Common Conditions That Cause Chest Pain
Chest wall and musculoskeletal conditions that may contribute to or cause chest pain include:
- Pectus excavatum: In this condition, the breastbone grows inward, which can leave less room in the chest, potentially causing pain and affecting major organs like the heart and lungs.
- Pectus carinatum: When the cartilage joining the ribs to the breastbone grows too much, it pushes the chest outward, which can cause pain with some activities.
- Costochondritis: The cartilage connecting your ribs to your breastbone can become inflamed, causing chest wall tenderness and pain that may resemble heart-related chest pain.
- Rib fractures: Any break or crack in your rib bones can cause pain when you laugh, cough or inhale deeply.
- Muscle strains: Heavy lifting, intense exercise or forceful coughing can strain the chest muscles, leading to soreness with movement.
- Chest wall injuries: Trauma can affect the ribs, breastbone, muscles, ligaments, cartilage or tendons in the chest wall. These injuries may cause chest wall pain, tenderness, bruising or discomfort that worsens with pressure or movement.
- Slipping rib syndrome: When the cartilage that attaches your lower ribs becomes unstable, ribs can slip out of place, irritating nerves and causing sudden, on-and-off pain.
In some cases, chest pain may be referred from another area. Certain spine conditions, including disc problems, can cause pain that radiates toward the chest.
