u/CreakyRibs

So my orthopedist doc didn't really take a lot of time to look at my sternum bump (below the collarbone where the first rib meets the sternum).

They said this was likely osteoarthritis and that the joint is swollen and there's not much they can, it's too close to the lung for injections. I asked about imaging and ruling out stuff like tumors, but they said I should wait and go to PT first, and maybe massage the bump a bit or use a TENS unit (which I won't do because it's close to the heart). I'm of course going to a physio therapist, but I'm a bit confused now.

If this is indeed an arthritic process, would massaging the bump work, too, to reduce the swelling, or is this just the right approach for Tietze? Or is this just to make me feel less stressed? I'm still not sure what this is exactly, can osteoarthritis be seen and differentiated on imaging like MRI or CT or x-ray?

I'll continue my work with the backpod, to attack this from all sides, but I was a bit disappointed by this doc visit. I'm not any closer to figuring this out.

I'm having a hard time keeping good posture at my desk, or when I collapse on my couch after a day of working with pain (worse in the back and in my shoulders than in the sternum these days).

At my desk job, I just take lots of breaks to move, and work standing up sometimes, which makes it easier to stand without a hunch. But I can't pull off really long sessions with good posture yet, the muscles get tired.

Is it really that bad if I sit or lie with not so great posture for one or two hours a day when I watch TV? Or is there some helpful trick to keep the chest open and the shoulders less rounded? Am I overthinking this? I'm not one of those people who have a great posture automatically, I have to be conscious about it and my muscles are still fatigued and in pain often.

I know that exercise and strengthening is important, but it also aggravates the sternum and shoulder pain.