Sternum pops when I sneeze

nickg500 · Newbie Joined: 05 Dec 2006 Posts: 1

About 7 months ago, I went to stretch and heard a pop sound in my chest area, around my sternum. Ever since then, I have felt a pain in my sternum area. If I sneeze and dont brace myself I hear a pop sound and it kind of hurts, also if I sit for awhile and then stretch it hurts. If i pulled a muscle it should have gone away by now. But I have been thinking that maybe I somehow injured it before and never realized it. Do you know what this could be? And is it serious?

Guest · Guest

Me too! The exact same thing happens to me. When I sneeze now, I have to press against my sternum with my hand. It will still pop when I sneeze, but if I don't hold it to brace it, the pop is accompanied with quite a bit of pain. It started a couple of years ago when I was in college. I would often be at the computer for many many hours on end studying or writing a paper. I would stretch sometimes by reaching back with both arms which stretched/expanded my rib cage. Sometimes my sternum would pop when I did this, very unusual feeling at first as I had never experienced it before, but it felt good. Now, when I do a pushup or stretch or sneeze, it pops but it hurts. Should I see a Doc?

sagreene · Newbie Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 2

Hi,

I have the same condition - did a massive strech at work and it popped. That was probably a year or two ago. I sneezed the other day while my torso was twisted to the right, and it popped again. I do have pretty violent sneezes. That day I began having pretty bad pain in the area but it got better after 3 days....minor at least. Now I sneezed again the other day and it's happened again - although not as bad.

sagreene · Newbie Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 2

i suppose i should mention that the first time i did it, it didn't really hurt. I would advise against ever trying to crack your sternum again as I am now *sorely* Wink

regretting it. It got to the point where breathing deeply was painful and looking to my sides while driving was impossible. I really notice it when i turn my head from side to side...the muscles tug at my chest and...youch. There are many other sternum problems mentioned in the links below - take a look.

Guest · Guest

I busted either the front of a couple ribs where they connect to the sternum, or a chunk of my sternum on that side, two weeks ago, snowboarding. This was confirmed by a doctor. You are describing EXACTLY what I have experienced for the last two weeks, so I can guess what's wrong with you guys...

Guest · Guest

I hope this doesn't cause us problems later on.

Guest · Guest

I am a 24 year old male who suffers from the same discomfort in my
sternum, i use to pop my sternum but this only offers tempoary releif and it causes the pain to increase over time
i noticed that when i sleep with out a pillow in the nights the pressure is less during the days also the bed that you sleep in must be firm, avoid sleeping on your belly and sides as this will contribute to the pain aviod poping aviod lifting heavy loads and it should offer some releif. if you slouch when using the computer this will contribute to the pressure sit in a upright position rand relax your shoulders. this is not a cure but i belive that the problem is stress reated so the less stress you put you body under the better you will feel.

Guest · Guest

I have exactly the same symptoms! Did the same backward stretch with my arms while sitting at my desk and felt (and heard) a pop. Since the (about 14months now) sneezing is a painful experience. Fine if you can feel one coming on and you can brace yourself but the surprise ones can be bloody sore. Found a few sites on Costochondritis which is the inflammation of the cartilage that joins the ribs to the chest bone and can cause these same pains we are having.

Guest · Guest

Same thing here. I sneeze and my sternum pops. It hurts but the pain goes away pretty quickly. Consecutive sneezes don't pop it though. The pain is almost like it starts in my back and moves to my sternum. I also had been having some upper back pain. I took physical therapy to help with the back pain, but I still have pain across my sternum and of course the popping during sneezes still hurts. Wish I knew what to do about it.

Guest · Guest

I am 30 year old who use to go to the gym regularily, however four months ago I was doing alot of chest work with weights to build up this my weakest body area and felt one work out like something in my upper chest failed. The next day I did two different kind of dips to work my tri's and one area on the upper left side of my chest had sharp pain. Even when I did shoulder work the same day - that area was very weak and caused my left arm to become quite painful. Since that time I stopped going to the gym and every time I sneeze - just like the rest of you report - I to have sharp pain, some times a cracking or popping sound. If I am on my tummy in and up on my elbows reading or something, it also hurts in the same place. This pain sometimes radiates in my upper back too. When the injury first happened the pain was not as localized as it is now. Now I can push on the rib in my upper chest right where it connects to my sternum and the pain is very sharp. I have decided to talk to my doctor about it and if he tries to send me home I will push to have an x-ray done simply to cover the bases. In the health care system you sometimes have to be your own advocate to be taken care of properly. Good luck all.

Sternum pops when I sneeze

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