What medical specialist treats costochondritis?
You may be referred to a doctor who specializes in disorders of the joints (rheumatologist).
Is costochondritis a medical emergency?
If you have chest pain, you should seek emergency medical attention to rule out life-threatening causes such as a heart attack.
How do you elicit costochondritis?
The classic diagnostic test for slipping rib syndrome is the hooking maneuver: with the patient supine, the examiner hooks the fingers under the inferior margin of the ribs (ribs 8-10) and pulls straight up. The maneuver is positive if it reproduces the pain or rib movement.
What does the medical term costochondritis mean?
Costochondritis is the medical term for inflammation of the cartilage that joins your ribs to your breastbone (sternum). This area is known as the costochondral joint.
Why won’t my costochondritis go away?
Long-term pain caused by costochondritis can be debilitating if untreated. Normally, treatment of the inflammation and pain causes costochondritis to eventually go away on its own. If you have chronic costochondritis, the pain may return — even with treatment — when you exercise or engage in certain activities.
How can I sleep with costochondritis?
Other than taking medications for pain and inflammation, what I find helps is not to sleep on the side affected, and try not to sleep on back or stomach. When sleeping on other side prop up your ribs with a pillow this will give them support throughout the night.
How do you stop costochondritis pain?
Using local heat or ice to relieve pain. Avoiding unnecessary exercise or activities that make the symptoms worse; avoiding contact sports until there is improvement in symptoms, and then returning to normal activities only as tolerated. Doing stretching exercises.
How can I sleep with costochondritis pain?
Is there an alternative treatment for costochondritis?
Energy Healing is an alternative treatment for Costochondritis. Costochondritis is an inflammation of the cartilage that connects your ribs to your breast bone. Depending on how much inflammation there is, it can range from a mild annoyance to extremely painful.
What do you need to know about costochondritis?
Patient information: See related handout on costochondritis, written by the authors of this article. Costochondritis, an inflammation of costochondral junctions of ribs or chondrosternal joints of the anterior chest wall, is a common condition seen in patients presenting to the physician’s office and emergency department.
How is electroacupuncture used to treat costochondritis?
Mobilisation of the spine and ribs to improve thorax mobility and to reduce symptoms. On the painful area they can use transcutaneous electrical stimulation and electroacupuncture. The acupuncture needle is placed within the involved spinal segment. Than low-frequency electrical currents are applied on the inserted needle.
How long does it take for costochondritis to go away?
The cause of costochondritis is unknown usually (though there are many potential causes). Costochondritis will typically go away on its own within a few weeks to a months, though some have reported experiencing symptoms for years. The condition tends to flare up off and on over time.