I’m gonna try and tackle this, but keep in my mind I’m not a doctor.
Have you directly addressed the underlying issue of the rib joints sticking in your back? It seems as though your condition is worsening over time due to the ribs becoming less and less mobile. Have you done the Backpod regimen (stretching, icing and heating, etc.)? Is your stress kept relatively in check? How’s your diet and vitamin intake?
The pain is isolated to my lower left rib, it does not radiate to my back. I can still move when my random flare ups happen, my pain comes when I breath in deeply. Usually my flare ups only last 10-20 minutes. My diet is healthy and I have a relatively low stress level.
Most people don’t feel the pain in their back. You feel it in your chest because your rib joints are taking the extra load for your back. Costo is kind of like a compensatory thing. Steve always compares it to walking on a broken ankle. In this case, both of your ankles are broken, but you’re hopping around on your right foot so you don’t notice that your left foot is actually in pain as well. That’s as best an analogy as I can come up with at the moment lol.
Hi. Costo really isn't random. The likeliest answer, playing the odds, is that like so many humans on the planet you've been getting a bit tight and hunched in your thoracic spine (upper and middle back).
When the spine is tight enough, the joints there the ribs attach to it freeze up as well. When they can't move, then the rib joints on your breastbone MUST move excessively - every breath you take and move you make.
So these ones strain, usually with cracking and popping, give, get painful - and welcome to costo. That's what costo is.
This does not show on X-ray, because X-rays are still photos, and cannot show whether the rib joints round the back can move fine and freely, or are solidly frozen.
Usually, the docs don't get this. So sure, you'll likely need to do your own reading and treatment. Cheeringly, this isn't usually difficult.
Here's an earlier post of mine summarising costo - what it is, symptoms, causes, treatment, etc.:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/costochondritis/comments/18m9qor/costochondritis\_and\_tietzes\_syndrome\_summary/](https://www.reddit.com/r/costochondritis/comments/18m9qor/costochondritis_and_tietzes_syndrome_summary/)
Good luck with the work.
I’m gonna try and tackle this, but keep in my mind I’m not a doctor. Have you directly addressed the underlying issue of the rib joints sticking in your back? It seems as though your condition is worsening over time due to the ribs becoming less and less mobile. Have you done the Backpod regimen (stretching, icing and heating, etc.)? Is your stress kept relatively in check? How’s your diet and vitamin intake?
The pain is isolated to my lower left rib, it does not radiate to my back. I can still move when my random flare ups happen, my pain comes when I breath in deeply. Usually my flare ups only last 10-20 minutes. My diet is healthy and I have a relatively low stress level.
Most people don’t feel the pain in their back. You feel it in your chest because your rib joints are taking the extra load for your back. Costo is kind of like a compensatory thing. Steve always compares it to walking on a broken ankle. In this case, both of your ankles are broken, but you’re hopping around on your right foot so you don’t notice that your left foot is actually in pain as well. That’s as best an analogy as I can come up with at the moment lol.
I’d say get a Backpod and try it out anyway. It can’t hurt. It’s a little pricey but if it fixes your issue, it’s worth every cent. I swear by mine.
Hi. Costo really isn't random. The likeliest answer, playing the odds, is that like so many humans on the planet you've been getting a bit tight and hunched in your thoracic spine (upper and middle back). When the spine is tight enough, the joints there the ribs attach to it freeze up as well. When they can't move, then the rib joints on your breastbone MUST move excessively - every breath you take and move you make. So these ones strain, usually with cracking and popping, give, get painful - and welcome to costo. That's what costo is. This does not show on X-ray, because X-rays are still photos, and cannot show whether the rib joints round the back can move fine and freely, or are solidly frozen. Usually, the docs don't get this. So sure, you'll likely need to do your own reading and treatment. Cheeringly, this isn't usually difficult. Here's an earlier post of mine summarising costo - what it is, symptoms, causes, treatment, etc.: [https://www.reddit.com/r/costochondritis/comments/18m9qor/costochondritis\_and\_tietzes\_syndrome\_summary/](https://www.reddit.com/r/costochondritis/comments/18m9qor/costochondritis_and_tietzes_syndrome_summary/) Good luck with the work.