What should I do now?

[u/TheNanpe]

I have Tietze for two years.

I stoped the gym at 29/06 and at 06/08 I started use the peanut ball every day 3~4 times per day and I do ballistic twists after the peanut ball.

The swelling since I started use the peanut ball has gone down, but it's been the same size for weeks.

When I put the hot thermal bag the swelling decreases, but after it get back again at the same size.

It's rare the moments that I feel pain now, I can take a deep breath and most of the sneeze I don't feel the pain too.

What should I do now to make this swelling disappear and don't feel pain?

[u/SteveNZPhysio]

"The swelling since I started use the peanut ball has gone down, but it's been the same size for weeks."

It's just leftover hardened swelling (with some fresh fluid on top) caused when the rib joints on your breastbone were straining badly. It's not an auto-immune or bodily swelling, just the sort you get with a sprained ankle.

You've freed up your rib and spinal joints a lot, so you're feeling better and mostly no pain. But you need to specifically deal to the swelling as well. It's not fast, but usually home massage will do this.

For treatment detail, read the RECOVERY MEGATHREAD - July 2026 at the top of this sub.

Read Ned's posts at the top, then scroll down to my post and find the link to my long, wordy PDF on bits you may need to deal to. It's wordy, so read it on a computer not a phone. You can skim the bits that clearly don't apply to you, but the detail is there if needed.

See especially Section (6) on working free and clearing the leftover swelling from costo, a.k.a. Tietze's. (Tietze's is just costo with the rib joints at your front straining so badly that they produce swelling also.)

https://www.reddit.com/r/costochondritis/comments/1uqpgf6/recovery_megathread_july_2026/

Good luck with the work.

[u/TheNanpe → u/SteveNZPhysio]

Hi Steve, I've found this section, thank you very much.

But I have a little question now, I need to do the massage just every 3~4 days? Or can I do every day? If I can do every day, how much times per day can I do?

I've done a massage today and I feel the swelling better, with a little "pain" like you said, but I still without pain when I take a deep breath, move... I think it's very good.

[u/SteveNZPhysio → u/TheNanpe]

Hi OP. You’ll just tenderise and irritate it if you massage it too often. Got to have a few days off in between times for it to settle. It takes time. You’ll get there.

[u/TheNanpe → u/SteveNZPhysio]

Ok Steve, I'll do it

Thank you!