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Be able to distinguish costochondritis and musculoskeletal pain. Take over the counter pain medication. Get plenty of rest. Stretch beforehand if you exercise. Use a heating pad. Make an appointment with a healthcare professional if symptoms continue.
The ribs are connected to the sternum through the cartilage in the "chondrosternal" joint. When that cartilage gets inflamed usually from strenuous activity you can feel chest pain from costochondritis. Exercise may also strain chest muscles, leading to musculoskeletal pain that feels like costochondritis. The pain can be sharp, aching, or feel like pressure on the chest. You usually will feel it only when you move or breathe. However, these two causes of chest pain are the only ones that can be reproduced by putting pressure on the area with your hand. To tell the difference between musculoskeletal and cartilage joint pain, press on the the ribs around the sternum (bone in center of your chest). If there's pain next to the sternum, chances are you have costochondritis. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen will ease the pain from cartilage and muscular chest pain. These drugs suppress the inflammation process whether in the cartilage or the muscles reducing the conditions that cause pain. Take 2 pills or tablets with water and food. The food helps prevent irritation of the stomach. The pain from these conditions is self-limiting, meaning that it will go away with time instead of lingering. However, you need to rest your strained muscles and your rib joints to give the damaged tissue a chance to heal. If you don't want to stop exercising completely, at least reduce the exercises that put stress on the chest area. If you don't adequately stretch your muscles before strenuous activity, you will feel tightness and pain in them after you stop. This is the last thing you want when you're experiencing cartilage or muscle pain. Before beginning your exercise sessions, make sure to stretch the muscle groups in the chest: Lift your arms straight over your head, then stretch as far to the back and sides as you can. Really let your chest muscles expand and relax as you do this. While facing a corner, stretch your arms out fully and place one hand on each wall. Move your hands further apart from each other, letting your chest come closer to the wall in the process. With your feet planted on the ground, get a firm hold of the sides of an open door. Lunge your chest forward, holding your body up by your grip on the doorframe. You can also simply walk forward while holding onto the doorframe. Heat can be an effective therapy for ongoing muscle or joint issues, and can ease this type of chest pain. Place the heat pad in the microwave and heat as described in the directions. Place it over the painful areas intermittently so you don't burn yourself. The heat will loosen the tension in your muscles and promote healing. You can also massage the area after applying heat with the pads of your fingers to further loosen the muscles. Taking a warm bath with a cup of Epsom's salts in the water can also ease the pain in your cartilage and muscles. If you're continuously straining your chest muscles, don't expect the pain to go away quickly. However, if the pain lingers even with plenty of rest, you should schedule an appointment with your doctor. Seek immediate attention if you were in an accident involving chest trauma. A broken rib can damage the lungs and heart if left untreated. Your doctor may perform an x-ray to note any broken bones.