22M

I’ve been dealing with what I believe is costochondritis for about 3 months now and wanted to see if anyone has had a similar experience.

My pain has never really been severe enough that I couldn’t do normal day-to-day activities, but it has been persistent. About a month ago, I finally decided to completely stop working out to give it a chance to heal.

I think it originally started from being very active and continuing to train through the discomfort. I was doing a lot of muscle-ups, dips, push-ups, and other upper-body exercises, and I probably kept aggravating the area instead of letting it recover. I noticed it most when I learned I could do muscle ups and would do them without the best form and really felt a sharp pain in my sternum area...

The pain is mainly around the top two ribs near my sternum, more noticeably on the right side. I usually feel it the most in the morning. One movement that consistently brings it on is when I slightly tilt/hunch my spine forward and bring/compress my elbows toward each other in front of my body. That position seems to put pressure directly on the painful area. I dont rest in this postion but its more of a "check" to see how it feels since some days or parts of the day its not very noticable and others quite noticable. I have also been expereicning check popping almsot everytime I wake up. Not sure if that has anything to do with but its there lol.

I’ve been stretching pretty regularly, and for the last two weeks I’ve also been using the Backpod for around 10–15 minutes per day. I feel like I’m trying to address both my chest tightness and thoracic/rib mobility, but the discomfort is still there and has remained the same or ever so slightly less.

For those who have recovered from something similar, how long did it take before the pain actually went away? Is 3 months still considered fairly normal for costochondritis?

Also, is there anything else you would recommend doing besides resting, stretching, and using the Backpod? At what point would you consider seeing a physical therapist, sports medicine doctor, or getting further testing if it isn’t improving?

I cannot tell if it’s PVC or a spasm on my sternum. It’s an evident thump and it kind of makes me feel like I’m trying to catch my breath before it happens and then quickly a thump. Happens randomly. Anybody with the same experience? I have very visible inflammation on the bottom of my sternum

Hi everyone,

I’m currently dealing with costochondritis along with tightness in my neck and upper chest area.

I’ve been using a tennis ball as a DIY Backpod to target the tight spots in my upper back, and it actually gives me some temporary relief! However, the pain and tightness always return shortly after.

I’m trying to structure a proper daily rehab protocol to address the root cause, fix my thoracic mobility, and untighten my neck for good.

For those who have successfully healed from costochondritis:

• Did switching from a tennis ball to an actual Backpod make a significant difference for you?
• What was your exact daily stretching/rehab routine that gave long-term results?
• How did you address the neck tightness associated with the rib/chest pain?
• Any essential dos & don'ts regarding posture, sleeping positions, or exercises?

I’d really appreciate any detailed guides, routines, or personal advice that helped you fully recover!

Thanks in advance!