What are causes, symptoms of Costochondritis?

Learn what causes costochondritis and its symptoms. GetWellGo helps international patients understand and manage chest wall pain with expert insights.

What are causes, symptoms of Costochondritis?

  • Category

    Orthopedic

  • Published By

    GetWellGo Team

  • Updated on

    28-May-2025

What is Costochondritis?

The costochondritis can be caused by inflammation of the cartilage between a rib and the sternum. The area is referred to as the costosternal junction. Although the pain from the condition is like that of a heart attack, it hasn’t to do with the heart.

Key Facts:

  • Location of pain: Typically feels like it’s on the left side of the breastbone, but may involve both sides.
  • Pain types: It can be sharp, feel like an ache or be like pressure.
  • Made worse by: Movement, deep inhalation, coughing or touching the affected area.
  • Doesn’t usually cause harm: Painful experience, but it usually stops without causing injury.

Costochondritis Causes

Costochondritis is often caused by several factors such as:

Injury to the chest

  • If the chest gets struck during a fall, a car collision or sports, this can be dangerous.

Repetitive strain or overuse

  • A great deal of lifting, tough exercise or regular actions that strain the chest region.

Respiratory infections

  • A chest cold or bronchitis which is usually caused by viruses or bacteria can irritate the cartilage.

Inflammatory conditions

  • Examples of these conditions are arthritis (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis) or ankylosing spondylitis which produce inflammation in joints.

Tumors or Growths

  • In only extremely rare cases, there may be benign or malignant growths close to the chest wall.

Idiopathic (Unknown cause)

  • In many cases, what leads to a disease is not clear.

Poor posture

  • Repeatedly slouching can eventually lead to muscle and joint problems in the chest area.

Costochondritis Symptoms

Below are the usual symptoms of Costochondritis:

Main Symptom: Pain in the Chest

  • Location of the pain: People feel pain from this condition mostly on the left side, though it can happen on the right side too.

Kind of Pain:

  • Achy, stabbing, sharp or pain like pressure
  • Pain might look like symptoms of a heart attack.
  • Touching the point where the ribs attach to the sternum usually makes the pain worse.

Pain Triggers

  • Deep breathing
  • Coughing or sneezing
  • Exercise involving the upper part of your body
  • Lying in different ways
  • Regular movement like stretching or lifting

Some Other Signs

  • The painful joint can become swollen which is especially seen with Tietze syndrome.
  • Pain that appears and disappears or a pain that lingers in your body for several weeks
  • Pain that feels better while you are resting or applying heat, but becomes worse once you start to move

No heart-related symptoms

  • Some heart attack signs are not present in costochondritis, unlike heart attacks.
  • Feeling like you can’t breathe in fully
  • Sweating
  • Nausea
  • Irregular heartbeat

What triggers Costochondritis?

Anything that puts pressure or inflammation in the chest can cause or increase costochondritis. The following are the most frequently identified triggers:

Physical Triggers:

Doing strong or rigorous work

  • Overusing the upper body during any workout or work activity.

Repetitive movements

  • Examples are rowing, lifting weights or even a powerful coughing fit.

Injury or chest trauma

  • When an accident, fall or sports collision causes sharp damage.

Poor posture

  • Maintaining a hunched-over position for long stretches (such as at a desk).

Medical Triggers:

Respiratory infections

  • Colds or flu leading to a cough that lasts a while or doesn’t improve.

Inflammatory diseases

  • Illnesses include rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis or lupus.

Problems from infections after surgery

  • Rarely, after chest surgery, the infection may cause costochondritis.

Lifestyle/Environmental Triggers:

Cold weather

  • The cold can cause your chest muscles to tighten and make your symptoms worse.

Stress or Anxiety

  • Stress can make muscle tightening in your chest more painful.

Using large and heavy bags

  • Keeping heavy things in a backpack or shoulder bag may put pressure on your chest and rib joints.

How to treat Costochondritis?

Doctors try to lessen the pain and reduce swelling in costochondritis, because the condition can usually heal naturally over time. The most successful treatment options are as follows:

Medications

  • Ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve) are known as NSAIDs which work by decreasing inflammation and pain.
  • Acetaminophen (Tylenol): To help with pain (but not much to reduce swelling).
  • A topical treatment of gel or cream with menthol or the active ingredient diclofenac may help.

Rest and Exercise Changes

  • Rather than heavy lifting or strong exercises for your arms and shoulders, pick healthier options.
  • Remember to stop and get up occasionally if you’ve been sitting or working for some time.

Treat the area with either heat or cold

  • A warm compress or heating pad will relax your muscles and help reduce pain.    
  • You can use cold packs any time if pain is caused by new injury or recent inflammation.

Physical Therapy

  • Exercises designed to stretches the chest muscles.
  • Exercises that help improve your body posture.
  • Having a professional help with manual therapy or massage.

Epidural injections 

  • A doctor may inject a corticosteroid close to the painful area to control inflammation.
  • It’s used only in special cases where other treatments have failed and other problems have been ruled out.

Alternative Approaches

  • TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation): A device that sends small electrical pulses to the skin to reduce pain.
  • Some individuals feel their symptoms improve after acupuncture.

Lifestyle Adjustments

  • Keep your spine straight during the day.
  • Don’t wear your entire load on only one side of your body, especially for a long period.
  • Ways to stay calm (deep breathing, meditation), so your muscles don’t tighten up too much.

Costochondritis Diagnosis

Costochondritis is diagnosed with physical examination and by ruling out severe heart diseases that could cause chest pain. 

Medical History

When you see your doctor, they will ask you about:

  • How your chest feels, the place in your chest and how long it lasts
  • What triggers or relieves the pain
  • Any injury, illness or physical strain you have experienced lately
  • A history showing infections of the respiratory system or arthritis

Physical Examination

  • Doctors will look for certain symptoms as part of their examination.
  • Pressure at the spot where the ribs join with the breastbone
  • Having chest pain become more intense when the area is touched
  • According to Tietze syndrome, there is always swelling, but this is excluded in Kienböck’s disease.
  • Discomfort that becomes worse when you breathe deeply, cough or move

Exclude Possible Dangerous Causes

Because some chest pain may indicate serious internal problems, your doctor may advise specific tests:

  •  To make sure there is no heart attack or heart disease concerns
  • A chest X-ray may be done to spot lung issues, broken bones or cancerous growths.
  • Doctors may order blood tests to see if infection or inflammation signs are present.
  • If heart problems are still being considered, an echocardiogram or stress test may be used.

Diagnosis by Exclusion

Costochondritis is most often a diagnosis made after all the other possible problems have been ruled out:

  • Once all serious causes are ruled out
  • Pain can be found in the same area and can be reproduced by palpating the chest wall.
  • You are very likely to experience costochondritis.

Is costochondritis serious?

In most cases, costochondritis does not become severe. Though the chest pain may feel like a heart attack, it’s usually not serious and is generally not life-threatening.

Why the Condition Shouldn’t Worry You?

  • There are no side effects on the heart or lungs.
  • Doesn’t result in lasting harm to the chest wall or joints
  • In many cases, it disappears when you take it easy and use basic treatments

When It Is a Concern?

Though costochondritis itself is harmless, there are other complications.

  • Your doctor must investigate chest pain if it’s new or unusual, as heart problems should not be ruled out.
  • Swelling around the chest area may mean the problem is Tietze syndrome or an infection.
  • For pain that lasts a few weeks or affects everyday living, you should see your doctor.

Costochondritis Pain Relief

Using home care, medicine and helpful treatments can offer you pain relief from costochondritis.

Medications

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, called NSAIDs

  • The medications Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and Naproxen (Aleve).
  • Ease both inflammation and the pain associated with it

Acetaminophen (Tylenol)

  • It works well when nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs cannot be taken (the medication is less anti-inflammatory)

Topical analgesics

  • Diclofenac, menthol or capsaicin gels/creams should be applied straight onto the tender spot.

Warm and Cold Therapy

Heat packs (15–20 minutes)

  • Relaxes your muscles, boosts blood movement and relieves stress

Cold packs (10 to 15 minutes)

  • It helps ease inflammation and takes the edge off severe pain
  • Switch to whichever style works better for you

Rest and Avoid Aggravating Activities

  • Don’t stick to heavy lifting or vigorous upper-body activities.
  • Try to relax anywhere you are doing the same thing for too long.
  • If you feel pain, sleep on the other side or on your back.

Gentle stretching and physical therapy 

  • Upper back and chest stretches will loosen any tight muscles.
  • Exercises that improve strength and posture    
  • A physical therapist will show you the right way to exercise.

Supportive Therapies

TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation)

  • Can help stop pain messages from reaching the brain

Massage therapy

  • For muscles that are close together, do not put pressure on their joints.

Relaxation techniques

  • Deep breathing, meditation or yoga to relax myself and relieve muscle discomfort.

Injections

  • Corticosteroid injections might be recommended if ordinary treatments aren’t working.
  • Accomplished within the walls of a hospital or clinic

Why Choose GetWellGo for Costochondritis Treatment?

GetWellGo is regarded as a leading supplier of healthcare services. We help our foreign clients choose the best treatment locations that suit their needs both financially and medically.

We offer:

  • Complete transparency
  • Fair costs.
  • 24 hour availability.
  • Medical E-visas
  • Online consultation from recognized Indian experts.
  • Assistance in selecting India's top hospitals for costochondritis treatment.
  • Expert rheumatologist/orthopaedic surgeons/pulmonologist with a strong track record of success
  • Assistance during and after the course of treatment.
  • Language Support
  • Travel and Accommodation Services
  • Case manager assigned to every patient to provide seamless support in and out of the hospital like appointment booking
  • Local SIM Cards
  • Currency Exchange
  • Arranging Patient’s local food
     

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