Article explains costocondritis, chest wall pain, and its connection to anxiety

The condition accounts for up to 30% of emergency room patients presenting with chest wall pain, frequently affecting women over 40 as well as children and adolescents.

• •Costocondritis is an inflammation of the cartilage that connects a rib to the sternum.
• •The pain is located on the left of the sternum, worsens when taking a deep breath, and often mimics a heart attack.
• •It is also known as chest wall pain syndrome or costosternal syndrome.
• •When accompanied by swelling, it is referred to as Tietze's syndrome.
• •It represents up to 30% of chest wall pain cases seen in emergency rooms.
• •The condition most frequently appears in women over 40, as well as in children and adolescents.
• •Anxiety is not listed among the proven root causes of costocondritis, which often has no clear cause but can be linked to trauma, illness, or heavy physical exertion like intense coughing.
• •Stress and anxiety can aggravate or trigger the condition because muscle tension and rapid, shallow breathing overwork the chest wall.
• •Chest pain can generate anxiety, creating a feedback loop of muscle tension and amplified pain maintained by fear of a heart condition.