u/Sad_Lavishness_9359

During a flare-up, I can fall asleep normally but then wake up around two hours later feeling out of breath. My thoracic spine is normally cracking frequently when I breathe in, but during these nighttime episodes the cracking sometimes stops.

When this happens, I usually have to get out of bed and walk around. Doing diaphragmatic breathing and 360-degree rib-cage breathing seems to help, but afterwards I often cannot fall back asleep.

I have had costochondritis for around 11 months.

Do yous have any recommendations for managing these nighttime episodes and getting back to sleep once my breathing settles? Would you recommend staying in bed and using breathing techniques, or getting up and walking around first? Also, is there anything I could do before bed to reduce the likelihood of waking up like this during a flare-up?

My costochondritis seems to be different from what I usually read about. I have very little pain, but I experience shortness of breath, and my thoracic spine/back cracks frequently, especially when I breathe in. I also have significant stiffness through my thoracic spine.

I am currently experiencing a flare-up. When I gently placed a ball against my thoracic spine and leaned against a wall, it immediately caused pain in my sternum. I have had costochondritis for around 11 months.

When would you recommend starting thoracic extension exercises in this situation? Should I avoid thoracic extension completely while the sternum is irritated, or can gentle, pain-free movement still be helpful during a flare?

How often should thoracic extension be performed, and should I avoid specific irritated areas rather than trying to push through them?

Because I have very little pain but persistent breathing difficulty and frequent cracking in my thoracic spine, would you approach my rehabilitation differently from someone whose main symptom is chest pain?