Chest Pain is most definitely not a very welcome condition in our day-to-day lives. While oftentimes we consider it a sign of gastric irritation and opt for a simple antacid, such irritations can also be an indication of many serious conditions.
Sometimes, chest hurt may be triggered by a certain posture of our body such as when someone bends forward. Though it has been found that no conditions can directly trigger the pain when someone bends forward, and existing pain can be increased by the change in postures or a previous pain with not much feeling may flare-up in the pain threshold.
Mild conditions of chest pain may often subside without many complications and may not require any expert advice.
So, if your chest hurts when bending over, take the situation seriously as conditions such as heart attack may very well escalate fast and cause various complications.
Table of Content
Chest Hurts When Bending Over
Chest pains can manifest themselves in a variety of methods. Some conditions, especially related to the pulmonary, gastric, and cardiac systems can flare up an already existing chest pain in your body when you assume a certain posture such as bending over.
The pain may not be exclusively caused by your change in position as so far it’s been said that changing position only increases the pain and thus it helps to bring out any underlying conditions you may have been suffering from.
What Causes Chest Pain When Bending Forward?
A few probable reasons include:
Heartburn
A gastro-intestinal reflux disease, condition is caused when the contents of the stomach go in the wrong direction. So, instead of passing towards the gut region, the food passes backward towards the esophagus or mouth region. The pain is usually felt in the breastbone, neck and as such, the chest hurts when bending over.
Causes of heartburn include:
- Junk food
- Fatty food
- Medications
- Pregnancy
Pulmonary Embolism
It is a sudden blockage of blood flow in an artery in the lungs. It’s commonly caused by a clot in the vein of the legs known as, “Deep Venous Thrombosis”, which breaks loose and travels to different parts of the body.
Common symptoms include:
- Chest pain when bending over.
- Coughing of blood
- Shortness of breath
Gastric Chest Pain
Oftentimes, pain from heartburn gets elevated after taking meals which manifests further when the individual bends over.
Though not expected, skin conditions can oftentimes be related to various vital systems of your body, such as shingles caused by chickenpox virus can affect the nerves of your chest wall which can cause chest pain.
Pericarditis
Pericarditis is a condition in which there is inflammation of the pericardium which is a connective tissue layer covering and protecting your heart from various conditions surrounding it. Inflammation in that region causes chest pain which manifests itself on the basis of various positions of your body.
What Causes Chest Pain When Bending Backwards?
There are a number of reasons for chest pain while you bend backward. The chest pain could go from mild to severe. Here are some reasons behind that.
- Pericarditis: This condition can manifest in various postures of your body as such even bending backward can cause chest pain in people suffering from pericarditis. Signs of pericarditis should not be taken lightly as oftentimes it’s an associated condition of a recent heart attack in people.
- Infection: Infections from the virus, rheumatic fever can also cause pericarditis which ultimately causes chest pain.
Pain in Chest Wall When Bending Over
Chest Wall Pain is a type of pain that you feel as if coming from your breast, chest bones, or muscles in your chest. It is often described as a sharp, aching, stabbing type of pain that directs forward.
Does your chest heart when bending over? Here’s what may be causing it:
- Injury/trauma from any accident which may have harmed your chest bones, or caused any inflammatory conditions.
- Pneumonia
- Pulmonary Embolism
- Peptic Ulcer
- Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disorder
If you ever feel pain in your chest wall while bending over, don’t ignore it. Get an X-ray, nerve conduction velocity test, or electromyography to confirm any probable underlying conditions and act accordingly.
Surprising Causes of Chest Pain
Chest Pain may suddenly arise without any warnings or any associative conditions. Such sudden and unexpected chest pain can be caused by conditions such as:
- Panic Attack: Sudden exposure to any unexpected situation can trigger a panic attack, which oftentimes feels like a heart attack but can also be accompanied by respiratory problems, dizziness, and severe fear over the situation.
- Skin Conditions: Though not expected, skin conditions can oftentimes be related to various vital systems of your body, such as shingles caused by chickenpox virus can affect the nerves of your chest wall which can cause chest pain.
- Hernia: A hernia in the gastro-oesophageal junction prevents the proper passage of food and such situations can trigger chest pain.
- Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disorder: Obstruction of food passage leads to disorder in the thoracic region and chest pain.
- Gallstones: Gallstones are small, solid masses that stored in your gallbladder, an organ present with the liver for the storage of bile, a substance for digestion. Though very small, these stones can very well block the passage of bile to the site of digestion essentially inhibiting digestion and causing chest pain.
- Excess Workout: Putting too much strain on your muscles can cause a generalized pain throughout your body.
- Asthma: Breathlessness or stiffness in your respiration caused by asthma can also manifest as a chest pain.
When to Consult With a Doctor?
Mild conditions of chest pain may often subside without many complications and may not require any expert advice.
However, sudden, severe chest pain which doesn’t subside even after taking anti-inflammatory medications is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly and requires immediate consultation with a doctor. Symptoms that require immediate doctor advice includes:
- A crushing sensation on the breast bone.
- Chest Pain that spreads to the jaw, left arm.
Other than the immediate medical interventions, any sort of chest pain which can be general or related to postures should be consulted with a doctor at the earliest convenience to prevent any underlying conditions from developing.
Final Words
Does chest hurt when bending over? A condition that can very well be triggered by acute gastric conditions as well as by underlying inflammatory conditions. Whatever may be the cause, it is never advisable to ignore the pain and let it build up over a longer period of time.
Try taking some oral medications immediately to relieve the pain by consulting with a doctor. Get a thorough examination if you feel the pain won’t go away and just build up over time. Immediate actions can help relieve your ailment and help you lead a healthier life.
FAQs
Why does the right side of my chest hurt when I bend over?
The pain can be caused by conditions such as:
- Stress / Anxiety
- Gastroesophageal Reflux
- Pancreatitis
- Shortness of breath
How to tell if chest pain is muscular?
Muscular chest pain causes sharp pain in your chest. Some signs/symptoms include pain, which may be sharp (an acute pull) or dull (a chronic strain), swelling, muscle spasms, difficulty moving the affected area, pain while breathing, bruising, etc.
Can Constipation Cause Chest Pain?
The build-up of food within your body may ultimately lead to bloating, the accumulation of bulk of food can build up gas in your body which can ultimately cause chest pain.
Why do I get chest pain when I bend over?
No condition can directly cause chest pain when bending over. People suffering from pulmonary embolism, heartburns, and other such diseases feel an increase of an already existing pain due to changes in body positions such as bending over.
Also, if the pain is musculoskeletal in origin, muscle contraction can also cause chest pain when bending over.
Does Costochindritis hurt when you bend over?
Costochondritis arises due to inflammation, hence any change in posture from bending over, standing or laying down can cause chest hurt.
