Chest Wall Pain

Chest wall pain is pain in or around the bones and muscles of your chest. Sometimes, an injury causes this pain. Excessive coughing or overuse of arm and chest muscles may also cause chest wall pain. Sometimes, the cause may not be known. This pain may take several weeks or longer to get better.

Follow these instructions at home:

Managing pain, stiffness, and swelling

• If directed, put ice on the painful area:
  • Put ice in a plastic bag.
  • Place a towel between your skin and the bag.
  • Leave the ice on for 20 minutes, 2–3 times per day.

Activity

• Rest as told by your health care provider.
• Avoid activities that cause pain. These include any activities that use your chest muscles or your abdominal and side muscles to lift heavy items. Ask your health care provider what activities are safe for you.

General instructions

• Take over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your health care provider.
• Do not use any products that contain nicotine or tobacco, such as cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and chewing tobacco. These can delay healing after injury. If you need help quitting, ask your health care provider.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your health care provider. This is important.

Contact a health care provider if:

• You have a fever.
• Your chest pain becomes worse.
• You have new symptoms.

Get help right away if:

• You have nausea or vomiting.
• You feel sweaty or light-headed.
• You have a cough with mucus from your lungs (sputum) or you cough up blood.
• You develop shortness of breath.

These symptoms may represent a serious problem that is an emergency. Do not wait to see if the symptoms will go away. Get medical help right away. Call your local emergency services (911 in the U.S.). Do not drive yourself to the hospital.

Summary

• Chest wall pain is pain in or around the bones and muscles of your chest.
• Depending on the cause, it may be treated with ice, rest, medicines, and avoiding activities that cause pain.
• Contact a health care provider if you have a fever, worsening chest pain, or new symptoms.
• Get help right away if you feel light-headed or you develop shortness of breath. These symptoms may be an emergency.