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COSTOCHONDRITIS? TIETZES SYNDROME
by MELISSA
TIETZES SYNDROME HI THERE CAN YOU PLEASE ADVISE ME I HAVE HAD PAIN FOR NEARLY 2 YEARS IN THE RIB, STERNUM, BREAST REGION SOMETIMES RADIATING TO MY MID BACK, RIGHT UNDER THE SHOULDER BLADE. ALSO I HAVE HAD PAIN IN MY ARM, WITH TINGLING IN MY FINGERS. I CAN'T LIE IN CERTAIN WAYS, I DEFINITELY CAN'T LIE ON MY FRONT AND TWISTING IS A NO-NO. I CAN'T LIFT THINGS FOR ANY LENTGH OF TIME. IT'S SERIOUSLY AFFECTING MY LIFE THAT I'M SO DOWN EVERY DAY AND I HAVE 3 GORGEOUS GIRLS WHO ARE NOT SEEING THE BEST OF THEIR MUM AND I AM SUFFERING. I'M OK IF I DON'T MOVE BUT I CAN'T GO ON EVERY DAY LIKE THIS, MY DAUGHTERS HAVE HEALTH PROBLEMS AND SEVERE SKIN CONDITIONS AND I THINK YEARS OF DOING THEIR SKIN ROUTINE HAS OVER WORKED MY MUSCLES BUT I'VE HAD SCANS XRAYS BLOOD TESTS AND NOTHING IS SHOWING UP I WOULD JUST LOVE A DIAGNOSIS OF SOMETHING AND A PROMISE IT WIL GET BETTER AS I CAN'T FACE LIFE LIKE THIS EVERY DAY. PLEASE CAN YOU HELP I,M IN SCOTLAND UK ANY ADVISE IS WELCOME AS I HAVE THE PAIN CLINIC AT THE HOSPITAL SOON AND NO ONE KNOWS WHAT TO DO WITH ME. THEY ARE SAYING I,M A HYPOCHONDRIAC SO I JUST SHUT UP AND PERSEVERE NOW. I TRAINED AS A HOLISTIC THERAPIST AND QUALIFIED JUST BEFORE THIS HAPPENED AND THAT DREAM IS IN TATTERS NOW AND AFFECTING FAMILY INCOME. IF YOU CAN FIND ANYTHING THEN I WOULD BE SO GRATEFUL, YOURS SINCERELY Hello Melissa, Regretably I can't do anything to help you, but there is sure to be someone nearby to help you out. You have what seems to be a classic case of Tietze's syndrome. I take it you have seen the page on Tietzes at C-H, hence this letter. Is it also giving you indigestion? The diaphragm attaches to those the lower six ribs and so upset tum is often a biproduct of the problem. Tietze's syndrome is a dysfunction of the whole rib, hence you are getting pain all the way from the midback where the rib begins, all along its course to the breastbone. One big NO-NO. Never let anyone manipulate you hard in the midback. That will aggravate the condition. Talk to your local Chiropractor about that, as it took me 20 years to work that out. S/he may not know it either. You need help, Melissa, see your local DC. What you can do for yourself is: * Fill a polystyrene cup with water and put it in the deep freeze. When frozen tear away a little of the polystyrene so that the ice is proud. Take it to the shower or bath. First give yourself an ice massage over the offending rib-breastbone joint. When very cold, go in the hot water. Repeat a few times. Do it at least once a day, preferably more often. * Take a little massage oil or cream and gently run your index and middle finger, straddling the painful rib(s), starting at the breastbone and moving as far under the breast as you can reach. * Lying on your side, ask hubby to use some cream to rub all along the rib from your back towards sternum, under the armpit, under the breast (no hanky panky now!). Take him with you, by the way, the treatment goes all around the breast (mostly you can pull the breast tissue out the way with your own hand which gives you a modicum of privacy. But that rib needs a very specific and careful Chiropractic adjustment to fix this condition. Thought: It took me me 25 years to work out the treatment of this condition. If your chiro is floundering, suggest he skype me. I'm very happy to go thru the protocol with her/him. There's hope, Melissa. Really there is. This is something I treat on a daily basis, it's really quite common, just you have a particularly bad, and now chronic dose of it. If all else fails, I'll be in Ludlow in June, tho not sure what the laws of the land are. I'm not registered in the UK. Otherwise you could come to Dordrecht in the Netherlands for a week or two in July or August where I'll be doing a locum, nice holiday in Holland! But first your local DC. Oh, btw, don't believe that bs about being a hypochondriac. That's we doctors do when don't know what else to do: blame the patient: IT MUST BE YOUR FAULT! This is a very real condition, just Medicine is not so good at handling musculo-skeletal conditions. Oh, by the way, it's well known that a progressive and inadequately treated Tietzes syndrome begins to affect the neck and arms. Let me know how you get on. Dr B |
