Possible Tietze syndrome / BWS syndrome? Main symptom is chest tightness and not being able to take a full breath. Looking for advice
Hi everyone,
I’m looking for advice from anyone who has experienced something similar.
My doctors think this is most likely Tietze syndrome ( although i don’t have swelling) or BWS syndrome (thoracic spine syndrome, as it’s called here in Germany). My symptoms started about 6 months ago after a period of repeated physical strain.
For about a year, I was flying roughly once a month, carrying a heavy backpack (10–12 kg / 22–26 lbs) as hand luggage. I also have a desk job, spend long hours sitting at a computer, and occasionally lift my two young children. After one particular trip, a week of working in a slouched position, and lifting my child (15–18 kg), I had my first episode.
My main symptoms are:
Tightness across the front of my chest.
Feeling like I can’t take a full deep breath, almost as if my rib cage won’t expand.
Stiffness and pain between my shoulder blades and in my thoracic spine.
Sometimes pain around the sternum.
During bad flare-ups I occasionally develop a hoarse voice and feel the need to clear my throat.
The breathing restriction is by far my biggest problem.
I’ve had:
Normal blood tests (including inflammatory markers).
Normal ECG
Thoracic MRI showing only mild degenerative changes.
Sternum MRI showing a small effusion in the left sternoclavicular joint and a minimal effusion in the 3rd sternocostal joint, but no active inflammation or bone marrow edema.
NSAIDs and diclofenac gel haven’t helped much.
I’ve been doing physiotherapy, manual therapy, sports massage and daily mobility exercises. Manual therapy and massage usually help temporarily.
I also bought a Backpod. The first time I used it with three pillows and felt nothing. The second time I used two pillows, stayed on each position for about 30 seconds (around 3 minutes total), and it wasn’t painful at all while I was using it. However, about two hours later my chest became much tighter and it was much harder to take a deep breath. Has anyone else experienced this?
One thing I’ve noticed is that if I stick to my routine, I can improve a lot—I even had about 15 completely pain-free days. But every time I travel, everything comes back.
Flying, sitting in a car for several hours, or even sleeping on a different mattress or pillow seems to trigger another flare, despite stretching and taking breaks.
I’m actually worried about an upcoming road trip (around 5–6 hours of driving per day, with breaks) because I’m afraid it will undo all the progress I’ve made.
My questions are:
Has anyone else’s main symptom been difficulty taking a full breath rather than severe pain?
Did Backpod make you feel worse before it started helping?
How long did recovery take for you?
Did anyone find a way to travel without constantly triggering flare-ups?
I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences.
Finally, thank you to everyone in this subreddit. Reading your stories has helped me realize I’m not alone. I also bought a Backpod after finding this community, and the guide that came with it actually helped me understand the condition much better.
I feel like my doctors, physiotherapist, and osteopath all treat different parts of the problem, but no one has really given me a complete picture or a long-term recovery plan. This subreddit has honestly helped fill in some of those gaps.