Treating Atypical Chest Pain

1. Treating Atypical Chest
Pain
Steve Amoils, MD

2. Treating Atypical Chest Pain
 From Get Well & Stay Well by Steve Amoils, MD and Sandi Amoils, MD.
 We often see patients with unexplained chest pain. Many of them have
been worked up for cardiac conditions and treated with antacid
medications for presumed gastric reflux with no benefit.

3. Treating Atypical Chest Pain
 Many times we find that one of their ribs is slightly misaligned. Unfortunately,
this misalignment is so slight that it will not show up on an x-ray. The resulting
pain can occur where the rib attaches at the back to the spine, or in front
where the rib attaches to the sternum or breast bone, or it can radiate
around the entire chest wall. Frequently this condition is called
costochondral pain, but may be misdiagnosed as everything from pleurisy
to heart disease . (This type of pain may also be caused by a herniated disc
in the thoracic spine or even an irritated nerve in this area, commonly
caused by shingles).

4. Treating Atypical Chest Pain
 Fortunately, if these symptoms are due to rib misalignment, they respond
quickly to a combination of manipulative therapies and acupuncture.
Following the initial “pop” of the chiropractic adjustment, the patient will
often take a deep breath and remark how the pain has disappeared.
Acupuncture helps allay the associated muscle spasm and allows the rib
head to remain in place, ensuring prolonged healing. In our experience
most patients with this condition are better within two to three weeks. The
rate of relapse is extremely low once the problem is actually resolved.