Medical advice for my sister?

[AnnaA]

My sister is an active, normally healthy 16-year old. However, about 5 or 6 years, she has had this sporatic problem. Every once in a while (ranging from a every few weeks to once every six months), she gets spasms everytime she takes a breath. The pain is worse when she breathes deeply. Her episodes last anywhere from 12 to 72 hours. They seem to happen randomly. When they happen, she gets shooting pains from her shoulders to her lungs and ribcage (that's how she describes them). They are incredibly painful. It is really awful on her. We thought that they had stopped, but she just called me this weekend because she was having another one. Pain medication doesn't work, so she just has to wait out the episode.

My mom has taken her to many doctors (all MD's). One of them said she was making it up and it was all in her head. One said she would grow out of it. Another called it "intercostal chondritis" and gave her medication, but that was 2 years ago, and she still gets them.

I was thinking about it this morning, and I remembered that when she was 10, she fell out of a treehouse. She got a hairline fracture in one of her vertebrae. My mom took her to the doctor, who did x-rays and gave her pain medication.

Is there any chance that this fall caused a dysfunction in her spine that could be causing these sporatic spasms? I am going to MSUCOM starting in August, so I really don't know too much now to help her.

I was wondering if any osteopathic students/physicians could give me any insight into this (possible causes? what to do?). Is it even feasible to think that her fall is related to these spasms?

Thanks!!
Anna

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Steev2000]

Anna,
Take this with about a pound of salt since I am just a lowly first year student, but I am going to say there is a very good chance the two are related. What attaches to the vertebrae? You guessed it, the ribs. It just so happens that we are studying the ribs and rib dysfunctions right now. Costochondritis is also known as tze tze syndrome and is an irritation of the costosternal articulation, but I have no idea if that is what your sister has. I do know this though, there are OMM treatments for rib dysfunctions that could probably help. It is definitely worth a shot. So, my advice, tell her to go see a DO who practices OMM! Hope this is helpful and I hope she feels better soon, take care,

Steev2000

 

[AnnaA]

I just talked to my mom tonight. She is going to make an appointment for my sister with the DO at the family practice we go to. Thanks for the advice!
Anna