Undiagnosed chest pain

[Ben1505]

Hi, I’ve had a pain in my chest off and on for the past two years. It comes for about a month at a time. It hurts to press, more on the left-side but it changes where is hurts the most. I’ve had scans, nuclear injection, seen chiropractors and osteopaths as well as countless doctors but nobody seems to know what it is. It isn’t aggravated by movement of any kind and isn’t sore near the breastbone... any ideas?

[Hidden]

Hey there,

I was going to say maybe a pulled muscle or perhaps a cracked rib, but I would think movement and the scans ran would see this. Have you had your lungs checked out? Where and what have your scans tested? If it doesn't hurt incredibly bad and doesn't seem to have any symptoms other than what it is and does, it'll be hard to really say. Pinched nerve? Have you had your heart tested since it's near the chest? Nothing to freak out over, but just to cover anything. Is there anything that makes it hurt....I know you said not made worse by movement, but anything at all? Breathing, reaching to a specific side of your body, or anything else to work with? That's a tough one. I wish I had an easy answer for you, but for now, I hope you're able to not fret too much about it until you get the much deserved ultimatum.

[Ben1505]

Hi, I’ve had x-rays and mri done on front and back of my chest area. I had a nuclear injection for one of those. It’s about an 8 out of 10 pain when it’s there which is worse when I press on certain areas (which change each time). I haven’t pulled a muscle or cracked a rib. It also hurts on the right hand side but worse on the left? I’ve had it for over 2 years and no closer to the answer? I wonder if it’s stress related?

[Hidden in reply to Ben1505]

Yikes, that doesn't sound fun and it seems hard to even try to pinpoint. If you saw a massage therapist, would it hurt too much for them to massage? It could be stress related with tension built up. Acupuncture might also be worth a shot as it helps pain, tension, and even anxiety. I used to be a skeptic until my acupuncturist noticed I had a stuffy now, placed two micro needles near my nose, and the congestion cleared within minutes. Just an off the wall shot to try. Other than shake their heads, have the doctors even hypothesized what it could possibly be? I would think someone having pains in the 8 out of 10 area would get some sort of answer or more tests. Is there anything you can physically feel within your body that's aching...like a tight spot, a lump, or anything like that? Have you tried using ice or heat on the area to relieve pain? Just throwing out anything that might stick. Hard to say I'm guessing with a roaming pain that comes and goes. At the very least, it's good that the scans were clear.

[Hidden in reply to Ben1505]

Reading around, I'm seeing a lot of people come up with anxiety and even gas pains. Could be either of those as well.

[Ben1505 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks. I’m hoping it’s anxiety of some kind as I can fix that

[Hidden in reply to Ben1505]

You bet and I'm sorry you have such a nagging thing like that with no clear answers. Anxiety can be a tricky pest, so I wouldn't be surprised that this would be anxiety related. Some breathing practices and meditation is always a great place to start...eases the body and sends out some good chemicals to the brain. If not, a doctor can assess with you whether it's worth taking some anti-anxiety medication. Hope all goes well and as quickly as it can!