Chest pain in focal musculoskeletal disorders.
The musculoskeletal system is a recognized source of chest pain. However, despite the apparently benign origin, patients with musculoskeletal chest pain remain under-diagnosed, untreated, and potentially continuously disabled in terms of anxiety, depression, and activities of daily living. Several overlapping conditions and syndromes of focal disorders, including Tietze syndrome, costochondritis, chest wall syndrome, muscle tenderness, slipping rib, cervical angina, and segmental dysfunction of the cervical and thoracic spine, have been reported to cause pain. For most of these syndromes, evidence arises mainly from case stories and empiric knowledge. For segmental dysfunction, clinical features of musculoskeletal chest pain have been characterized in a few clinical trials. This article summarizes the most commonly encountered syndromes of focal musculoskeletal disorders in clinical practice.
Stochkendahl
Mette Jensen
MJ
Institute of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark. m.jensen@nikkb.dk <m.jensen@nikkb.dk>
Christensen
Henrik Wulff
HW
D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D015995:Prevalence; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D013577:Syndrome
D000700:Analgesics