Shortly after the birth of our second child, (18 months ago), my wife began experiencing an aching sensation on her right side, below her arm pit adjacent to the breast. This sensation/pain was intermittent in occurrence, but has increased in frequency to the point where it occurs
dailyDaily combo
Daily multiple for men 50+
Daily multiple for women
Daily multiple for women 50+
Daily multiple vitamins
Daily vite
Daily-vite men's formula
Daily-vite weight control now. She has had a sonogram, a Cat Scan and has been examined by an oncologist specializing in breast cancer. No tumors or other abnormalities were found, but her discomfort persists. Our physician prescribed an anti-inflammatory (
VoltarenVoltaren
Voltaren ophthalmic
Voltaren topical
Voltaren-xr) to see if this would eliminate the pain and this had no effect on her symptoms. She is 33 years old, non-smoking and is otherwise healthy. She is very concerned about not having an answer to this problem. What are some additional courses of action we could pursue to help diagnose this problem?
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Dear Neil:
Neurological causes are relatively low on the list of chest wall pain. They include
disordersAdjustment disorder
Anorexia nervosa
Asperger syndrome
Autism
Autoimmune disorders
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder
Bleeding disorders
Borderline personality disorder
Bulimia
Chronic motor tic disorder such as pinching of cervical or
thoracicEchocardiogram
Lung needle biopsy
Thoracic aortic aneurysm
Thoracic ct
Thoracic organs
Thoracic outlet anatomy
Thoracic outlet syndrome
Thoracic spine x-ray
Vertebra, thoracic (mid back) nerveNerve biopsy
Nerve conduction velocity roots (rare), herpes
zosterChickenpox - vaccine
Herpes zoster
Herpes zoster (shingles) - close-up of lesion
Herpes zoster (shingles) on the arm
Herpes zoster (shingles) on the back
Herpes zoster (shingles) on the chest
Herpes zoster (shingles) on the hand
Herpes zoster (shingles) on the hand and fingers
Herpes zoster (shingles) on the neck and cheek
Herpes zoster (shingles), disseminated
Zoster vaccine live (shingles), a form of diabetic neuropathy, and some other rare problems. Relatively more common are disorders of the chest wall and ribs (specially what is called "costochondritis") and disorders of the lung and pleura.
Seeing a neurologist at some point is not a bad idea, because the neurological causes that I mention are often not easily diagnosed by internists and family physicians.
In case you wish to seek an opinion from neurologists at the Cleveland Clinic, you may want to call (800)223-2273 or (216)444-5559 for an appointment.