Approximately 50% of patients attending accident and emergency departments and outpatient
cardiac clinics because of chest pain have a non-cardiac basis for their symptoms.
They are often given a non-specific diagnosis (
Mayou et al., 1997
,
Capewell and McMurray, 2000
). One possible diagnosis these patients may receive is costochondritis. Possible
causes of costochondritis will be discussed and a group of these patients delineated
for whom there is no documented underlying pathophysiology. This paper then presents
two such case reports and goes on to question whether costochondritis is simply localised
anterior chest wall pathology. It is considered whether positive responses to manual
therapy directed towards the spine and posterior rib articulations are indicative
of a more widespread neuropathic contribution to the condition.
Keywords
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: March 15, 2007
Accepted:
December 19,
2006
Received in revised form:
November 16,
2006
Received:
September 7,
2006
Identification
Copyright
© 2007 Elsevier Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
