Sternum Pain -Why it Should Not Be Ignored?

Many people suffer from sternum pain,sternum pain is a typical sharp chest pain usually felt unexpectedly. In most of the cases, the sternum pain is mistaken as a heart attack due to similar symptoms. It is a commonly felt pain at any phase of life.

What is sternum?

The chest bone, or breastbone is formally known as the sternum which located in the center of the chest just below the collarbone, this bone is what connects the ribs via cartilage. This entire system of bones serves an important role of providing a protection to organs within the chest

Parts of Sternum

Upper manubrium: The upper section of the sternum.
The middle sternum body (corpus): The sternum body joins different ribs.
Xiphoid process: It starts as a section of cartilage.

: sternum

Lower sternum pain (Below Sternum)

Lower sternum pain is also known as xiphoid affliction and occurs as a result of coronary artery or bone problems. The lower pain sternum can be very severe making it difficult for one to raise or twist anything. The effects may be concentrated in one region and may spread to other portions of the sternum.

Pain under Sternum (Breastbone)

Pain under sternum is common in case of cardiac and respiratory disorders.

Sternum Pain during pregnancy

Sternum pain during pregnancy is due to acid reflux.

Sternum pain symptoms

sternum pain symptoms

If you suffer from a sternum pain,you may have a severe pain, tenderness and soreness near the breastbone (usually the upper left side), and the pain gets worse if you stretch or apply pressure to the area.

Pain in sternum can be acute or chronic, both of which are often associated with cracking sensations and clicking sounds. This pain can range from minor to severe.

Causes of sternum pain?

Costochondritis

In my experience the most common cause of sternum pain is costochondritis. Costochondritis that is relatively minor compared to other conditions is generally due to an injury to the cartilage connecting the ribs to the rib cage at the sternum or the sides.This injury may happen when you move a piece of furniture or reach for something just out of reach.

If you want to get checked whether you have sternum pain you should make sure you’re not having a heart issue. You can usually diagnose costochondritis by pressing on the area where the ribs meet the chest bone (sternum). If this area is tender and sore, costochondritis is the most likely cause of your sternum pain or chest pain.

Heartburn

Heartburn is a burning feeling mostly felt at the lower sternum. Heart burns or reflux are commonly mistaken as heart attack.
Tietze Syndrome

Tietze syndrome is the inflammation of rib cartilage. It’s actually a significant of sharp pain in the sternum.

Sternum fractures
These are a common result of road accidents as a result of the force of the steering wheel on drivers.
Cardiac problem
Cardiac problems such as heart attack, angina, coronary artery disease, myocarditis and pericarditis can result in sternum pain.
Joint pain
Joint pain is felt at the joint between the ribs and shoulder bones. This can be caused by arthritis although this is rare. It may also be caused by extreme exercises such as lifting of heavy weights.
Pectoral Muscle Pain
Pectoral muscles pain and the intercostal muscles of the ribs could lead to sternum pain. The intercostals muscles strains hard during periods of difficult or induced breathing leading to pain.
Psychological factors
Psychological factors like anxiety, apprehension and fear or panic attacks can also result in sternum pain.
Pleurisy
Pleurisy is caused by common diseases of the lung like pneumonia and tuberculosis. The problem involves inflammation of the lung lining leading to pain during breathing process.
Surgery
Surgery in any part of the thoracic cavity can lead to sternum pain for many years.
Other rare causes of sternum pain

Lung cancer
Upper abdominal discomforts causes pain below sternum
Stomach ulcers causes sternum pain after eating
Injured ribs
Bone cancer
Too much physical exercises.

Sternum pain diagnose

The doctor will have x-rays and a CT scan of your sternum to be sure that it fused properly. In my experience when I had continued sternum pain for months after my triple bypass surgery I was told over and over that it was part of normal healing. X-rays showed the wires were okay and it appeared the sternum had fused. But when my pain continued and I could not use my arms without extreme pain my surgeon ordered a CT scan just to be sure they hadn’t missed anything. Turns out that the top 1/4″ of my sternum had not completely fused – just enough to form a callous that was rubbing with my every upper body movement.

What is the treatment for sternum pain?

Sternum pain treatment

Do everything you can do to protect the injury region. Sometimes a rib belt can help. Make sure to stop doing whatever makes the pain worse. Slowly return to regular activities.

Sometimes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be useful for treating this pain. In certain cases, injecting corticosteroids is highly recommended. For people experiencing sternum pain caused by fibromyalgia, antidepressants is recommend, which are quite helpful in releasing pain-killing endorphins, improving the quality of sleep as well as relaxing skeletal muscles.

Common medicine used for sternum pain treatment

a) Acetaminophen: It reduces fever and sternum pain. However, it does not reduce inflammation. The prescribed dose should be taken as per the recommendations of your doctor.

b) Ibuprofen: It is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs) reduces both sternum pain and inflammation.

c) Naproxen: This drug reduces pain, fever and inflammation. It is also a non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.

Furthermore, there are other methods of sternum pain treatment possible such as counseling, physical therapy and patient education.