Thursday, October 18, 2012

Tackling Costochondritis - What Works & What Doesn't, Part 1

With this battle with costochondritis, I've read of soooooo many things one can do, supplements that can be taken, etc. Here is a list of things I've discovered through searching, and in blue italics are my own personal thoughts on those that I have tried.

  • NSAIDs temporary relief, not a cure
  • Steroids
  • Noni juice
  • Flax seed oil  haven't tried long enough to see effects
  • Fish oil  haven't tried long enough to see effects
  • Sunbathing  works great for me in relieving pain short-term (half an hour in the sun is great)
  • Glucosamine/chondroitin
  • Heat  dulls the pain temporarily but tends to cause throbbing later
  • Ice   I didn't find it to be comfortable at all
  • gluten-free diet  haven't tried for costochondritis yet
  • skilled relaxation  I think it will really help long-term, haven't tried long enough to see a big change yet, but my stress levels are much lower
  • Rolfing (a holistic system of soft tissue manipulation)
  • Massage therapy  has helped relieve stress knots, but no relief from sternum pain
  • aerobic exercise   no decrease in pain, but makes me feel more energized
  • stretching   light stretching helps some, but I can easily go too far, with the result being great pain the next day
  • Acupuncture
  • Prolotherapy
  • compression
  • Magnesium, B12   I take these daily (350 Magnesium, 1000 B12) and have for a long time.  
  • Chiropractic care   short-term help, good for overall wellness
  • Essential oils   this one's being worked on currently--Frankincense oil
  • Breast reduction - this was literally recommended to me a few months ago. Because I'm large-chested, the weight of my breasts do cause the pain to stick around. However, I'm more inclined to stick the tried-and-true method below....
  • Weight loss   on my way....

6 comments:

  1. I think using natural means is healthier and ususaly better for us. I pray God's help in getting you through these issues. have a great weekend! :O)

    Diane
    www.dianeestrella.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I totally agree, Diane. Thanks for your thoughts and encouragement!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you for your blog posts. I have been struggling with costochondritis since February 1st, 2013. I have a few questions for you regarding symptoms. Is there a good place to ask these questions. Thanks so much for being "out here" to share stories etc.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Maggie. You can contact me at xjacielbx @ yahoo.com. I'll try to help you in any way that I can!!

      Delete
  4. Hi has your costochondritis gotten any better? I am thinking of trying proloptherapy, I take turmeric for my pain which sometimes helps, sometimes does nothing, but it is scientifically backed as being an antinflammatory as strong as painkillers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vincent, mine isn't a constant problem anymore. It has flare-up times though which usually come with an extreme change in weather or if I do heavy duty cleaning that puts pressure on my chest. I've not tried turmeric or proloptherapy--I hope they work for you!

      Delete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.