Conservative treatment of a female collegiate volleyball player with costochondritis.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to discuss the conservative care used to treat a female collegiate volleyball player with acute costochondritis.

CLINICAL FEATURES: A 21-year-old collegiate volleyball player had right anterior chest pain and midthoracic stiffness of 8 months duration.

INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: High-velocity, low-amplitude manipulation was performed to the associated hypokinetic costovertebral, costotransverse, and intervertebral zygapophyseal thoracic joints. Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization was performed by using the Graston technique. Pain levels improved on numeric pain scale, as did functional status identified on Dallas Pain Questionnaire and Functional Rating Index.

CONCLUSION: This athlete seemed to respond positively to manipulation, soft tissue mobilization, and taping.