What factors can lead to intercostal neuralgia or costal chondritis?

The intercostal nerve consists of the anterior root and the posterior root after the thoracic spinal cord emanates. * * * There are 12 pairs, and the thoracic nerve is divided into anterior branch, posterior branch, spinal branch and communicating branch. The anterior branch is located between the medial intercostal muscle and the lateral intercostal muscle, which is called intercostal nerve and runs under the intercostal artery. Intercostal neuralgia is actually just the name of a symptom, which refers to the repeated pain in one or more intercostal nerve innervation areas. This disease is one of the common causes of chest pain in middle-aged and elderly people. There are two symptoms of intercostal neuralgia: primary and secondary. Secondary intercostal neuralgia is common in clinic, but primary intercostal neuralgia is rare. Secondary intercostal neuralgia is caused by pathological changes of adjacent organs and tissues, such as chest organ diseases (pleurisy, chronic lung inflammation, aortic aneurysm, etc.). ), spine and rib injuries, senile osteoarthritis of the spine, thoracic deformity, thoracic spinal cord tumor, especially extramedullary tumors, often compress nerve roots and have symptoms of intercostal neuralgia. There is also intercostal neuritis caused by herpes zoster virus, and intercostal neuralgia can also occur.

Costochondritis refers to the chronic nonspecific inflammation of costal cartilage, also known as non-suppurative costal chondritis and costal cartilage proliferative diseases. Its etiology is unknown, and it is generally considered to be related to strain or trauma. When carrying heavy objects, people violently twist or cause acute damage to costal articular cartilage, or viral infection caused by chronic strain or common cold, resulting in edema and thickening of costal articular cartilage. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the pain of costal chondritis reaches the chest and hypochondrium, and the upper arm is qi stagnation; Local uplift, obvious tenderness, and the pain point is fixed as blood stasis. Qi stagnation and blood stasis, wind-heat invading collaterals, alternating heat and toxin, qi and blood blocking. It hurts when it is blocked.

Costochondritis mostly occurs in women aged 20 ~ 30, and the ratio of male to female is 1: 9. The lesions are mostly located in the 2nd-5th costal cartilage of the chest, especially in the 2nd and 3rd costal cartilage, which can also invade the sternal stalk, the medial clavicle and the anterior and posterior costal cartilage. The affected costal cartilage feels dull pain or sharp pain in the chest, accompanied by tenderness and swelling, deep inhalation, cough or upper limb movement, and sometimes the pain is aggravated to the shoulder or back. Even the arm can't be lifted, but the local skin hasn't changed; Pain varies in severity and often persists, affecting patients' work and study. After the pain disappears, the swollen costal cartilage can even last for months or years. Sometimes, when you are tired, the pain will break out. The onset is urgent or slow, and patients with acute diseases may suddenly have an attack and feel tingling, jumping or soreness in the chest; The insidious attacker has a slow onset, unconsciously making the joint between ribs and costal cartilage bow-shaped, swollen and dull, sometimes radiating to shoulders, back, axils, neck, chest, and sometimes chest tightness. The pain is relieved when resting or lying on your side, and it is aggravated after deep breathing, coughing, supine, chest lifting and fatigue. Most women suffering from costal chondritis are accompanied by breast pain, because the pain of costal chondritis often radiates to the breast. Therefore; Costochondritis is easily confused with breast pain. However, it is not difficult to identify. If it is a breast disease, a lump or cord can often be felt in the breast, or the local skin of the breast is red. Costochondritis is usually aggravated by coughing, taking a deep breath, raising your arm sideways, etc. And breast pain is not affected by these factors.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that costal chondritis is mainly caused by qi stagnation and blood stasis, which turns to heat, and the treatment is mainly to promote qi circulation and blood circulation to relieve pain, clear heat and cool blood, and regulate nutrition.