Chest pain is largely viewed a major cause for concern, but it may not be what you expect. People often worry about heart problems or various lung conditions like pleurisy or pulmonary embolism. However, a cause of chest pain that often goes unnoticed is undiagnosed scoliosis. Scoliosis is a condition where there is an irregular curvature of the spine and can press up against surrounding organs. This curve can sometimes change the way the ribcage sits, oftentimes causing sharp chest pain that seems like something much more life-threatening.
In a recent review, BMC Emergency Medicine reviews patients that came to the emergency presenting signs of pleuritic chest pain (pain that gets worse when you breathe in), it was found that in many cases patients had mild to moderate scoliosis that had never been diagnosed before. The curvature of their spine put pressure on the nerves of the chest wall causing chest pain. Although this pressure does cause sharp pinpoint chest pain, it may not be as severe as you think.
If you experience sudden chest pain, seek medical attention immediately to rule out any life-threatening conditions that affect your heart and lungs. However, if tests come back to seem normal, but pain is still prevalent, ask the doctor to check for scoliosis. All it takes is quick exam of your back and scan of your chest wall to possibly reveal the underlying cause of not only the chest pain, but maybe other underlying health issues.
References
https://pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.libproxy.utdallas.edu/34001003/ Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board