Is costochondritis bad?

Costochondritis, cost-what-now?! If you’re like us and have never heard of this funky term until now, take a seat and buckle up because we’ve got some hilarious insights for you.

What is Costochondritis?

Let’s break down the terminology first. “Costo” means ribs (not to be confused with “costco”, which means bulk shopping), while “chondritis” refers to inflammation of cartilage. So when you combine the two, what do you get? Inflammation where your ribs and sternum connect! Yeah, it sounds painful just thinking about it.

Symptoms: Hellllp!

Oh boy, the symptoms are not funny at all. Sharp pain or tenderness in your chest area during movements such as breathing or laughing, sensitivity to touch around the affected area, difficulty in taking deep breaths, etc. Even simple tasks can turn into struggles when facing this condition – making even basic human actions feel like battling through mud!

Who Can Get It Though?

Apparently anyone can become a victim of costochondritis (so don’t go rubbing your good health bragging cards too much). However certain factors tend to increase its likelihood such as injury or trauma around that region (yeah keep those rugby-soccer-football collisons away from there!!), excessive strain (which makes pushing masala chai trolleys at weddings quite risky) smoking (smoke but only pun intended – general advice) , Vitamin D deficiency ‘(You hear that folks? Time for some sunshine all right).’

While these are few controllable causative agents / triggers (we love science lingo) other things such as fibromyalgia -(ignoring what every stand-up comedian has said on Netflix so far fibr- oh well why no mention it here anyways) chronic arthritis (oh darling my osteoarthritis is back, we all have that one aunty who won’t miss the chance to bring this topic up), etc. can also pose a risk.

Diagnosis: Doctors and Tests

We hate to break it to you but identifying costochondritis is not an easy task (No buying cheap international web degrees for self-diagnosing PLEASE 😝) That being said, your doctor will ask about your medical history, perform a physical examination (trying hard not to tickle you), and possibly recommend diagnostic tests such as x-rays or MRI scans (cue in green jello-filled hospitals) – those test rooms are either ice-cold or sauna-hot!!

Bottom line? It’s crucial NOT brush off any pain around the chest area and get checked by professionals immediately (we aren’t discussing yoga mats here people!!!)

Treatment options: Moving ahead with a smile huh 😉

Fear not guys! There’s always hope – even when it feels like a fire drill inside of us. Let’s dive into ways on combatting this illness:

  • Over-the-counter Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)- (Don’t worry folks they aren’t MLM products) helps lower inflammation whilst reducing pain.
  • Heat therapy or cold packs help soothe the problematic areas decreasing swelling, inflammation alleviating soreness too.
  • Avoid heavyweight holding workouts at least until recovery takes place (time to befriend some cardio machines instead)
    Y’all heard that right; our best friends for now shall unfortunately not be Dumbbells and weights(I mean let’s keep them locked away saving on gym memberships)

Nerve blocks situations could arise however more severe cases require injecting anti-inflammatory medication directly under the inflamed cartilage region – what happened? Getting anxious cause needles make want yawn ? Deep breaths in… Hold…. breathe out!!! 😝😝

Recovery road: steps to healing

Ok let’s all pray that costochondritis doesn’t have a grip on your life but even when it does luckily recovery isn’t too drastic. Amidst the memes and laughs concerning the chest colic, here are some ways for returning to normalcy quicker than you think:

  • Physical therapy sessions (note moving that area into motion shall only be entertained once doctors sign-off) which includes stretching exercises targeting at increasing flexibility within the affected zone.
  • Take ample time off work if necessary – rest requirements increase whilst suffering from this ailment(trust us ..our corporate friends out there don’t need convincing beyond this point).
  • Re-consider your sleeping position (time to switch with partner, jk of course not) while recovering because lying in certain postures can put more pressure on inflamed parts.
    To sum it up, patience like always is key – trying to push things before recovery takes place prolongs agony.

You’re welcome folks – we know y’all were dying (not literally!) for those healing tips above 🤭🙂

Final thoughts ……………….or forgetfulness?

We’ll take any humorous content we can get right? Why not throw everything possible towards making light of a difficult situation ?! At least consider humor as part of our defense mechanism… plus who wants bot-bot jokes about cartilages being repeated over and over again .

Being in pain makes anyone cranky; add a dash of humour or sarcasm helps make sure we aren’t composing worst-case scenarios around every ache and twinge in our body 😂😂(Yes guys Monty-Python shall surely come by for some much needed non-religious entertainment)

In conclusion Costochondritis really isn’t an inside joke among healthcare providers – pay attention whenever something feels sore or tender around the chest region because anything health-related should never be brushed off. Remember our golden – ok maybe more like bronze nugget- isn’t to become a medical expert overnight expecting over-the-counter meds as the sole saviour; rather simply calling time-out and checking with professional doctors (trust us why Google it when you have health insurance be so much simpler😉)

Stay safe, healthy and of course backed up with your rib protectors (cue bunch of laughs )!

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