to survive and not become a bunch of crazed maniacs because of doctors and their missed diagnoses and mistakes and exspecially treating you with the wrong meds that can cause other life threatning problems so please god help us all !
i agree with you 100 percent i believe some doctors need to stay in school alot longer than they do and some just are in it for the money not your health and we know more bout are health than what they actually do and thats very scary in society today what will become of people and there health when we arent getting the right answers that we all need to survive and not become a bunch of crazed maniacs because of doctors and their missed diagnoses and mistakes and exspecially treating you with the wrong meds that can cause other life threatning problems so please god help us all !
TELL YOUR DOCTORS WITH ALL OF YOU OUT THERE THAT ARE SUFFERING WITH MUSCLE PAIN IN YOUR BACK AND NECK WITH STIFFNESS THAT MAY NOT GO AWAY IT MAY BE DO TO FIBROMYILGIA AND HAVE THEM CHECK ALL YOUR PRESSURE POINTS GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU WHO ARE SUFFERING HOPE THIS MAY HELP AND MEMORY LOSS AND FOGGY FEELINGS IN YOUR HEAD ARE ALSO SYPTOMS OF IT BELIEVE ME NOT A FUN DISEASE TO HAVE ! GOD BLESS YOU ALL
I know it may sound strange, but have you considered that it may just be gas bubbles that have built up in the fluits over time. I know that after I had my son via c-section I experienced very similar pains in the same areas that you have listed here. I took a large amount of gas-x and such that gave mild relief but didn't get rid of the problem. Recently I have started seeing a Chiropractor and my back has started feeling better than it did before the surgery after only five sessions. It might be something to consider since it doesn't seem that your conventional doctors have been able to fix.
32 yr/old male here.
I'm glad I found this thread as I also have these EXACT problems. Tightness in chest with cracking ribs and sternum. Shoulders that feel tight and pop. My spine also locks up many times in a day and pops when I take a deep breath. The pain and tightness follows a pattern where it starts as soon as I wake up, gets worse mid day then works out to a dull discomfort type of feeling by night.
I get temporary relief by placing my hand on my chest and pressing which causes a pop in my shoulder area and the pain/stiffness goes away for a couple minutes. I also sometimes get sharp nerve pinching type pains under my shoulder blades that I relieve by lifting my shoulders up as far as possible similar to a shurg where I feel a series tendons/bones popping. This also typically causes temporary relief.
This all started one day with a dull burning sensation right in the center of my chest with no back/shoulder pain. The burning sensation gradually went away and turned into what I have no with the stiffness and back/shoulder pain. I too went through the whole heart workup such as stress test, imaging and all tests came back negative for ischemia which gave me some relief but with no medications working, I begin to think the worst as being heart related. I begin to wonder if the cardiologist missed something and if I should go to another one or even get an angio. Most of the time the pain and discomfort remain in my back and shoulders with no to little chest tightness but I sometimes get the chest tightness and fear heart even though it's probably not. I had anxiety attacks the first couple weeks but have now sort of came to terms with my condition and accept that it's out of my hands. I now live a much healthier life, lost 60 lb of weight and feel healthier overall but has done nothing for the pains.
I've done endless research on the internet and I think I'm ready to write a book on the various conditions that cause upper body pain. My work involves sitting behind a computer all day and I had a tendency to slouch a lot. I'm thinking this might be the cause but why would the issues start so suddenly. I can understand if it was gradual... I've given up on doctors for the time being and am waiting to see what happens. It has been about 6 months now since it all started. Anyway, I will post back here if I come across something or find relief.
OK, you seem to have some answers. I know you are right about stretching. It and massage is all that helps (oh and some heat). I have had this "thing" since 1994 and it has robbed me of so much. Yes, I have and anxiety issue which probably caused this thing in the first place BUT...the tightness and pain of it make the anxiety WAY worse. It is like a neverending cycle. Anxiety=tightness and back pain=anxiety=tightness and back pain. It's long over-due that the cycle was BROKEN. What did you do regarding the spiritual help? And new lifestyle....yes- what did you do and how did you do it?
OMG! I hope somebody sees my post as I see these were posted a year ago. My pain started in January 2014 and is now August 2014. My pain is in both my shoulder blades and neck and sometimes in the sternum/ ribcage. Some days I don't feel no pain in the sternum but always in the shoulder blades. My PCP sent me to cardiologist. I had every test a heart doctor can do- all came out fine. I then went to a GI specialist. Had a endoscopy and esophagus motility test- all fine. I been taking meds for heartburn for 15 years which GI doc switched cuz they stopped working. Anyways, I have the GERD controlled right now. Then I was sent to a neurologist. He sent me to get MRI and extensive blood work. Everything came out normal except I tested positive for ANA antinuclear antibody. He thought I may have LUPUS- had blood test - came out neg. MRI shows protrusion in C3 and C5 and narrowing of spinal opening. Was sent to Rheumatologist. He checked again for lupus- neg again. Had lung and thoracic and sternum XRAY- all okay. I do I have anxiety disorder and take klonopin which helps reduce the pain but its till there. Some days are worse than other but it just about everyday. I was given flexiral but I dont like it cuz makes me dizzy and tired, Taking tylenal for now. Waiting for Rheumatologist to send me for Physical therapy. I am scared of living in this pain. I am a young 43 yo male. I feel for all of you on hear but its good to know I am not alone. I pray someone sees my post. Thanks for reading this.
Hey guys, have a similar problem - not so much with the pain in the sternum but huge amount of tension in the muscle running down the right hand side of my back between my spine and shoulder blade. Get a weird numb / pins and needles feeling in my right arm and armpit. It feels as though the muscle needs to be stretched out - if I clasp my hands behind the back of my head and gently pull my head forward to my chest, I can feel that muscle pulling, as if it's a really tight elastic band.
My sister has had the same issue - she went to an acupuncturist who said that it has to do with posture and the position of your head (it's hard to explain in writing so bear with me). The acupuncturist told her that the further forward your head and chin are in relation to your shoulders and spine (in other words, the more that your chin protruds out past the line of your chest), the heavier it becomes for the trapezius and latissimus dorsi muscles in your back (as they have to support its weight). This creates a great deal of tension in those muscles. The acupuncturist did some needling and my sister said she suddenly felt this huge release of tension in that muscle. The answer going forward is to try and improve your posture by keeping your head more in line with your shoulders and back and don't let your chin push forward past your chest (as you might do if you are at a desk leaning towards a computer screen...)
I hope this makes sense - it might not be the answer to everyone's problem but I'm going to try it. All the best guys, I hope you all find some answers.