Pain in chest/breast (seen doc but no help)

shmunster
shmunster Posts: 538 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi there

I have already been to the doctor about this and she has ruled out anything major, and says she thinks it could be a muscle thing and to try voltarin gel. I've rung my physio and cant get in til next week

Slightly embarrassing, but at the moment my discomfort overrides my embarrassment!

I have a sharp stabbing pain in the side of my chest/breast, it started off as a one off about 4 days ago when I had my bra off, and now its fairly constant and gets better and worse depending on what I'm doing. It doesnt hurt with exercise, it more hurts if I bend over or twist

I've lost 30kg or 66 pounds and have a heap of loose skin in that area and I was a 16E before I lost the weight, and at a guess I'd say I'm now about a 10/12D

I do fairly low impact exercise, but have done a few jillian dvds in the past, and I always wear a bra when exercising

Has anyone had anything similar? Does anyone know what this is?
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Replies

  • ChasingSweatandTears
    ChasingSweatandTears Posts: 504 Member
    I sometimes experience the same thing, and for me it's not related to weight loss. My doc said it was a form of arthritis that would flare up with exercise, I first noticed it after doing pushups. I was 19 when I was told this so it really threw me for a loop! It comes and goes, but if it's really ba I take antiinflammatories like aleve or ibuprofen for a day or so and then it fades.
  • shmunster
    shmunster Posts: 538 Member
    Thanks chicky, it could be a similar thing then, its very annoying!
  • guamSUPERgirl90
    guamSUPERgirl90 Posts: 255
    mine might be different...

    I experience tenderness, extra sensitivity. It started like a couple of days after I started doing some running. My doc says its just heightened blood circulation making things a bit tender to the touch and it'll go away soon as my body adjusts.
  • swisspea
    swisspea Posts: 327 Member
    Oh, that sounds awful! Is the pain from the side towards the centre of your chest? I had similar pain on my left breast to the centre of my chest, and I found out that I had pulled my ribs from the cartilage around the breastbone a bit (not a total separation, that would sent you to the ER) , and damaged some of the rib muscles in the process. I couldn't sleep on my stomach (only my back) and a lot of movements were quite painful. All of this because of one really big sneeze (I wish I was kidding, but I'm not); injuries like that can result from the most innocent of actions.
  • shmunster
    shmunster Posts: 538 Member
    Owwwy, Yes its from the side to the centre of my chest, not glad that others have pain, but glad Im not the only one at the same time!

    Crzy hope yours settles donw soon for you
  • CatRiver
    CatRiver Posts: 2
    Ditto on the sprained ribs. I have done it a few times, once while running with dogs on a leash, and once sneezing. It' hurts, but rest and some muscle relaxers were how I pulled through the first couple days.
  • shmunster
    shmunster Posts: 538 Member
    Funny you say about the dogs, as I've got 2 dogs that I do dog sport with and part of the sport is them pulling on my arms, and me restraining them
  • ems1583
    ems1583 Posts: 180 Member
    Have you try palpating that area? If you feel any tenderness, nodules, trigger points or something rope-like that is painful perpendicular to the muscle, it might be Myofascial Pain Syndrome. I'm a physical therapist, its kinda hard to tell without me examining it. Anyway, yeah, what happens in there the covering of the muscle get tight/contracted causing pain. Acute signs are just intermittent pain, aggravated by wrong posture, stress, etc. Chronic MPS might have constant pain. PT will help to relieve pain, but if its chronic one may benefit from cortisone/steroid injection to help relax the muscle and control pain...

    You didn't have any trauma or anything? Rib fracture another thing that may cause pain on that area...
  • bridgie101
    bridgie101 Posts: 817 Member
    You can get pinched nerves between your ribs. Does it feel like a knitting needle sticking in? Does it hurt more when you breathe in deeply or make no difference? I get pinched nerves, if I take a really deep breath and sort of extend myself around as far as I can I can sometimes stretch it back out and make it go away.
  • shmunster
    shmunster Posts: 538 Member
    No trauma to that area, the doctor today had a feel around and said she couldnt feel anything, but she may not know all the muscle type stuff, I assume she was feeling for lumps and abnormalties

    I'm on a cancellation list for my physio so hopefully someone cancels and I can get in in the next few days, otherwise its next tues

    It does feel like a needle being jabbed in though

    Thanks everyone
  • guamSUPERgirl90
    guamSUPERgirl90 Posts: 255
    Owwwy, Yes its from the side to the centre of my chest, not glad that others have pain, but glad Im not the only one at the same time!

    Crzy hope yours settles donw soon for you

    Thanks! You too.
  • vidoardes
    vidoardes Posts: 70 Member
    I know I'm a guy, but I had this really sharp pain in the side of my ribcage, it was so bad I couldn't even dress myself for two days, and this was way before I started doing any exercising.The doctors told me it was either a pinched nerve of pulled muscle, and it went away on it's after a week
  • Maldivesbeachbodplease
    Maldivesbeachbodplease Posts: 444
    Hi there

    I have already been to the doctor about this and she has ruled out anything major, and says she thinks it could be a muscle thing and to try voltarin gel. I've rung my physio and cant get in til next week

    Slightly embarrassing, but at the moment my discomfort overrides my embarrassment!

    I have a sharp stabbing pain in the side of my chest/breast, it started off as a one off about 4 days ago when I had my bra off, and now its fairly constant and gets better and worse depending on what I'm doing. It doesnt hurt with exercise, it more hurts if I bend over or twist

    Does it hurt when you press down on it? I have had this down my breastbone and went to the docs and he examined me and said it is costochondritis...which is inflammation of the chest and rib cartilage.

    It hurts when i move sometimes and when i sneeze/cough. I have had it for a while now - he said there's nothing that can get rid of it..just take ibroprofen for the pain and to reduce the inflammation and it will go away in 6-8 weeks. It gets better but then when i am run down/been exercising lots it does come back.

    Hope this helps xxx
    I've lost 30kg or 66 pounds and have a heap of loose skin in that area and I was a 16E before I lost the weight, and at a guess I'd say I'm now about a 10/12D

    I do fairly low impact exercise, but have done a few jillian dvds in the past, and I always wear a bra when exercising

    Has anyone had anything similar? Does anyone know what this is?

    Not sure what happened there as it didnt post my reply!!

    I had this...pain in my breastbone...went to the docs and he examined me and diagnosed costochondritis...which is basically inflammation of the chest and rib cartilage. He said it will go within 6-8 weeks but just to take ibroprofen to reduce the pain.

    I hope this helps! xxx
  • shmunster
    shmunster Posts: 538 Member
    Thanks everyone, its definitely starting to sound like a rib thing

    I remembered too after posting this that on friday night I walked to the supermarket and carried about 10kg of groceries home in a back pack. I cant think now whether the pain started on friday morning or saturday morning but I think maybe this could have done it, or if not it wouldnt have helped either
  • sullymanjohn
    sullymanjohn Posts: 101
    There several possibilities as to what it could be...but here are a few common ones:

    Pulled lower pectoral muscle- can make breathing, twisting motions, or arm pumping painful. Can be treated with simple stretching and hot/cold intervals.

    Pinched lateral nerve- same as above, but from the nerve being pinched it tenses and pulls the chest muscles creating a pressure. Can be treated as above.

    Diaphragm cramping- If you run and exhale when you land on the same foot (for most people they exhale on the right foot down motion) then it can cause the body to pull diaphragm a little bit harder towards the opposite side of the body. The result is side pain, quicker exhaustion, and a mild pulling sensation across the lower pectorals. Try doing a light jogging mantra slowly at first by leading with your left foot and counting 1, 2, 3, 4 with every foot strike while exhaling and then when you're left foot hits again after right foot 4 exhale and count left foot down 1 right foot down 2 should be the end of your exhale. This will lower diaphragm pulling.

    Not sure if any of this is your problem, but these are common problems that I've seen in the military (especially amongst marines that just push and push instead of exercising carefully). Maybe just slow down a bit and stretch?
  • emmalecras
    emmalecras Posts: 79 Member
    Bel, glad that you had it checked out and that she found nothing major. Although it would be nice to actually find a cause.
  • shmunster
    shmunster Posts: 538 Member
    Its kind of just under my underarm level, half way up my sternum

    I'm glad its nothing major too em, but it still hurts!
  • sal82
    sal82 Posts: 33 Member
    4 Days? Is it possible you pulled the muscle getting the cart moving for Eddie at weight pull on saturday? It took alot of effort to get the 412kg cart moving.
  • Avandel
    Avandel Posts: 283 Member
    A rib out of joint can cause that kind of pain, I know, I've experienced it more than once. It can also give you a sharp pain when you breath. See a chiropractor! :smile:
  • Jesea
    Jesea Posts: 374 Member
    I was also diagnosed with costochondritis when I was about 23....started exercising more and haven't had any flare-ups since!

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