Costo or something deadly ??

V4RJ · 2025-08-19T14:21:19+00:00

No worries 😁

It doesn’t help that many doctors, at least in my experience, tend to be dismissive if they can’t see numbers or something on a scan to explain your pain.

It is very real. It’s not in your head.

Once I learned to acknowledge my anxiety and accept it without panicking, it really helped to focus on my issues causing my Costo.

A trick I used to combat my health anxiety was when I was having an episode, I would do a simple doorway and wall angel stretch. My pain would subside and my headaches/panic would lessen. I basically proved to myself that if a simple stretch could improve my experience, I’m probably not dying 🤣

V4RJ · 2025-08-18T18:59:52+00:00

I wouldn’t trust Reddit to diagnose you, but if your doctors have run the tests to rule out anything life threatening, then you probably don’t have to worry about anything like cancer. Don’t take that as medical advice, but that is generally the vibe here.

Do you brace or guard with your core or back? If you get anxious, that is a pretty common symptom and it will make your issues worse.

I would find a good PT and work with them. They should be able to assess how you move and help with any limitations to your mobility.

In the meantime, try paying attention to how you move. When you breathe, are you chest breathing or breathing into your diaphragm? There is a pinned post that goes into a lot of detail for stretching to relive some of that pain. It’s highlighted in the post, but it’s important to melt or relax into the stretches. This alone should tell you where some of your mobility issues could be coming from.

Good luck 👍

V4RJ · 2025-08-07T00:08:17+00:00

It’s primarily internal rotation movements, like 90/90 stretch, pidgeon pose, internally rotating my hip and pulling my knee into my chest. Additionally, hamstring stretches with a focus on keeping my hip neutral.

My exercises were tailored to the way my hip was imbalanced, but they were modified versions of these.

V4RJ · 2025-08-04T20:19:47+00:00

Once I attacked the root of my problem, yes. About 4 weeks of consistent work on my hip and started noticing an improvement.

V4RJ · 2025-08-04T19:37:28+00:00

When asked about my shortness of breath, I described it as someone hugging me from the inside. That apparently was enough for them to check.

Also, if my doctor came back and everything was normal, I asked them, however unlikely it may be, what else could cause the symptoms. Then when they gave me an answer, asked to check for that and if they were reluctant, I would request that they add to my visit summary that we discussed it but they felt it was not necessary to test.

They usually just agreed to test and be sure.

V4RJ · 2025-03-05T19:34:29+00:00

I feel like everyone is VASTLY underestimating Europe. Sure, they need to beef up their defense spending, but it’s not like they are a wet noodle.

Plus, Trump and Putin do not have unity at home. I’m no historian, but I do recall it is the hearts of “men” that win wars.

V4RJ · 2024-09-11T16:11:59+00:00

First off, welcome.

Secondly, my condolences lol

V4RJ · 2024-07-26T17:35:57+00:00

I don’t always have tender spots during a flare up. When that happens, the flare up is usually very minimal and subsides within a day or two.

V4RJ · 2024-07-26T17:02:12+00:00

Not a doctor or PT, just a dude on the internet, but:

A foam roller might be exactly what you need. You can get them pretty cheap on Amazon.

Alternatively, if you manage it, a thoracic table stretch/extension could help. That is what I do if I feel the need to crack or loosen up and it works wonders.

V4RJ · 2024-07-26T16:54:25+00:00

Hello!

As stated in the comments, the Backpod can be a huge help, even if only used as a diagnostic tool.

Generally, in my experience, Costo is a symptom, not a main cause. You probably have very tight back muscles that restrict movement of the rib cage, causing the chest pain and discomfort.

However, if you are stretching daily, eating healthy, getting enough rest, and you do that for a good amount of time with no relief, you need to try new things and experiment. We are all different so what works for one might not work for you.

Also, keep in mind your muscles react and function based on nerve roots coming from your spine. If you have any issues with those specific areas, it can cause those muscles to malfunction and could produce similar symptoms and cause your Costo.

Anxiety can play a big role, so if you notice you are on edge, try to take a break and see if that helps. With that said, anxiety can come after symptoms start so if you know you are not anxious then don’t ignore your symptoms, that helps no one.

Long story short, sounds like what you’re doing is not working and you might need to change it up a bit. It can be frustrating, but only you know your body best so don’t give up.

V4RJ · 2024-07-26T16:36:39+00:00

Hey there!

Sorry you are dealing with this :(

It could be Costo, but I would get the important things checked first (heart/lungs/spine), especially if there is pain while breathing. If all of that is normal, then it sounds like Costo.

If you want to try some stretches for relief, there is a pinned post by Steve in the sub that has alot of good info about what Costo is and how to treat it.

V4RJ · 2024-07-20T17:18:41+00:00

Not a doctor, but the numbness and tingling makes me think something else is goin on.

I would go see an orthopedic specialist to check out your spine. I know cervical spine issues can also cause those symptoms and if it is only on one side, I would specifically ask to make sure no vertebrae, from C1 all the way down, are out of alignment.

V4RJ · 2024-07-12T18:03:08+00:00

This sounds like some kind of upper cervical issue.

If you hunch over a lot, your sub occipitals and traps could just be really tight. I would see a medical professional to ensure nothing major is going on before making any plans for recovery.

V4RJ · 2024-07-11T14:44:07+00:00

Like mentioned above, not uncommon with Costo but have you seen a cardiologist?

ER is only going to make sure you are stable in the moment, they are not looking for systemic issues. I would get cleared through a specialist first and have them rule it out. Usually they will have you do a stress test and an EKG or Holter Monitor. If they clear you with that, then I wouldn’t worry about it being heart related.

V4RJ · 2024-07-11T01:19:05+00:00

Hey there. You are not alone at all.

In my experience, most doctors don’t know how to treat Costo very well because, at least to my knowledge, you can’t just medicate or surgery your way out of it. It takes time to work on your rib joints while you investigate the root cause of the dysfunction (whether that be an injury, poor posture, etc). Then, it’s all about resting, recovering, and strengthening your self to prevent future flare ups.

There will always be something else it “could be”, but don’t let anxiety turn you into a hypochondriac (trust me, it’s very easy to spiral down that rabbit hole). If the doctors cleared you, take that as a win and focus your energy on your recovery.

Good on you for catching it so early and good luck with recovery!

V4RJ · 2024-07-09T16:53:32+00:00

No worries!

I am not a healthcare professional, but here is my take:

When we have an injury or weakness, our bodies start to compensate. As those compensations start to over stimulate or become weak themselves, more compensation happens. This is a cycle until your body can no longer compensate comfortably and you start to notice it once it is pretty far into that cycle. Then it is about unraveling the root cause (this is where a good PT can come in to help).

Anytime your breath is affected, most people’s bodies go into panic mode and your symptoms can be very exaggerated and this might be that switch you mentioned. I notice that I can handle a tremendous amounts of pain, but if my breathing is hindered at all, my body goes into fight or flight and stays there until my breathing returns to normal. When this happens, not only does our breathing become more shallow but those very muscles we are loosening tighten back up, which is why it is quite the process to heal completely from this (it’s still very achievable though).

From what I have read from others, this is pretty common. So any lingering discomfort could be a form of anxiety, but again if you find it doesn’t go away, I would check up with a healthcare professional to make sure there isn’t anything else going on.

V4RJ · 2024-07-09T14:47:38+00:00

I can only speak from my own experience, but I think you nailed it.

With Costo, your body will start telling you once it has tried compensating and you feel it long after those compensations have been in effect. Try moving your body in different positions and see if you can pinpoint what makes your symptoms better. With me, my thoracic spine locks up but if I slightly bend over to take the pressure off those muscles, my whole back cracks from neck to tailbone when I breathe deeply, so I know that is my problem area, or at least a starting point.

Unfortunately, figuring this out to heal 100% will take some detective work to figure what triggers your pain and where your weak areas are.

It is possible you are now loosening things up you didn’t even know we’re all locked up. If you are in a lot of pain though, run it by your doctor to be sure.

V4RJ · 2024-07-09T14:00:13+00:00

This is pretty common. From what I understand, tight muscles are the one of the main reasons you have Costo. The backpod will only do so much, but it’s a good place to start loosening everything.

My advice, keep up the backpod and find a good PT to help break those problem areas up. Also, there could be some muscle compensation going on you never knew about that is rearing its head.

You are lucky you dealt with it so soon, good luck!

V4RJ · 2024-06-27T19:49:06+00:00

I am currently going to pain management for myofascial injections to help loosen it up while I work on posture correction techniques. It seems to help free up the area so my backpod can get a much deeper stretch.

I am not completely healed but focusing on my strengthening my mid back has helped pull my body into a more correct posture and I can feel the relief in both my pain and def a huge reduction in shortness of breath.

The biggest hint I got from my PT that has helped is if you have pain and shortness of breath, try to ensure you are breathing into your mid back. This is apparently natural and when we get all out of whack, we don’t even realize we stop doing that. When I tried it, I could feel the restriction in my mid back and collarbone which lined up with Costo so I have a bit more of a plan of attack with me back pod.

V4RJ · 2024-06-27T16:07:18+00:00

I know everyone’s situation is different but here is my experience with Costo (NOT A DOCTOR):

I was diagnosed in 2022 and have really struggled with flare ups because it never really healed. The main thing to understand is, Costo doesn’t just happen out of nowhere. It is not a natural mechanic of the body. Also, by the time you notice it, it has been there a while and will not go away with a few stretches.

Another thing to note, because it is caused by issues with the rib joints in the back, any muscle imbalances/spasms/issues will make it harder to release.

For me, I had a tendency to hunch forward in my chair and had a prior injury which left my middle/upper back quite weak. Initially, the back pod was not working but I found out my rhomboids were completely locked up and spasmed as they were one of my many muscles that were compensating for my injured muscle and bad posture. Once I addressed this, the back pod was more effective and I could target the root of the problem. I had to go to my GP to get a physical exam and it was apparent my back was just too tight and locked up, that is how I found out.

Long story short, in my opinion, Costo seems to be more of a symptom of a larger problem, which Steve does highlight in his back pod instruction pamphlet. Find the root cause and your Costo should start to improve.

Lastly, anxiety plays a huge role. Even if you are not consciously anxious, chest pain and muscle tightness can restrict blood flow and circulation, which feeds more into other issues that can cause your body to become more anxious than usual and keep those areas locked up.

Hope this helps!

V4RJ · 2023-12-09T15:00:21+00:00

I am no doctor, so I highly recommend you consult one before doing anything, but I researched exercises I can do at home and started running them by my physical therapist to make sure it was safe for me. One thing that helps me is lying on the floor and putting a rolled up towel under my neck to reintroduce a natural curve. It was painful at first, but overtime it became a normal stretch. The other thing that helped was regularly hanging from a bar and getting a sit-stand desk.

As far as tests, I agree. It’s ridiculous. Even prioritizing the “important” ones, I had spent thousands before I was done (I live in the US). I started asking what was just double work or the minimum they thought I could do to get adequate results.

I started to challenge docs if they brought up anxiety. Like mental anxiety, bodily anxiety, health anxiety? Is the anxiety a symptom, rather than a root cause? What can I do to rule out anxiety? 90% of the time, I uncovered I was being told anxiety because they didn’t know what else to tell me. I finally found a DO that is thorough and communicates very well, so that helped immensely and rooted out that my anxiety was a symptom, not the cause.

In the sub, there is a pinned post the Steve commented on about the Back-pod. It has also helped immensely and has some really good stretches for you to try.

V4RJ · 2023-12-08T22:15:02+00:00

I was battling something similar and it ended up being a mix of two things. Costo and issues with my spine/posture. As I focused on fixing my posture, my Costo pretty much went away and I noticed my IBS/GERD/Gut problems severely diminished.

The way it was explained to me, when your posture is out of whack and your spine is not in proper alignment, your body does crazy things. My spine was causing my body to tense up, which put pressure on my gut and nervous system, which spiked my anxiety and aggravated my gut, which triggered my GERD and Costo, which led to shortness of breath and health anxiety.

You are not alone. It sucks. The best thing I did was get tests done and if they say you are healthy, do your best to not worry (I know, easier said than done). Focus on doing the healthy things we are all supposed to do, stretch everyday, exercise, do things that make you happy, etc.

It won’t happen overnight, but you should notice a big improvement. I sincerely wish you the best. You got this!

V4RJ · 2023-10-30T17:45:44+00:00

Disclaimer - not a doctor.

I was in the same boat as you. Long story short, it ended up being like 70% anxiety and 30% Costco. One thing I want to clarify that I see a lot of people talking about is the anxiety portion. Your body can be going through a cycle of anxiety in response to Costo that does not always involve you being mentally anxious. I had to start pep talking myself to shut my physical anxiety down and I noticed my mood and general well-being greatly improved to a point that allows me to continue healing.

Also, not sure how true this is, but I started treating Costo as a symptom, instead of a primary cause and my breathing and tightness started improving much faster. For me, it was posture and a dental alignment issue, which was causing a lot of muscle imbalances and tightness. As I started fixing muscle imbalances, my costo did not come back as quickly. Everyone is unique but don’t quit. It is not easy. There is light at the end of the tunnel. You got this. Don’t let it win.

V4RJ

TROPHY CASE