Sternum HURTS!!!

Hi there.

I believe that you are dealing with cracked sternum. First time when I felt this pain that you are talking about was three years ago. 

First, I believed that I am dealing with costochondritis (that is a very painful condition of the chest wall and my friend had it, so I believed that I am in this category as well). But, that was not true. At least, my doctor told me so and I still trust my doctors.

I had this feeling that I have some crack inside my chests and whenever I had this crack - it hurts.  It really hurts.

My doctor did a x - ray and it looked pretty good. I had to deal with the fact that this just can happen and it will go away. You just need to do some other activities, be careful, etc. 

Hi there! My boyfriend does the same cracking thing with his chest. I hate that but he says it is the only way to get relief from the tightness and pressure he is feeling. When I tell him to see a doc, he says he has been, and even had x-rays and was found nothing.

He says that cracking and starching works for him and until that changes, there is nothing he will do about it since doctors can’t help him as well.

I asked if maybe he could look for another opinion but he always tells me to mind my own business because this is working for him.
I don’t know what else to do and say but I hate that cracking sound.
I was reading about this problem online and it seems that there are other people with exactly the same problem who could not get a relief. Some of them had some spinal problems while others have no such problems at all.

I have this exact same problem. I went to a chiropractor and he basically said my ribs had popped out of place, and he shoved them back in. After that, the problem was completely gone - until the next time I lifted weights (chest). I heard a pop, and now it hurts off and on, and the only way to relieve it is to do the shoulder/sternum pop. I have no clue how to get rid of this problem completly, but it is extremely annoying and painful - so if you find a way, please let me know!



Oh, and this started when I originally went to a chiropractor to realign my hips for a lower back problem.... I think the alignment screwed up my upper back.

So my sternum did the same cracking thing and it hurt soo bad that I couldn't even turn my midsection to check my blind spot and the pain was starting to effect my back, so I went to Urgent care and the doctor could not come up with an answer since I didn't do anything to it physically he basically said the joint between the sternum and the cartilidge rib is inflammed. He gave me 500mg of noproxen (anti-inflammatory) and a muscle relaxer and recommended heat treatment. This seems to be working, so good luck to all...I hope this does solve my problem because this is so painful and I don't want anyone else to have whatever this may be.

My doctor told me the exact same thing numerous times...it is inflamed tissue btwn the sturnum and ribs. I have had CT's of my chest, XRays of the chest all showing nothing at all. If i push my shoulders back it pops the sternum as well...does not relive the pain entirely though. I just gave up on it...what can you do if the doctors cant help!

by any chance, do those complaining of sternum cracking/pain have uneven shoulder alignment and or neck pain on one side mainly (the higher side)?

I first 'popped' my sternum about 9 months ago, and it releases some tension whenever I do it. (I've never had anyone complain, but then again I kinda like surprising people)

Yes - I do have some neck and shoulder problems, slight kyphosis (rounded upper back), and the pain in upper back, shoulders and neck was pretty steady and hard to deal with until very recently. Here are the things I did (and will continue to do!) :-)

I feel that everything is connected and these issues definitely have something to do with my posture while sitting a lot at work. I've changed my desk so that it's ergonomic (keyboard is at the right height - NOT too high, monitor directly in front of me and eye-level) and learned how to sit without my pelvis tilted forward, sitting on the 'sit bones' + I make sure both feet are on the ground. (important stuff if you sit at a computer a lot)

Yoga has been my lifesaver. The bridge and plow postures are wonderful for my upper back (and therefore, my neck). These help me "open up" my chest. I'm slowly gaining more and more range of motion in my arms (that I had no idea I had even lost) and noticing that for years I've had knots in my upper back muscles and i'm now slowing working them out. I use rubber balls a lot to relieve the tension - pinky balls are good for getting the knots out (I lay on them and slowly move them up and down my spine and shoulder/back muscles) - and bigger bouncy balls are great for putting under my upper or lower back to stretch them out (if you do this be gentle with yourself)

Bridge posture is where you lay on yoru back with knees bent and then lift your butt off the floor, hold as long as you want, your body should make a straight line from the knees to your upper back. you will feel pressure (hopefully pleasant) stretching out your upper back. over time our flexibility decreases and i think gravity does have an impact on the curvature of our spines. yoga helps me so much to remain flexible. and helps me re-align.

Rolfing has also helped me and so has massage.... oh i can't wait for my next massage therapy session.

GOOD luck everybody. Love ;P

Its deffinatly not heartburn you numpty! I have the same prob, it started about 3 months ago, the worst was when I seemed to have pulled my right pec, was in agony for about 4 days, couldnt sit up or basically move my arms and upper body at all. Now it comes and goes, I think it started when i was doing some pull ups, I had seem a chiropracter a few years ago for probs with posture and shoulder alignment, had subluxions. Havn't had and serious back probs for a while but still a bit stiff sometimes. I'm pretty sure it is related to the spine, it's really annoying as I feel if I over do it with excersis i'm going to pull a muscle again.... at least some other people have it too lol
Last time i saw a chiropracter they sorted my back out completely, not sure what they could do about this, yoga sounds like a good idea tho, maybe pilaties too.

Hi people,

I have exactly the same problem as you lot, and after some reasearch it seems like this chest pain is related to the muscoskeleton rather than the heart. The condition is probably known as

ankylosis spondylitis.


I myself am not sure what I have to do

i allso have this problemm but am not able to crack the sternum to releave the pain .. if i lean to the left it hurts ...but if i lean to the righ it doesent hurt ..strange? anyone else had that..................... only hurts when i move in surtain positions

do yoga.

Hi there,

a year and half ago I was hit by a Semi. I was coming down a hill has a passenger in a sonoma pick up truck and the semi blew through a stop sign and hit the wheel well on my side on the bed of the truck. we spun into the ditch face first. I was hanging from my seat belt. Now... I'm going through lots of pain TO THIS DAY!!! im still in the process of ICBC and lawyer ETC anyway....

I've had MRI's and Xrays and physio for my sternum and shoulder area. I get the tight feeling and "caving in" like a heavy person is crushing my chest.

My doctor told me that my MRI came back negitive because they dont have the "technology" to diagnose my chest...

hope this helps, i posted in another thread jus tlike this.

hello my fellow chest poppers. i have been expierencing major discomfort like everyone, but for me its been a fairly recently developed problem, thats occured inthe past 6 months or so. ive always had some sort of tightness in my back and chest because i do alot of sitting in front of the computer for work and sometimes play, but its gotten really bad. to the point where i feel where it needs to crack in my chest, but wont when i stretch and in the outcome i am left with more discomfort in the form of an achy soreness feeling in my sternum. ive been dealing with this as it has been getting worse. i had a chiropractor come and adjust my sternum but i think he may have done more damage by misadjusting it, as the pain shifting from my right side, to exactly on top of my sternum. it too hurts when i touch it, and sometimes it feels very constricting on my chest.

well t here is good news.

today i was doing very bad and desperatly trying to solve this problem, when i tried something that miraclously worked and so i am here to share with all of you. its a form of stretching i did.

now first, lay on your back on the floor, (either hardwood or marble.. no carpet. ) . just lay there for a minute. it should feel very comforting and good. next turn around on your stomach. and as you are layingon your stomach, bent your upper torso up, and position yourself on your elbows. sit in this position for 10 minutes, and then shift your position on your elbows either closer to you or further away from you. try to find that spot and sit there on your elbows, laying on your stomach, and rest your chin on your fists, as if you are a four year old child laying on the floor watching tv.. laying on the floor like this literally felt so good, ive been doing it for an hour and i cant describe to you. i feel like a new person. i feel very rejuvunated and refreshed. as i am sitting here i am shrugging my shoulders in a circular motion to find the spot of my discomfort and i cant even find it.

here is my two cents on what could be causing the problem.. YOUR BED. yes, your bed!. ive noticed this develop ever since i started sleeping on an air matress in my condo. the air matress is super soft and i think thats what is bothering me. at home i have a very firm bed, with a memory foam coushin on top and i never expierenced anythign like this. i think tonight im actually going to sleep on the floor.

so fellow back poppers quit trying to find that spot, and instead lay on it!

Okay i have the exact problem everyone in this forum is having. i experience a horrid pain between my sternum plate that i must roll my shoulders back to fix. Here is whats causing it. People who hunch a little over in their average day tend to experience this problem. The reason is that when you hunch a very very slight amount you inevertently roll your shoulders more forward then you would at a upwards position. The rolling forward of your shoulders brings the muscle tissue between your breast closer together causing tissue complications if you continue to do it. The inflamattion caused by the two breast plate muscles coming together causes a swelling in your sternum area accumulating a vast amount of uncomfortable pressure. once you feel this pressure you like all humans relieve it most likely by popping it.. But, dont do this!!!!!! it like anyother bone or area of cartlidge is susceptable to bone damage such as premature arthritis in that area when you are older. Like they tell you not to pop your fingers of neck, dont pop your sternum because everytime you do it it gets easier and easier to pop creating a constant reoccuring build up of fluids in your chest. Try to work on keeping your posture a little bit straighter and your shoulders a little more rolled back and if done over a period of time should put a stop to this pain.