yeah im a gymnast so i cant really help many of my problems, but this is one that really is bothering me and i have an extremely high pain tolerance. it like pops and when i do push ups and handstands or just stand on my arms and go upside down in any way it hurts. like really bad. and im concerned that i could have done something bad. cause like it hurts just to sit here and type... yeah like my whole body hurts, but this is unlike anything ive ever had before. and i have nationals in like a month!! ):
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Are you kidding me, dozens of people have responded to this post and not one single person has been able to diagnose or treat this effectively?
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Wow I didn't realize this was common at all. All of these descriptions match my symptoms exactly. Got mine from doing dips but I think I originally injured it while playing softball. Extreme activity and complete inactivity doesn't make it worse or better. I cannot even come close to doing one dip now without collapsing in pain. Oh well, there are plenty of other excercises you can do. Good to see im not the only one affilicted with this. Not to say im glad other people have problems but you know what i mean.
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I have the same problem like all of you and i still haven't found any solution....
First it was interesting and i was popping it once a month than more often and now it's like i don't know how many times a day and the pressure is still there.... Now it's annoying and i started to wonder what will it be like in 10 years or so, because joints will get stiffer with years so....
Well i found this (http://www.healthhype.com/popping-cracking-clicking-sternum-breastbone-rib-joint.html) and it does sound ridiculous but can it be psychosomatic? Or can it be weight related ( by weight i mean belly fatness). Another thing, i noticed that the pain increases if i am sitting like a half a doughnut :-) over the keyboard or while studying.... Don't know but i'll go to see orthopedist and i'll let you know what he said...
Cheers !
P.S. I found this too http://www.buzzle.com/articles/popping-sternum.html
First it was interesting and i was popping it once a month than more often and now it's like i don't know how many times a day and the pressure is still there.... Now it's annoying and i started to wonder what will it be like in 10 years or so, because joints will get stiffer with years so....
Well i found this (http://www.healthhype.com/popping-cracking-clicking-sternum-breastbone-rib-joint.html) and it does sound ridiculous but can it be psychosomatic? Or can it be weight related ( by weight i mean belly fatness). Another thing, i noticed that the pain increases if i am sitting like a half a doughnut :-) over the keyboard or while studying.... Don't know but i'll go to see orthopedist and i'll let you know what he said...
Cheers !
P.S. I found this too http://www.buzzle.com/articles/popping-sternum.html
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What you described as 'a little hard ball that you can feel' is exactly what i have. However, i've never really worried about the popping as i've never experienced pain only the addictive need to stretch until it pops (with or without heavy weighted resistance). I find that the addiction helps in my body building as i always feel the need to do chest workouts BUT i am beginning to think about the future and whether after 10 years or so my chest might be in a terrible state (i hope not)...
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I've had this issue for about 2 months now, and I can only directly relate it to the start of lifting after taking a couple of months off. My belief is that the tendons/cartilage that attaches to the sternum from the pectoral muscles and rib cage was slightly torn due to a result of either a) over-lifting or lifting too much weight before your muscles are able to support it or b) having one side of your body overcompensate for the other side of your body (i.e. right handed people might have a stronger affinity to pushing more with their right arm to balance out the weakness of the left) this would cause an imbalance in pressure on the sternum resulting in a ripping of the muscle tendons from the bone. Over time, pressure will build up beneath this cartilage causing the need for a "crack".
Some suggestions:
-Sleep on a firm surface, trying to lay flat on your back to reduce the build of of pressure from uneven distribution
-STOP CRACKING IT -- I know this is seemingly the hardest thing in the world, but every time you crack your tendon or cartilage, it re-opens the tear. (It is nearly impossible to repair torn cartilage due to low blood flow within, however it is imperative that you do not do anymore damage than is done already)
-When lifting, try to stay away from motions that contract your chest muscles across your sternum, for example: flies, rows, etc. , for at least a month or to.
- My best advice for those who want to stay in shape during this hiatus is to run and do minor ab exercises. Maintain your core, and when you are able to start working out again it will be that much easier to get back into it.
I wish you the best of luck, as I'm trying these practices myself at the moment. I will keep you posted on the progress as much as possible to let you know what works the best.
My sympathies to all of you.
Some suggestions:
-Sleep on a firm surface, trying to lay flat on your back to reduce the build of of pressure from uneven distribution
-STOP CRACKING IT -- I know this is seemingly the hardest thing in the world, but every time you crack your tendon or cartilage, it re-opens the tear. (It is nearly impossible to repair torn cartilage due to low blood flow within, however it is imperative that you do not do anymore damage than is done already)
-When lifting, try to stay away from motions that contract your chest muscles across your sternum, for example: flies, rows, etc. , for at least a month or to.
- My best advice for those who want to stay in shape during this hiatus is to run and do minor ab exercises. Maintain your core, and when you are able to start working out again it will be that much easier to get back into it.
I wish you the best of luck, as I'm trying these practices myself at the moment. I will keep you posted on the progress as much as possible to let you know what works the best.
My sympathies to all of you.
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after moving the body for certain activities like sport/work and then not doing the same for a certain times and then going back trying to do the same think that what starts it
I did Karate for 6 years and then stopped for few years and then went back and had this problem
the body depends on muscles and when the muscles get weak we don't realize that and think we still can do what we once did this will happen
it WORKED for me to strengthen my muscles back to how they used to be to perfom that certain activity
AND IT'S COMPLETELY GONE
I did Karate for 6 years and then stopped for few years and then went back and had this problem
the body depends on muscles and when the muscles get weak we don't realize that and think we still can do what we once did this will happen
it WORKED for me to strengthen my muscles back to how they used to be to perfom that certain activity
AND IT'S COMPLETELY GONE
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I have this thing to. I my chest/sternum gets tight often like it needs to crack/pop. Just like the knuckles need to pop sometimes, and if you pop your knuckles a lot the sternum will keep on needing to be "popped." THERE IS NO CURE. You simply need to be more active in your upper body. You need to move your upper arms and chest in different ways that dissipate the gases that build up in the joint that then "pop" when released. The "cracking" or "popping" is simply a sign of reduced or singular movement in the upper body, i.e. you do tooo many of the same movements over and over too many times. The easiest way to alleviate this is to learn no movements and practice them. "Yoga" is a great way. Anything similar to "yoga" or anything that gets the upper body moving on a regular basis in many different poses is key. In this situation pressure is key - but not weight pressure. Putting more weight on the afflicted area does not alleviate the symptom. You must simply practice simple, easy movements in the body area over and over each day. This dissipates the gases, the energy, and allows you to be more mobile and less restricted (i.e. crack-prone). Try it. Do it. If you hear of something that says it will do away with your issue once and for all it's false science. Try it for yourself. What works over time?
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I can't believe this has been happening to so many people and there is not a diagnoses for it yet!
I have all the the same symptoms as everyone except for some reason mine hardly pops. Its just severely painful when pressure is put on my chest. It also hurts when I'm at the gym doing flies and dips. If I'm sitting on the couch watching tv and resting in a certain position and then I move, I feel it in my sternum as well. The pain is almost like compression.
I've noticed that in the morning its the worst, and eases up slightly thru out the day. I experience mild coughing due to it also. It almost makes gives me a pinch in my throat some times when I take deep breathes, and causes mild wheezing as well.
I noticed that when I turn my head to the left, I can feel it in my sternum as well (pinching) not when I turn my head to the right tho.
There has to be someone who has found a PERMANENT solution to this. Perhaps yoga? An Anti-inflammatory?
Please Advice!
Danny
I have all the the same symptoms as everyone except for some reason mine hardly pops. Its just severely painful when pressure is put on my chest. It also hurts when I'm at the gym doing flies and dips. If I'm sitting on the couch watching tv and resting in a certain position and then I move, I feel it in my sternum as well. The pain is almost like compression.
I've noticed that in the morning its the worst, and eases up slightly thru out the day. I experience mild coughing due to it also. It almost makes gives me a pinch in my throat some times when I take deep breathes, and causes mild wheezing as well.
I noticed that when I turn my head to the left, I can feel it in my sternum as well (pinching) not when I turn my head to the right tho.
There has to be someone who has found a PERMANENT solution to this. Perhaps yoga? An Anti-inflammatory?
Please Advice!
Danny
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DO YOU HUNCH ?
DO YOU HAVE A SORE UPPER BACK/ NECK SHOULDERS?
DOES YOUR CHEST CRACK AND HURT WHEN YOU SNEEZE ?
THIS IS ME , i think its due to stress and hunching, - having a weak core and not stretching enough before exercise combined with an un-healty lifestyle.
I go to an Osteopath, he massages the muscles that run along my spine away from it, and stretch's my neck because they cut off fluid running to my shoulders and chest, drying them out and causing premature arthritis.
He has to do it every week for a month then gradually cuts down untill its once every 3 months.
then it stops.
I recommend you find a good osteopath with alot of experience 20 years or more - also if they delve right back into your history like a physiologist for 30 mins/ standing you up and looking at your body structure before they even start to massage is a good sign of experience- if in Sydney i know one and give details.
fish oil, swimming ,water, good food all help me
beer, coffee, acidic things, smoking (when i use to smoke) set off the pain.
good luck
DO YOU HAVE A SORE UPPER BACK/ NECK SHOULDERS?
DOES YOUR CHEST CRACK AND HURT WHEN YOU SNEEZE ?
THIS IS ME , i think its due to stress and hunching, - having a weak core and not stretching enough before exercise combined with an un-healty lifestyle.
I go to an Osteopath, he massages the muscles that run along my spine away from it, and stretch's my neck because they cut off fluid running to my shoulders and chest, drying them out and causing premature arthritis.
He has to do it every week for a month then gradually cuts down untill its once every 3 months.
then it stops.
I recommend you find a good osteopath with alot of experience 20 years or more - also if they delve right back into your history like a physiologist for 30 mins/ standing you up and looking at your body structure before they even start to massage is a good sign of experience- if in Sydney i know one and give details.
fish oil, swimming ,water, good food all help me
beer, coffee, acidic things, smoking (when i use to smoke) set off the pain.
good luck
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I too have this problem in my chest. I pop my back a lot and also have back pain. Do the rest of you have a history of poping your back? I'm wondering if this is the root to the problem
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I am 49 and have had this issue for over 25 years. When it started I went to many doctors, had xrays, etc. No one could tell me what was wrong. I owned a cleaning business at the time it first began and found that leaning over for long periods of time ie: vacumning, mopping etc.., is what actually caused the problem. I was popping my chest 30 times a day. If I couldn't pop it I was in excrutiating pain. I quit cleaning because of it. Quitting the cleaning business helped immensely. I have been working behind a desk for several years now and find leaning over the computer also aggravates it, and makes me have to pop it. Best thing I can tell all of you is leaning over is definitely a factor in it coming out of place. My son has it too and it started when he started lifting weights, so whatever you guys do when you lift weights and have to lean forward, that is probably the culprit. I went to the hospital yesterday, thought I was having a heart attack, I had horrible crushing pain in my chest. I have a history of an irregular heartbeat. However after staying the night, I was cleared. It was my sternum causing the pain. My lower back has been out and apparently when you have other back issues, it will also effect the sternum. I wish I had an answer for all of you, but I don't. The only other tip I can give you is when you know it has to be popped. pop it. If you let it go the pain gets worse. Then when you finnally decide you can't take it anymore you try to pop it and it won't pop. So you stay in pain. When you finnally get it to pop, the pain stays for quite sometime after the pop because you have aggravated the condition. So Pop it People!
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I have the same problem described above in the gymnastics injury. I was also doing a double back onto mats but landed on my neck and rotated backwards with my body over my head and bashed my chin and possibly my legs onto my sternum. I'm a retired gymnast but am training again for fun with the college team. I am 29 though so my body is not so forgiving as it was at 13. I went to the doc who dismissed me and said if it doesn't hurt to breathe then it's not broken at all but having been a gymnast for many years I have had a lot of broken bones and the pain is severe enough that I think it may be fractured. my chest already pops a lot when I do backbends but I don't recall ever having broken it before. I think that is just cartilage popping. Now I am not sure if I should keep training and hope the pain goes away soon or try to get another opinion from the doc. I did hit the mats pretty hard and knocked the wind out of me. It hurts most when I move my head around and have difficulty going from lying down to sitting up as this engages my neck muscles and back muscles and hurts my sternum A LOT. I take lots of Ibuprofen but it only seems to help minimally. I will have to wait and see about this one I suppose...
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i just want to say while reading this post has given me a little insight. i believe i have damaged my chest in the past by leaning on it while lifting or pulling something. basically putting to much pressure on it. i also smoke which seems to agravate it especialy in the evening. i cant crack it to relieve pressure which is probably a good thing after reading the posts. i dont know if your pain is comparable to mine but whaat works for me is rythmic breathing. i think it lowers my stress. i breath normal pase. breathing in to the count of 4, holding for 3 breathing out to the count of 4 or 5 whatever is comfortable then holding for 3 and then begin again for at least 15 min. i hope this helps and makes you feeel better all around.
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