Question about the sternum

bowker · Newbie Joined: 13 Jul 2005 Posts: 18

Hello,
I have a question about the sternum. When I take a deep breath, sternum hurts. Could it be broken?

felske · Newbie Joined: 25 Jun 2005 Posts: 11

Hey there,
If your sternum was broken, your life would be in danger and you couldn’t take a breath, not to talk about taking a deep breath .,. So, my thought are, there is a problem with your lungs. Did you have flue or something similar in near past? It is also possible that you have this problem because of cigarettes… do you smoke?

Guest · Guest

About 5 years ago, I would touch my sternum with my finger and it would be tender. I work out with weights and foe the next 3-4 days after bench pressing, normaly my chest would hurt. I know this is typical after you work out with weights. This went on for about 4-5 years and the pain would come and go. Sometimes if I didn't touch my sternum I wouldn't notice much pain. At some point I decided to take a break from working out. After a few weeks, I still touched my sternum from time to time and it was still tender. I thought, how odd that it would still be hurting weeks or months after I worked out. I went to the doc and the xray didn't show an enlarged heart or anything like that. I went to a heart doc and did a stress test on the treadmill and everything was ok. I was taking Celebrex for my shoulder and the heart doc said I should keep taking that for my sternum pain. The first doc said it was probably from doing chest exercises. But I found that hard to believe cause I thought after all the years that went by that it would have healed on it's own. Sure enough, I went to the gym the next day and on the incline press, i slowly brought the barbell down and touched my chest with it, and it hit the same exact spot as the pain was in my sternum. I'm assuming that your sternum is a cartlidge. I just thought it would have healed if I didn't touch it anymore, but Iv'e had 2 friends tell me that cartlidge rarely, if ever, heals. Is this true? Also, when I take deep breaths it hurts sometimes, and I feel odd feelings in my hands. Sorry for the long letter.

Guest · Guest

hello,
my friend squeezed me really tight for a very ling time getting tighter the longer he squeezed, until i not only felt like i was going to pass out, but i could have sworn i felt something "pop". My ribs were very sore for awhile and still are a little. However what i am now concerned with is the increasing pain in my sternum. it is getting worse and worse. my pain wakes me up every few minutes at night. My breathing is very shallow because every time i inhale the pain from the pressure of my lungs expanding is too much. i cant sit up in bed i have to roll out. I am only 19 years old so this concerns me... help please...

Guest · Guest

i also felt a pop when playing with my friends. its been about a day now and it still hurts me when i bend, laugh, cough, and inhale deeply
im a 16 year old male
i think it has to do with the bones

Guest · Guest

I have what sounds the same where my sternum will hurt almost like I need to crakc a knuckle...and then I can eventually get it to pop and it feels better. I notice the pain will come more if I sit at weird angles or whatever...sometimes from lifting. I had it X-ray'd and they didn't see anything and said I was fine. It is definitely an uncomfortable feeling and yes even painful sometimes...sucks if I can't get it to pop. But anyway, i've seen other people with AND had it Xray'd...and it still worries me because lets be honest...i've never heard exactly what it is but regardless i've been assured im fine.

Can't speak for you others but it does sound similar.

Guest · Guest

3 days ago I was in the ER for a fall that I thought at first was just bumps and bruises. I fall quite a bit, and with this tumble I bruised my sternum, and slightly fractured 3 ribs, and broke a pinky finger. I have never brokern a finger, a rib, much less bruised a bone like the sternum, and it hurts like heck!!

I fall a lot due to Parkinson's, but I am only 37, and I have 4 kids, (15,12,11& Cool

. My last two falls resulted in concussions.

I asked the ER doctor "So this was a waste of time coming here, because there is nothing to be done but tape me up which I can buy at CVS"

He said "No, it was not a waste of time. What if a piece of fractured bone had torn into a tendon or something else traumatic? You don't know if you don't get it checked it out, and that is why we are here."

So if you are in pain, if it hurts to take deep breaths, to cough, to laugh, to put any pressure on the injured area - call your doctor and get to an ER, just to be safe. Better to be safe than sorry.

luckkylady · Newbie Joined: 10 Jan 2008 Posts: 1

I've been having this pain in my chest for about a month or two and have been going through some of the same things as you people describe i can pop my sternum also like cracking a nuckle i went to the doctor today and she had told me that this was normal i do not smoke have not hurt myself i do not know what it could be but i am concerned for i cannot sleep at night due to the pain the doctor would like me to come back in if the pain continues in three months how crazy is that until then I'm to take aleve for the pain lol

Guest · Guest

Inflamation of the sternum bone is quite wide spread among smaller women. it's also referred to as chostochondritis. There is no alarm, the inflamation will eventually go away on it's own. You may want to use ibuprofen for a few days. Occasionally it returns again, especially if you've had a bad cough due to a cold.

Guest · Guest

sup guys i been having the same pain and every 20 to 30 mins sometimes shorter or longer give or take it feels like i need to crack my sternum like a knucke untill i lean back as far as i can and then it cracks and the feelings goes away for little while (like 20 30 mins) and then i feel the sam pan inmy sides by myribs and in my spine allaroundmyspine and mysides have like a cramping feeling in it i dont knopw if it has anything to do with my sinuses cus for the last 8 months ivehad the worse sinus pressure ever especially if i smoke pot or cigs (especially pot) and ive read on here that the fungual or bacteria in your sinuses can spread rarely tho to your bones and couse bone errosion ive been on omnicef on and off for like 6 months now and the infection just keeps coming back

Question about the sternum

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