Is this your child's symptom?

• Pain or discomfort in the chest (front or back)
• The chest includes from the top to the bottom of the rib cage

Causes of Chest Pain

• Muscle Overuse. Chest pain can follow hard sports (such as throwing a baseball). Lifting (such as weights) or upper body work (such as digging) can also cause it. This type of muscle soreness often increases with movement of the shoulders.
• Muscle Cramps. Most brief chest pain lasting seconds to minutes is from muscle cramps. The ribs are separated by muscles. These fleeting pains can also be caused by a pinched nerve. These chest wall pains are harmless. Brief muscle cramps are also the most common cause of recurrent chest pains. The medical name is precordial catch syndrome.
• Coughing. Chest pain commonly occurs with a hacking cough. Coughing can cause sore muscles in the chest wall, upper abdomen or diaphragm.
• Asthma. Children with asthma often have a tight chest. They may refer to this as chest pain. They also get chest pain when they have lots of coughing.
• Heartburn is due to reflux of stomach contents. It usually causes a burning pain under the lower sternum (breastbone).
• Caffeine. A rapid and pounding heart beat may be reported as chest pain. Too much caffeine as found in energy drinks is a common cause. Drugs prescribed for ADHD also can cause a fast heartbeat. Illegal drugs, such as cocaine, can cause a high heart rate as well.
• Chest Wall Injury. Blunt trauma usually just causes a bruised rib. Sometimes, it causes a rib fracture.
• Heart Disease (Serious). Heart disease is hardly ever the cause of chest pain in children. Chest pain that only occurs with exercise could have a cardiac cause.
• Pleurisy (Serious). Pleurisy is another problem of pneumonia. If the infection involves the lung's surface, that area of the chest will hurt.

Pain Scale

• Mild: your child feels pain and tells you about it. But, the pain does not keep your child from any normal activities. School, play and sleep are not changed.
• Moderate: the pain keeps your child from doing some normal activities. It may wake him or her up from sleep.
• Severe: the pain is very bad. It keeps your child from doing all normal activities.

Care Advice

Sore Muscle Pain Treatment

What You Should Know About Mild Chest Pain:

• Chest pains in children lasting for a few minutes are usually harmless. The pain can be caused by muscle cramps. They need no treatment.
• Chest pains that last longer can be from hard work or sports. The shoulders are usually involved. Sore muscles can start soon after the event.
• Here is some care advice that should help.

Pain Medicine:

• To help with the pain, give an acetaminophen product (such as Tylenol).
• Another choice is an ibuprofen product (such as Advil).
• Use as needed.
• Continue this until 24 hours have passed without pain.

Cold Pack for Pain:

• For the first 2 days, use a cold pack to help with the pain.
• You can also use ice wrapped in a wet cloth.
• Put it on the sore muscles for 20 minutes, then as needed.
• Caution: avoid frostbite.

Use Heat After 48 Hours:

• If pain lasts over 2 days, put heat on the sore muscle.
• Use a heat pack, heating pad or warm wet washcloth.
• Do this for 10 minutes, then as needed.
• Reason: increase blood flow and improve healing.
• Caution: avoid burns.
• A hot shower may also help.

Stretching the Muscles:

• Gentle stretching of the shoulders and chest wall may help.
• Do sets of 10 twice daily.
• This may prevent muscle cramps from coming back.
• Stretching can be continued even during the chest pain. Do not do any exercises that increase the pain.

What to Expect:

• For sore muscles, the pain most often peaks on day 2.
• It can last up to 6 or 7 days.

Call Your Doctor If:

• Pain becomes severe
• Pain lasts over 7 days on treatment
• You think your child needs to be seen
• Your child becomes worse

Heartburn (Reflux) Pain Treatment

What You Should Know About Heartburn:

• Heartburn is common.
• It's due to stomach acid going up into the esophagus. The esophagus is the tube from the mouth to the stomach.
• Heartburn causes a burning pain behind the lower part of the breastbone. It also causes a sour (acid) taste in the mouth and belching.
• Here is some care advice that should help.

Antacids:

• Heartburn is usually easily treated. Give a liquid antacid by mouth (such as Mylanta or the store brand). No prescription is needed.
• Dose: give 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 - 30 mL).
• If you don't have an antacid, use 2 to 3 ounces (60 - 90 mL) of milk.
• For heartburn that keeps coming back, give an antacid 1 hour before meals. Also, give a dose at bedtime. Do this for a few days.

Heartburn Prevention:

• Do not eat too much at meals. This overfills the stomach.
• Do not eat foods that make heartburn worse. Examples are chocolate, fatty foods, spicy foods, carbonated soda, and caffeine.
• Do not bend over during the 3 hours after meals.
• Do not wear tight clothing or belts around the waist.

What to Expect:

• Most often, heartburn goes away with treatment.
• But, heartburn also tends to come back. So, preventive measures are important.

Call Your Doctor If:

• Heartburn doesn't go away after 2 days of treatment
• You think your child needs to be seen
• Your child becomes worse

Remember! Contact your doctor if you or your child develop any "Contact Your Doctor" symptoms.

Disclaimer: this health information is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it.

Copyright 2000-2025 Schmitt Pediatric Guidelines LLC.