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Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment as a Useful Adjunctive Tool for Pneumonia
Published on: May 6, 2014
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Musculoskeletal chest wall pain
Tania Winzenberg1, Graeme Jones, Michele Callisaya
1MBBS, FRACGP, M Med Sci (Clin Epi), PhD, Professor of Chronic Disease Management, Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS; Faculty of Health, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS.
Australian Family Physician
|October 29, 2015
Summary
Musculoskeletal chest wall pain is common, but serious causes must be ruled out first. A thorough history and physical exam are usually sufficient for diagnosis, minimizing the need for further tests.
Area of Science:
- General Practice
- Diagnostic Medicine
- Pain Management
Background:
- Chest pain is a frequent presentation in general practice.
- Requires careful diagnostic assessment due to diverse and serious potential causes.
Purpose of the Study:
- Describe causes, assessment, and differential diagnosis of musculoskeletal chest wall pain.
- Outline management strategies for common causes.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of diagnostic and management approaches.
- Clinical examination and patient history as primary diagnostic tools.
Main Results:
- Musculoskeletal chest wall pain has varied causes.
- Thorough history and examination are key for diagnosis after excluding serious conditions.
- Further investigations are often unnecessary unless systemic or rheumatological causes are suspected.
Conclusions:
- Prioritize ruling out urgent non-musculoskeletal causes of chest pain, like ischemic heart disease.
- Most musculoskeletal chest wall pain diagnoses rely on clinical assessment.
- Limited evidence supports treatments for localized musculoskeletal chest wall pain.
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