What Is Costochondritis?
A number of heart conditions and causes of chest pain are known today and can be particularly difficult for the affected individual to identify. Costochondritis is one such condition. Inflammation of the cartilage that connects a rib to the sternum, costochondritis causes pain like that of a heart attack and may mimic symptoms of angina and other heart conditions. Known several other names including chest wall pain, costosternal chondrodynia, and costosternal syndrome, costochondritis coinciding with swelling is denoted as Tietze syndrome.
Much like symptoms of angina, the symptoms of costochondritis are fairly typical of any chest or heart problem. Common symptoms include pain and tenderness of the chest cavity, localized pin on the left side of the breastbone and worsened pain when breathing deeply or coughing. While not typical, some cases may also cause nausea, fatigue, and sweating.
While most cases of costochondritis have no finite cause, some potential causes have been recognized. Costochondritis may be caused by injury to the chest, physical strain such as from lifting or strenuous exercising, arthritis, infection in the joint, and tumors.
As the cause of costochondritis is frequently unknown, treatment often focuses on relieving the pain or symptoms associated with the condition while the costochondritis improves on its own. Many natural treatments are available that assist in both. Goldenseal, olive leaf, grapefruit seed extract, and cat's claw are all effective supplements for treating infection that may be causing costochondritis. L-lysine, multizyme, and dolomite are also effective supplements for supporting overall bone and cartilage health. Additional treatment options include visiting a chiropractor and trying prolotherapy to directly focus massage and healing on the chest cavity.
