I Have A Sharp Pain At The Bottom Left Side

Posted on Thu, 31 Oct 2019

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Thu, 31 Oct 2019 Answered on

Last reviewed on

Question : I have a sharp pain at the bottom left side of my chest, right where the rib cage ends. This pain only occurrs when i arch my back (lean backwards) or take a deep breath, but when it occurs it is very intense. I want to know what condition I am suffering from, so I know how to deal with it, and so I can conceptualize whats going wrong in my body.

I%E2%80%99m 23 and this has happened to me before a few times throughout my life, so I am fairly sure it isn%E2%80%99t life threatening, but the intensity of the pain often worries me.

I have no history of heart attack or any kind of cardiovascular disease, but I have struggled with costocondritis before. This current issue doesn%E2%80%99t feel like it has anything to do with my bones, though.

Answered by Dr. Ilir Sharka (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
I would explain as follows:

Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome to Ask a Doctor service!

I understand your concern and would explain that your symptoms are typical of local musculoskeletal pain, probably costochondritis.

As a cardiologist, I would exclude any cardiac issues.

As the pain is triggered by deep breathing and body movements, it is typical of musculoskeletal pain.

For this reason, I would recommend taking ibuprofen for the pain and using warm local packs.

Having some rest and avoiding straining physical activity is necessary too.

Hope you will find this answer helpful!

Wishing all the best,

Dr.Ilir Sharka, Cardiologist

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D