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Cures for Costochondritis
What is good medication for costochondritis?
(12 Jan 2011)
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The rib cage is an important part of the skeletal structure in the human body. Within the rib cage are the lungs, the liver and the heart. All of these are extremely vital organs that are essential for the life of an individual.
The rib cage is made up of several bones that form a cage around from the back of the body to the front. This protection is important to avoid direct injury to these important organs. The breast bone is known as the sternum. The sternum is the mounting point for the ribs. Each rib connects to the sternum through a piece of cartilage. Costochondritis is a condition where the cartilage connecting the rib and the sternum becomes inflamed. As one might expect, the symptoms of costochondritis include pain and discomfort in the chest region. This problem usually is exacerbated by exercise and physical activity. Because of the location of this problem, the symptoms of costochondritis are initially assumed to be related to the heart and lungs. Once these organs have been excluded, the symptoms of costochondritis will be used to point to the actual problem. One should also note that the pain felt as a symptom of costochondritis is shallow when compared to the pain felt in heart and lung conditions.
The causes of costochondritis are rather vague and have not been properly identified. Most doctors agree that one of the causes of costochondritis is excessive exercise and, therefore, movement of the ribs. Individuals who are performing repetitive physically intensive tasks may cause costochondritis to occur if these tasks put repeated loads through the chest muscles and cause movements in the ribs. Severe cases of costochondritis lead to difficulty in breathing without pain. Several sports require physical conditioning that may lead to costochondritis. Rowing and tennis are two sports where the chances of costochondritis are quite high. One of the known causes of costochondritis is excessively rapid exercise. Individuals, particularly those with no exercise history, may exert their bodies too far too quickly. This can cause damage with muscles and with the joints that are involved in the process of exercise. The joints between the ribs and sternum are not supposed to move much, apart from during breathing. Therefore, any exercise that causes these joints to move quickly will end up causing pain to the individual.
There are three types of costochondritis treatments that can be used. Before seeking cures for costochondritis, the individual should have the condition diagnosed properly. This will ensure that there is no risk of heart or lung trouble, because, as mentioned above, the pain may be in the same area as heart or lung pain. Effective costochondritis treatments include rest and heat applications. Rest is the most essential forms of costochondritis treatment. Rest involves resisting any movement of these bones and joints as much as possible. During periods of rest, heat can be applied to help reduce the pain in the area. The warmth is often soothing and helps deal with the pain felt during deep breathing. The heat may also stimulate blood circulation. This will, over time, help to reduce the inflammation in the area. One should note that an inflamed part of cartilage is much more sensitive to further inflammation and must be treated very carefully. Other costochondritis treatments include the use of anti inflammatory medication. This type of medication should not, under any circumstances, be consumed without the prescription of a doctor. Anti inflammatory medication is often required by the individual to help tackle the severe phase of the condition. Once the inflammation has reduced, the individual can seek other therapeutic solutions to improve the health of the cartilage.
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answered by G M on 12 Jan 2011, 4:34:19
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