Costochondritis

Also known as: Costochondritis, Costosternal syndrome, Chest wall pain, Anterior chest wall pain, Tietze syndrome

Costochondritis is inflammation of the cartilage joining the ribs to the breastbone, causing localised, reproducible chest wall pain that is tender to pressure and often worse with deep breathing, coughing or certain movements. It is a benign, self-limiting condition, but because it causes chest pain it must only be diagnosed after cardiac and other serious causes have been reasonably excluded, particularly in people over 35 or with cardiac risk factors [1][2]. Management is reassurance, activity modification, heat, and simple analgesia or anti-inflammatories; most cases settle within weeks to months [1][2][3]. Tietze syndrome is a related condition with visible swelling of the costochondral junction [2]. In Chinese medicine costochondritis corresponds to Xié Tòng 胁痛 (rib-side pain) or chest Bi obstruction from trauma, strain or Qi stagnation obstructing the local channels, sometimes with Blood stasis. Acupuncture can help pain while the condition settles, provided serious causes have been excluded first [1][4].