30 December 2014
You wake in the night with gripping chest pain on your left side. It worsens as you take deep breaths or shift your position in bed. Almost as dramatic as the pain is your fearful thought: am I having a heart attack? As terrifying as this scenario is, your doctor may inform you that rather than having a heart attack, you have a condition called costochondritis. Between 13 and 36 percent of adults experiencing chest pain are diagnosed with costochondritis, also called chest wall pain or costosternal syndrome.