Pain in the chest is a symptom, a sign, which points to various diseases with different causes – organs, hormones, nerves or the skeleton can be affected.
Physiotherapy
Depending on the cause of the chest pain, different treatment approaches are used in physiotherapy. For lung diseases, respiratory therapy is used as well as endurance-preserving or endurance-enhancing training methods. Here, several treatment goals are often important.
1. expectoration of secretions facilitates (secretolysis) knocking and clapping on the chest and back promotes the removal of secretions. Special positions of the patient ensure a better drainage of secretion with the help of gravity. Coughing techniques such as “huffing” make it easier to expectorate and reduce intrapulmonary pressure when coughing.
2. maintain or increase lung capacity and tissue extensibility Rotational stretching is combined with deep breathing to achieve stretching of the lung tissue and intercostal muscles. Breath control is used to achieve, for example, increased chest breathing. The lip brake is used to treat shortness of breath.
Under strict pulse control and training of respiratory perception, endurance exercises are performed to create an optimal balance between load and relief. Bicycle trainers, treadmills and gait exercises are used. 4. mobilisation of ribs and vertebrae as well as detonation Mobilisation techniques or manual techniques are used in the case of scoliosis, incorrect posture, relieving postures or limited mobility in the chest area.
Also classical massages are used to loosen hardened structures. Hot rolls, packing grips, hooking techniques and kneading are further options for treatment. Injury to ribs or organs can often cause strong radiating pain in the chest.
Inflammatory processes in the heart muscle (myocarditis) and various lung diseases are also triggers for chest pain. Lung diseases include Circulatory disorders in high blood pressure are another group of factors. For example, an aortic rupture (tear in the aorta), an aneurysm (bulging of a blood vessel) or even a dissection (tear in the vessel wall) can cause severe chest pain.
Depending on the type of pain, its occurrence, intensity, location and character, its origin can be suspected, but it is essential to have it examined by a doctor. Physiotherapy for chest pain is accordingly based on the doctor’s diagnosis and the cause that has been found, which means that the therapy is very different with regard to the different clinical pictures. The article on sternum pain may be of interest to you in this respect.
- Acute or chronic bronchitis
- Bronchial carcinomas
- Pulmonary Embolism
- Pleurisy
- Pneumonia
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