chest pains when running.

[indigo0086]

I've been running on the treadmill recently and noticed after a while when I'm up in speed I get a chest pain just to the right side of my sternum, right below my collarbone.  WHen I slow down it goes away, but when I get in an up and down motion during faster speeds I get it.  It seems more like muscle pain than anything else, but in my chest.

[Skilmstr]

Could it be your breathing technique when you're running at that speed?

I don't normally run, but a friend of mine did.  Had something similar and he was told it was the way he was breathing.

Just a guess.

[Derillion]

The 2 major causes of chest pain while running are:

pulled muscle.
heart problems.


Like skil said changing your breathing could put less strain on the chest area, which would help avoid pulled muscles.

but if you think it's serious I'd go see a doc.

[Berserker]

I had a similar problem about a week ago, but I had a random pain in my chest on the left side, right next to the heart area.  It all started while I was out walking.  Mine carried on throughout the days following the physical activity though and my heart rate would speed up during the chest pains.  I thought it would go away, and it was starting to become less frequent, but after about five days of it, I got scared and went to the Emergency Room at the local hospital.

They checked me for heart problems and even a blood clot but I didn't have either.  After running up a big bill from the entire test-filled day spent at the hospital, the doctor told me it could be a list of over 90 possible things (possibly a pulled muscle or lung inflamation) but it wasn't anything serious.  He wrote me out a prescription for some pain pills that I still haven't even taken one of since it basically went away for the most part a few days afterwards.

I think you just have a pulled muscle, possibly from breathing like Skil suggested.  You may want to stop running for a few days.

Is the pain real sharp when it occurs?  Mine was, but it started to subside after a few days.  It actually kept me from sleeping the first night that I had it.

[indigo0086]

Yeah, sharp.  I don't remember getting it when I lift weights or do other kind of exertion.  It really happens when I have the up and down motion as I run, It's like when I land the weight goes down and causes the pain.  It doesn't happen all the time though.

[FE_Papiroku]

Best thing you can do is go to a doctor. Usually stuff like that is nothing serious, but it can be, and if it is, your best bet is to get to it early.

I say this not to alarm, but because I've seen it happen. My best friend complained about something similar back when he used to run with me (although his pain was lower, about next to his heart), a quick sharp pain like something being compressed or pushing against his rib cage. Well, after a while it stopped happening just when he ran and started to come even while just walking at a quick pace and such. It turned out to be a Hodgkin's type Lymphoma, which is not all that uncommon in people around 18-35 years old, especially males, for which he's now receiving treatment. So yeah, moral of the story, even though it's probably nothing, you should go see a doctor.

[Sakurazukamori]

You should go see a doctor. I had chest pains a couple of years ago and it turned out to be chronic costochondritis . But it could have been anything. At least after I went to the doctor (actually it was the ER since I had a violent attack in the middle of the night) I knew what it was and didn't have to worry about it anymore.

[BrikHaus81]

If it only happens during exertion it could either be angina (unlikely) or costochondritis, or idiopathic. If it happens at rest it is more likely to be a heart problem. Heart problems generally aren't sharp, and last for a long time. It doesn't sound like you have that. Overall, though, you should see a doctor. A family practice doc should be fine, no need to go to the emergency room.

[indigo0086]

It's purely muscle, The pain isn't as deep as a heart related issue.  It's more when I'm moving my right arm while in the up and down motion of my body while running.

[BrikHaus81]

Well, it could be musculoskeletal or possibly even a nerve impingement syndrome. In either case, a diagnosis is impossible via the internet. You'll need to see a doc, who will perform a few basic special tests in the office, and then possibly get an X-ray or CT depending on the results. Hopefully, it's not idiopathic (meaning unknown cause) in which case there wouldn't be much chance for a treatment other than analgesics.

[BrikHaus81]

So, indi, what ever happened with this? Did you die or what?

[indigo0086]

I stopped running

Partially because I'm lazy.