What is the cause of the pain in my chest like needles stabbing me?

For those who have chest pain that feels like being pricked by needles, they really want to know the cause of the chest pain. So what is the cause of the chest pain that feels like being pricked by needles? Next, this article will introduce you to the relevant content about why your chest hurts like needles, for your reference only. If you want to know what causes a needle-like pain in the chest, you may want to take a look at this!

What's causing the pain in my chest that feels like a needle prick? The pain in the chest that feels like a needle prickling is mostly caused by intercostal neuralgia. Intercostal neuralgia is a subjective symptom of the patient. The intercostal nerves extend from the thoracic spinal cord to both sides through the intercostals to the anterior chest wall, innervating the muscles of the back and chest wall beside the corresponding thoracic vertebrae and the sensory branches running along the intercostals. Therefore, intercostal neuralgia is pain in a band-like area that extends from the chest and back along the intercostals diagonally forward and downward to the midline of the anterior wall of the chest and abdomen.

Degenerative protrusion of the thoracic intervertebral disc, thickening and ossification of the joint capsule and ligaments often lead to narrowing and deformation of the nerve channels, which can cause inflammation of the intercostal nerves and produce pain. Other lesions that may affect the intercostal nerves include thoracic tuberculosis, thoracic fracture or dislocation, spinal or spinal cord tumors, ankylosing spondylitis, and rib, mediastinal, and pleural lesions. The pain of herpes zoster intercostal neuralgia is often severe.

Intercostal neuralgia refers to pain in one or several intercostal areas that radiates from the back along the intercostals to the anterior wall of the chest and abdomen, in a semi-circular distribution. It is usually unilateral, but can also affect both sides simultaneously. The pain is often made worse by coughing, taking deep breaths, or sneezing. Physical examination may reveal tenderness and percussion pain in the thoracic spinous processes, between the spinous processes or beside the vertebrae. A few patients may have tenderness along the intercostals and paresthesias in the areas innervated by the affected nerves. The pain is usually stabbing or burning, and radiates along the intercostal nerves.

To establish a diagnosis, we must first identify it as intercostal neuralgia based on the characteristic distribution of pain. Then, more importantly, we must think of and find out the cause of the intercostal neuralgia, especially considering important diseases that are easily overlooked, such as tuberculosis, tumors, osteoporotic compression fractures in the elderly, and early herpes zoster. Treatment should be directed at the cause of the intercostal neuralgia, so the treatment approach should be tailored to the cause established.

The above is an introduction to what causes chest pain that feels like being pricked by needles. I believe that after reading the above introduction, you already know what it means to have a pain in the chest that feels like being pricked by needles. From the above introduction, we can know that the pain in the chest that feels like being pricked by needles is most likely caused by intercostal neuralgia. Therefore, for friends who have this symptom, they must go to the hospital for treatment in time!