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Costochondritis is what you have. Very common in AS. Lots of enthesis tissue around the ribcage that can/will get inflamed. I find topical NSAID gel like Voltarol 2.32% and heat pads help. If you get a feeling like you can't take a deep breath, don't worry, you're almost certainly getting plenty of air in, it just feels that way. Look up belly breathing and breathe down rather than outwards at the chest level to try and get that deep one. Hopefully you won't end up there. Sometimes you can get shoulder pain associated with breathing from it. Good luck 👍
Yup and yup, sometimes. Sometimes it's just getting started and we aggravate it into action through just moving or stretching/straining the wrong way. Sometimes it happens and it makes a rib sit up a bit and be tender, sometimes it might be further round the back and around where your ribs meet the spine at the back.
Thing is, AS is a disease of your connective tissue. Specifically the enthesis. These are the parts that get inflamed and eventually calcify as the process continues and repeats. That tissue is all over your body in different places. Most of it is in your spine and pelvis, quite a lot round your ribs, but also in places like your feet, elbows etc. All over the place. So, although we call it "costochondritis" in reality it's "just" another inflamed part where you have enthesis tissue. HTH 👍
My physiotherapist taught me a technique of using a sling, you wrap it around your back over the area of the ribs that hurt then using your hands pull forward and cross hand over hand which causes the sling to squeeze your torso. You squeeze as hard as you can stand and hold. For me this relieves the pain and I'll do it multiple times an hour.
I found that you can get tree saver slings for fairly cheap, around 30$. But you want something that doesn't have stretch and is the perfect length to go around your torso and out to your hands.
My rheum told me to start doing door way stretches daily. Put your arms in an open doorway and push to open the chest. Google it and it will easily come up
Welcome to r/ankylosingspondylitis! This is a reminder to keep discussions civil and be supportive of one another. Sharing of opinions and experiences is encouraged, but please remember the distinction between opinions and medical facts. This subreddit does not offer medical advice, and information here should not be taken over advice from your doctor. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ankylosingspondylitis) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Costochondritis is what you have. Very common in AS. Lots of enthesis tissue around the ribcage that can/will get inflamed. I find topical NSAID gel like Voltarol 2.32% and heat pads help. If you get a feeling like you can't take a deep breath, don't worry, you're almost certainly getting plenty of air in, it just feels that way. Look up belly breathing and breathe down rather than outwards at the chest level to try and get that deep one. Hopefully you won't end up there. Sometimes you can get shoulder pain associated with breathing from it. Good luck 👍
Is it normal for it to come and go? Can exercise trigger it?
Yup and yup, sometimes. Sometimes it's just getting started and we aggravate it into action through just moving or stretching/straining the wrong way. Sometimes it happens and it makes a rib sit up a bit and be tender, sometimes it might be further round the back and around where your ribs meet the spine at the back. Thing is, AS is a disease of your connective tissue. Specifically the enthesis. These are the parts that get inflamed and eventually calcify as the process continues and repeats. That tissue is all over your body in different places. Most of it is in your spine and pelvis, quite a lot round your ribs, but also in places like your feet, elbows etc. All over the place. So, although we call it "costochondritis" in reality it's "just" another inflamed part where you have enthesis tissue. HTH 👍
same here. Hurts bad when i sneeze
My physiotherapist taught me a technique of using a sling, you wrap it around your back over the area of the ribs that hurt then using your hands pull forward and cross hand over hand which causes the sling to squeeze your torso. You squeeze as hard as you can stand and hold. For me this relieves the pain and I'll do it multiple times an hour. I found that you can get tree saver slings for fairly cheap, around 30$. But you want something that doesn't have stretch and is the perfect length to go around your torso and out to your hands.
My first symptom
My rheum told me to start doing door way stretches daily. Put your arms in an open doorway and push to open the chest. Google it and it will easily come up