I was attacked and punched in the sternum by a much bigger kid when I was 17. He ran at me and went POW and I took it right in the chest, I couldn't breath properly for a week or so. 15 years on I still carry the injury, I lift weights now and although my pecs are well defined (trying not to sound like a meathead here) the sternum seems to have sunk just a bit. I was doing dips 6 months ago and on my 5th rep or so it felt like my chest completely opened up and slipped back. I've never felt anything like it in my life, I've had it crack but this was freaky. I've never done dips since. After reading all your stories you have convinced me to go to the doctors tomorrow. I'll keep you updated.
Add me to the list. My sternum has been popping and cracking also. But, I was hit in the chest/sternum with a baseball when I was 8 years old. I'm 32 years old now and I have been weight lifting for the past year. Weighted dips have caused my costochodritis to flare up again. I have severe pain along with it. It hurts to sneeze, cough, laugh, yawn or stretch. It really sucks. When I stretch my arms out of flex my muscles, you can hear a crack from about 50 feet away. A chiropracter made me even worse. So here I am. Not much I can do about it.
Hi, my sternum has been cracking for a while now. I was just wondering if my Pectus Excavatum might have anything to do with it, or that just my desire to stretch in the vain hope of countering the PE led to this.
As I read through most of the posts I noticed that a good amont of people mentioned that they lifted regularly, in which some of it was heavy lifting. I have had my sternum crack for about 2 years now and I am sure that it was from heavy lifting, specifically flat bench press. I never really had the problem throughout my lifting routines or any of the days around my workout schedule. I found that if I were to take more than 3-4 days off my sternum would begin to crack. I would almost have to relieve it every 5 mins, which is very annoying but it feels great. Just a word of advice for anyone who is reading this and it sounds familiar. Be careful while lifting, especially during bench press. I don't have a flat bench lifting routine anymore and I have noticed a definite decrease in the pressure and I hardly feel as if I need to crack my sternum. Good luck everyone, I hope this helps.
Interesting to hear your stories. I have a lower limb abnormality and had attributed my chest cracking to this imbalance, which affects my back and neck also. I tend to get a build up of tension in the Sternum that resides there and accumulates for a couple of weeks then I get a massive crack coupled with a sharp stabbing pain followed by immediate relief. Reading this thread is the first time I've even sought information about this, so I don't know much about it but my theory is that it's a result of lack of muscle in the upper body coupled with poor posture and periods of prolongued physical exertion, though I may just be describing my own situation.
Well I'm glad I found this site. I doubted I was the only person who's sternum cracks but I had never met anyone else.
Anyway, mine cracks probably near 30 times a day. It normally happens to me when I haven't moved it in a while. Like if I'm just sitting at the computer chair for a while or right after I've woken up.
It doesn't hurt me though like it does for you. It hurts if I don't do it. Afterwards its a little sore but that goes away after about a minute.
Anyway, mine cracks probably near 30 times a day. It normally happens to me when I haven't moved it in a while. Like if I'm just sitting at the computer chair for a while or right after I've woken up.
It doesn't hurt me though like it does for you. It hurts if I don't do it. Afterwards its a little sore but that goes away after about a minute.
Mine has been cracking for a few months now. I am 26 and I noticed this started after I was in a car accident when my body twisted. I had visited a chiropractor and my upper spine has a curve in it and he said since my spine is curved in that area it unbalances the rest of the upper body affecting the posture and positioning of the bones, which could cause the sternum to crack. I have noticed over the past month it has gotten worse, when I turn to the right, it feels like it needs to crack but won't! It is very aggrevating because when it does crack it feels better. I never thought your sternum could crack but you do have cartilage in that area. I'm just glad to know I am not the only one.
I've been cracking my sternum for about 6 years now. It's a bad habit for me. I think it's just the joint between the manubrim and the sternal body, this is called the sternal angle. I'm also able to crack where my rib is connected. From doing this for 6 years, my sternum protrudes out a little and so does one of my ribs. Sucks.
It's nothing to be worried about. Cracking your sternum is the same as cracking any other joint. The nice part is you won't have to worry about not being able to use it later in life due to wearing it down. It basically comes down to this: anywhere bones are joined, or fuse together, there are joints, and in all joints there is that cushioning fluid that keeps them from grating on each other. When you stretch a bone a certain way, it exceeds the normal movement for that joint. This makes the bubble of fluid in your joints expand and suddenly deflate, or rather the fluid moves from one part of the joint to another. When this happens, tension within the join is eliminated, making it easier for the joint to move. I guess you can think of it like having to burp. You can only fit in so much food or liquid when you have to burp. But once you do, more room is left over to fit more in. It's not a bad thing to crack your sternum or any other joints, at least not as far as science is concerned anyway. So until there's actual evidence that cracking joints in general is bad, the only reason you shouldn't do it is because it annoys people. But if it feels good, then don't pay attention to those people. They're probably just upset they can't do it too! Trust me, I can crack most parts of my body, including my sternum, but I'm especially good at my neck. You should see how jealous my mom gets over this... she's always so tense, she would do anything to relieve the pressure in her neck. Anyway, hope this helps!
im glad i found this site, didnt know so many people got the same problems i do. i dont think its Costochodritis because ive had it longer than 6-8 weeks. My back cracks like every 3-4 minuets and sometimes they are quite painful. I am a 19 year old 140 pound male who is in good shape, and i cant imagine why it keeps doin it. The doctor said there was a cartilage inflimation and that it should die down, but that hasnt happened either.
if you have any advice please help!
if you have any advice please help!
Hi, my chest started cracking around a year ago. It sometimes feels like my chest has locked and to relieve it i push my chest forward and shoulders back. I saw a doctor last year who said i may have injured myself, inwhich case it would take months to completely heal. it didn't so i saw a doctor recently about this and i had an x-ray which came back clear so it's a mistery as to what it is. I do suffer with Anxiety so i'm wondering if it could be related.
i've had this sternum cracking problem for over 4 years. it started for me when i golfed 18 rounds, went and played some tennis and came back and golfed another 18 rounds in one day. i way over did it and woke up with a very strong pain in my chest. back then i was lifting weights, playing tennis, golfing, running, biking and many other activities. pretty much something every day. i saw the doctor and he chalked it up as Costochondritis and gave me a prescription anti inflammation drug. now @ 32 years old, i can no longer lift weights where the chest is concerned. golfing and tennis i still do but have to heavily medicate otherwise the pain is severe. this chest pain is a real problem and has significantly demised my lifestyle. one of my biggest concerns is the medication. since i take about 4 - 8 advil before any athletic event, will my body eventially get used to it and i'll need 8-12, etc to get rid of the pain? anyway, good luck everyone. i haven't heard of a cure either.
Definately have the same problem as all of the above - however, my sternum cracking seemed to disappear for a while, and then return. I thought of things that had changed in the daily grind.
Computer Desk - Started working the Desk job in May 2007, since then, the sternum pain has returned, but it was non existant for close to 8 months before that.
Bed to small - I'm 6'6" - and my bed at home is just too small for me now - my bed away from home at school was much larger and allowed me more space to sleep comfortably and properly.
Lifting Weights - started working out regularly in May again, and although I have never had problems with the pain during the workout, it comes on sometimes after.
If I had to pick a cause that seemed more likely than others, I would have to say posture.
Good Luck to all!
Computer Desk - Started working the Desk job in May 2007, since then, the sternum pain has returned, but it was non existant for close to 8 months before that.
Bed to small - I'm 6'6" - and my bed at home is just too small for me now - my bed away from home at school was much larger and allowed me more space to sleep comfortably and properly.
Lifting Weights - started working out regularly in May again, and although I have never had problems with the pain during the workout, it comes on sometimes after.
If I had to pick a cause that seemed more likely than others, I would have to say posture.
Good Luck to all!
Too Funny, I've been having this problem lately, for the past month or so and never thought anything of it. About an hour ago I cracked my chest and a co-worker actually heard it and said the same exact thing actually happens to him. We both started this office job about six months ago and both have terrible posture. Also, I've been putting new floors in the house I'm living in and have been sleeping on a couch that is curved so I can't even sleep straitened out. I guess we've all answered the question.. Mainly bad posture from sitting down for long periods of time coupled with poor sleeping habbits :-( I'm going to start sleeping on the floor for the time being and sitting up strait at work. Hope it fixes the problem before there is a symphony of chest cracking at my work lol!
i crack all over, have shoulder and neck pain that the doc says they can do nothing for. im only 21 but feel like a cripple. lol. still try and run, weight lift etc but no fun at times. i wasn't surprised when my sternum started to crack. its getting more often now, i can feel it but i doesn't hurt. docs are rubbish so doubt they'll help so just leaving it.
dont think it is worth anyone panicking about.
dont think it is worth anyone panicking about.