Costochondritis is an inflammation where the upper ribs connect to the cartilage that holds them to the breastbone. It causes sharp, localized chest pain that can be alarming even though the condition itself is relatively harmless. Our doctors have helped many patients find relief without drugs, using gentle techniques that let the rib cage move the way it is supposed to.
The cause is often unknown, though it can follow increased activity involving the arms, an infection, or even a complication of chest surgery. Whatever brought it on, the pain is real, and it deserves a real answer.
Patients describe a sharp, stabbing pain that gets worse with every breath, and men with costochondritis often head straight to the hospital certain they are having a heart attack. The pain sits right where the ribs meet the breastbone, and it can make something as simple as breathing, coughing, or reaching overhead feel like a real event.
The number one thing we hear at the practice is that it feels like someone is taking an ice pick to your back.
Chest pain in an adult is treated seriously by every doctor until proven otherwise, and that is exactly how it should be. Adults with chest pain typically go through testing to rule out a heart attack or heart disease before anyone lands on a diagnosis of costochondritis, because the two can be genuinely hard to tell apart without that testing. Once the heart is cleared and a physical exam is consistent with costochondritis, the picture becomes clear.
Costochondritis affects people of every age. It is actually one of the more common causes of chest pain in children and adolescents, responsible for 10 to 30 percent of chest pain complaints in kids. Both women and men get it, though it shows up in women noticeably more often, roughly 70 percent of cases versus 30 percent in men. Coughing, exercise, pregnancy, sneezing, and increased arm activity can all bring it on.
When your ribs are out of position, our doctors use Koren Specific Technique (KST) and Talsky Tonal Chiropractic (TTC), light, nervous system focused contacts from both the front and the back of the rib cage, no cracking, popping, or forceful manipulation. Adjusting the sternum helps, as does releasing the muscles surrounding the ribs, and we use INSiGHT scanning to see exactly where the irritation is coming from before we touch a rib.
The goal is simple: let your ribs move and glide the way they are meant to, especially when you breathe. We may also recommend heat or ice at home to take the edge off while your rib cage settles back into its normal motion.
Because the contacts are gentle, care does not add discomfort on top of what you are already feeling. Most patients notice breathing gets easier before the sharp, stabbing sensation fully resolves, followed by being able to cough, reach, and move through daily activity without bracing for that ice pick feeling again.
Book an Appointment If you think you are experiencing costochondritis, our doctors see patients on Saturdays in Royal Oak.
Book OnlineThe exact cause is often unknown, but it commonly follows increased activity involving the arms, an infection, or a complication of chest or sternum surgery. Coughing, exercise, pregnancy, and sneezing can also bring it on.
Chest pain in adults is treated seriously until testing rules out the heart, because costochondritis and heart-related chest pain can be genuinely hard to tell apart. Once heart disease has been ruled out through testing and a physical exam is consistent with costochondritis, that becomes the diagnosis.
Yes. It is actually one of the more common causes of chest pain in children and adolescents, accounting for 10 to 30 percent of chest pain complaints in kids.
Our doctors use light, nervous system focused KST and TTC contacts from both the front and back of the rib cage to help ribs that are out of position move and glide freely again. Adjusting the sternum and releasing the surrounding muscles both play a role, and we use INSiGHT scanning to pinpoint exactly where the irritation is coming from.
Yes. Our contacts are gentle, with no cracking, popping, or forceful manipulation, so care does not add discomfort on top of what you are already dealing with. We also may recommend heat or ice at home alongside your visits.
It affects people of all ages, though women are affected noticeably more often than men, roughly 70 percent of cases versus 30 percent.
Chest pain in a child sends most parents straight to urgent care, and it should. Once the heart is cleared, here is what a restricted rib joint has to do with pain that keeps showing up in kids and teens.
See what Royal Oak families say in our Google reviews and patient stories, or browse everything we offer.
Our doctors put together a full article on costochondritis that explains what's really behind it and what lasting relief looks like. Get instant access below.
