Chest Wall Pain

Front and back chest-wall tenderness (mild to agonizing) is pain reproduced by specific joint play motions of the thoracic spine, costo-transverse articulation, costo-chondral junction, and the costo-sternal junction.

Chest wall Pain can be caused by a sports-related event or more through insidious nature. The positional stresses and strains that accompany such activities as golf, tennis, swimming, running, mountain biking, volleyball, football, soccer, rugby, etc., are a common cause of altering the mechanics to lead to thoracic cage dysfunction.

The pain from the above thoracic cage dysfunctions may not be at the actual location of the segment in question, as pain is referred to a site from areas such as the neck , upper/mid back and surrounding soft tissue muscle structures. If the intercostal nerves are involved the pain might be referred secondarily due to a traction effect by the intercostal muscles, or by the numerous biochemical mediators initiating an inflammatory response.

Examination of this area should include joint play motions and soft tissue palpation to test the integrity and severity of the pain.

Chest Wall Pain Treatment

The Chiropractors at George St Chiropractic will use gentle soft tissue massage and mobilisations are utilised in this instance to restore the mechanics and reduce the physical stresses placed on the joint, muscle or nerve.