its nice to know im not the only one who has this kind of pain.
im 26 and female and for the longest time have on and off had pain in my chest which almost always affects my upper back as well. i usually work with my head down and despite all efforts, i tend to hunch over what im working on, compressing the muscles and bones in my chest.
i dont notice a pop when i attempt to stretch out my chest, but tiny cracking- and it feels better while i stretch, but then hurts like crazy as soon as i stop. sneezing is terrible, too. but has anyone else noticed it feeling like the weight of your ribcage and top arm is too much if you lay on your side, and that causes the same pain? its nearly debilitating for me sometimes. any action like shoveling or mopping can bring on the pain as well, within about a day and a half, and it lasts for usually at Least a week, sometimes up to 3 weeks (though its not usually terrible pain for the entire time)
in college i went to a chiropractor for it. I WOULDNT RECOMMEND THAT TO ANYONE! it made the pain worse and made me feel sick. (though he did tell me that my ribcage was twisted.)
the only things i have found to help this are
-heating pads, which only help while they are being used. there is little lasting relief from them
-advil, that is never good to take too much of-- timing is everything with it
-rest
id like to know if its more important to strengthen my back or chest- or both, or which is more important to start with?
im 26 and female and for the longest time have on and off had pain in my chest which almost always affects my upper back as well. i usually work with my head down and despite all efforts, i tend to hunch over what im working on, compressing the muscles and bones in my chest.
i dont notice a pop when i attempt to stretch out my chest, but tiny cracking- and it feels better while i stretch, but then hurts like crazy as soon as i stop. sneezing is terrible, too. but has anyone else noticed it feeling like the weight of your ribcage and top arm is too much if you lay on your side, and that causes the same pain? its nearly debilitating for me sometimes. any action like shoveling or mopping can bring on the pain as well, within about a day and a half, and it lasts for usually at Least a week, sometimes up to 3 weeks (though its not usually terrible pain for the entire time)
in college i went to a chiropractor for it. I WOULDNT RECOMMEND THAT TO ANYONE! it made the pain worse and made me feel sick. (though he did tell me that my ribcage was twisted.)
the only things i have found to help this are
-heating pads, which only help while they are being used. there is little lasting relief from them
-advil, that is never good to take too much of-- timing is everything with it
-rest
id like to know if its more important to strengthen my back or chest- or both, or which is more important to start with?
Anyone gotten a CT scan or a diagnosis that has helped. Is there any treatment or surgury?
Seriously you guys don't know how good it is to know that I'm not the only one that has this problem, I literlly thought I was having a heart attack. Like many of you my chest only hurts when I'm sitting at my laptop or on my stomach reading,and usually its when I sneeze that it pops, and I agree it feels awhole lot better. I went to the dr. and she told me that it was inflammation of my chest cartliages (not spelled right) she also took x-rays and did an EKG to make sure I wasn't having a heart attack course I'm only 25. She just gave me an anti-inflamatory (not spelled correctly) as well as a pill that's sort of like Tylenol except it also has an anti-inflamatory she told me only to take it when its really bad.
Thought I'd just add another "me too!".
Started around age 22... could pop chest by stretching, never any pain before/after.
About age 25, lost the ability to do it by stretching, now only sneezing does it (sometimes). And the pain has been increasing. Sometimes I'll get in a state where using my chest muscles give a bad sore feeling when used. (an example motion is to hold my arms outstretched in front of me, and push my palms together).
Almost 26 now. Just sneezed, popped, painful, decided to search.
I spend alot of time sitting at a computer, but am otherwise in >= average health.
Started around age 22... could pop chest by stretching, never any pain before/after.
About age 25, lost the ability to do it by stretching, now only sneezing does it (sometimes). And the pain has been increasing. Sometimes I'll get in a state where using my chest muscles give a bad sore feeling when used. (an example motion is to hold my arms outstretched in front of me, and push my palms together).
Almost 26 now. Just sneezed, popped, painful, decided to search.
I spend alot of time sitting at a computer, but am otherwise in >= average health.
The pain/discomfort is the result of a slipped rib. Pain in my chest and back started over a year ago. I went to my chiropractor after dealing with it for months, and he pushed it back into place for me (ouch!), then applied heat and gave me some muscle relaxers to ease the pain. Within a few days i was as good as new, and the relief lasted for about a year. However, I have very bad allergies, and my constant sneezing has caused my rib to be displaced again. The discomfort is returning, so I'll be going to see him again soon, and hopefully ask him about a more permanent remedy for this uncomfortable problem.
I can't find what anyone says as a relief... i've had mine for awhile and i am gonna go to a doctor again but i looked here first hoping to find closure. I lifted a safe earlier and now my chest hurts bad. I get dizzy feel like im gonna pass out sometimes. i lay on a certain side and my breathing gets all messed up. i have to lay a certain way just to fall asleep. i cant imagine anything in your chest cracking being ok, or over lapping, just not normal. i had xrays but it showed nothing I guess, the doc said sprained strernum, but how do you go about healing it back to normal? i want my ribs to be not over lap, i want to breathe normal. honestly its ruining me, i feel like im gonna not wake up one day because of this.
I've had a few major collar bone injuries, and after one of them I started getting popping in my chest upon sneezes, or after sleeping for a while on one side. For me, this is a disruption in the sternoclavicular joint, where the clavicle meets the sternum. If it isn't painful, it's not serious.
I have the same symptoms but don't want to read anymore similar stories. Your telling me this topic has been running since 2006 and no one has found a definite explanation or solution.
I thought people said they went to the doctor, someone please give me some kind of solution to the problem other than just dealing with the chest pain or going to a chiropractor!
I thought people said they went to the doctor, someone please give me some kind of solution to the problem other than just dealing with the chest pain or going to a chiropractor!
Well, do you think that you could take the initiative and see a doctor and then report back to us? I would like to hear if anyone has any sort of answers too! What do you say?
hi, i am 23 year old male, about a year or so ago for some unkown reason mabye something i cant remember, my sternum started making a popping noise when i leaned back or twisted, the pain wasnt so bad to start with then over the past months the pain has intenisified, i noticed that the pain temperaly goes away after cracking my sternum but has become harder to crack lately and the only thing that takes away the pain is when i sneeze. ive noticed when i sit down after a while the pain appears when i stand up. this problem also leaves me a bit short of breath is this anything to worry about? a might just be worrying but am concerned that one day my sternum mite split because sometimes it feels like its getting pulled apart and the cracking or popping noise is quite loud. i work out alot aswel could this have something to do with my problem?
I get the pain, but only on half my chest. Wondering if any other the same.
26 year old male who spends significant proportion of day at computer. Also a rower who does pilates and yoga each once a week.
The pain first happened when doing dips at gym. Felt a sharp pain on right pectoral muscle from bottom inside of muscle up inside to the centre of chest. Felt more like the minor pectoral muscle and not the major. Have not been able to do more than a handful of dips since, but never found the same problem with any other chest exercise.
It does hurt when I sneeze, but only on the right side of my chest between the sternum and pectoral muscle.
26 year old male who spends significant proportion of day at computer. Also a rower who does pilates and yoga each once a week.
The pain first happened when doing dips at gym. Felt a sharp pain on right pectoral muscle from bottom inside of muscle up inside to the centre of chest. Felt more like the minor pectoral muscle and not the major. Have not been able to do more than a handful of dips since, but never found the same problem with any other chest exercise.
It does hurt when I sneeze, but only on the right side of my chest between the sternum and pectoral muscle.
Above poster following up.
Went to physio and injury appears to be intercostal muscle between 3rd and 4th rib. If anyone thinks they have a similar problem, try to push between the ribs with a single finger and see if a sharp (7-9/10) pain in a small area occurs. If the pain goes away within 10-20 seconds while holding, chances are it is a muscle strain.
No exercise and ibuprofen are to be tried for a week then a follow up.
Went to physio and injury appears to be intercostal muscle between 3rd and 4th rib. If anyone thinks they have a similar problem, try to push between the ribs with a single finger and see if a sharp (7-9/10) pain in a small area occurs. If the pain goes away within 10-20 seconds while holding, chances are it is a muscle strain.
No exercise and ibuprofen are to be tried for a week then a follow up.
A few years ago I had a terrible pain in the back too, and the phsyiotherapist noticed the rib out of place too. He pushed it back and the back pain subsided for quite a while. Now the interesting thing that most people seem to be facing in this post is the fact that they appear to be sitting at the computer for long periods of time (and I too have this habit). First of all, if you hurt when you sleep on your side, don't sleep on your side. If you have to sneeze, make sure you get yourself in a very good position (not laying down if possible), and make sure your spine is straight. Never stifle the sneeze, but let it roll on out. There are some excellent sites that explain how to sneeze properly.
Next, sit up straight when you work, put a roll in your back and force yourself to keep your body aligned.
Perhaps, find out what (besides the sneezing) made your rib dislocate. I would also work on some physio to get your abs strengthened. A fun way to strengthen your abs is take up playing a wind instrument (such as a saxophone or clarinet). It seems to me that when I played my clarinet when I was younger I had less back problems than now, since I stopped playing. Simply exercises can be suggested by a physiotherapist that address your situation. For instance, I thought that riding a stationery bike would help me, only to discover that bike riding aggravates my disc problem. Swimming and walking, and select exercises are the way to go. And don't lift those heavy groceries. Make the bags smaller, and walk more often back and forth.
Finally on this topic, make sure you don't have arthritis. It can explain a lot. Get the blood test and monitor your symptoms. And don't sit at the computer too much, get out and walk and socialize.
The next thing to address would be the allergies. Somehow, you need to figure out a way to minimize the symptoms. I had allergies to dust and cat hair and multitude of foods when younger. I have 5 cats at the moment (don't ask), but I felt that about 15 years ago we would try having a cat. I agree with posters on other forums that computer desks have a tendency to make us sneeze - the reason - we are too lazy to dust them. We are so caught up with checking our email and blogging that we forget to clean our homes. I'm guilty too.
One thing that I must share for those of you with allergies is that sinus infection and chronic sinus draining is not a good scenario. I have recently tried to deal with my seasonal hay fever like symptoms and have been met with a delightful degree of success.
1) Run warm water with 1/4 tsp salt to 1 cup warm water through your sinuses (use a neti pot or something with a spout). This is the most effective way to maintain your nasal health that I have ever found. This can be done in the fall, and a couple of times during the winter. The key here is not too hot, not too much salt, and do both nostrils. You'll get the hang of it. When you first introduce this to your children, they will be so totally grossed out, but stand firm. I have had one occassion only that I felt worse after doing this treatment. I am happily now free of the debilitating head pain that plagued me for much of my young life at season changes.
2) If you suffer from chronic nasal infection, I strongly believe that saline drops or super silver are still some of the best remedies that don't cost an arm and a leg. On top of that, even though super silver may seem a bit expensive to buy at first, there are so many uses for it with regard to skin infections, and internal infections (ulcers, etc.) that it remains in my eyes to be somewhat of a miracle. I have used super silver for several winters now and have not had the flu or head colds for quite a while. It is now common knowledge that keeping our sinus cavities clean and free of bacteria plays a huge part in preventing the transmission of bacteria into our lungs and rest of the system. I simply pour a small amount of super silver in my hand and sniff it up. You can use a dropper bottle too, just make sure to remove the rubber dropper and put a proper lid on it between uses. Also, keep super silver in a dark bottle (they usually come in a dark bottle), and keep in a cupboard away from light or heat (don't keep above you stove in otherwords).
This is now what I would deem to be "common sense". Just remember, if you mix up your own saline solutions at home, to discard it after using it. It does not keep well. You can likely find a lot of information online on the topic of super silver and saline solutions.
3) Obviously try Claritin when your allergies seem to acting up. Prev
ention of the whole nasal scene is the idea, and Claritin seems to be the best at addressing that early (at least for me!)
4) Take odorless Garlic (or eat more garlic in general). This seems to help both arthritis and inflammation (if you have bronchitis, sinus problems, etc).
5) Take some type of Omega 3-6-9 to build up your immunity, whether it is Krill Oil, Cod Liver Oil, or plant based. When I started taking cod liver oil regularly (in gel caplet!) I noticed a huge improvement in my ability to avoid or weather the winter flues and colds that were floating around.
Next, sit up straight when you work, put a roll in your back and force yourself to keep your body aligned.
Perhaps, find out what (besides the sneezing) made your rib dislocate. I would also work on some physio to get your abs strengthened. A fun way to strengthen your abs is take up playing a wind instrument (such as a saxophone or clarinet). It seems to me that when I played my clarinet when I was younger I had less back problems than now, since I stopped playing. Simply exercises can be suggested by a physiotherapist that address your situation. For instance, I thought that riding a stationery bike would help me, only to discover that bike riding aggravates my disc problem. Swimming and walking, and select exercises are the way to go. And don't lift those heavy groceries. Make the bags smaller, and walk more often back and forth.
Finally on this topic, make sure you don't have arthritis. It can explain a lot. Get the blood test and monitor your symptoms. And don't sit at the computer too much, get out and walk and socialize.
The next thing to address would be the allergies. Somehow, you need to figure out a way to minimize the symptoms. I had allergies to dust and cat hair and multitude of foods when younger. I have 5 cats at the moment (don't ask), but I felt that about 15 years ago we would try having a cat. I agree with posters on other forums that computer desks have a tendency to make us sneeze - the reason - we are too lazy to dust them. We are so caught up with checking our email and blogging that we forget to clean our homes. I'm guilty too.
One thing that I must share for those of you with allergies is that sinus infection and chronic sinus draining is not a good scenario. I have recently tried to deal with my seasonal hay fever like symptoms and have been met with a delightful degree of success.
1) Run warm water with 1/4 tsp salt to 1 cup warm water through your sinuses (use a neti pot or something with a spout). This is the most effective way to maintain your nasal health that I have ever found. This can be done in the fall, and a couple of times during the winter. The key here is not too hot, not too much salt, and do both nostrils. You'll get the hang of it. When you first introduce this to your children, they will be so totally grossed out, but stand firm. I have had one occassion only that I felt worse after doing this treatment. I am happily now free of the debilitating head pain that plagued me for much of my young life at season changes.
2) If you suffer from chronic nasal infection, I strongly believe that saline drops or super silver are still some of the best remedies that don't cost an arm and a leg. On top of that, even though super silver may seem a bit expensive to buy at first, there are so many uses for it with regard to skin infections, and internal infections (ulcers, etc.) that it remains in my eyes to be somewhat of a miracle. I have used super silver for several winters now and have not had the flu or head colds for quite a while. It is now common knowledge that keeping our sinus cavities clean and free of bacteria plays a huge part in preventing the transmission of bacteria into our lungs and rest of the system. I simply pour a small amount of super silver in my hand and sniff it up. You can use a dropper bottle too, just make sure to remove the rubber dropper and put a proper lid on it between uses. Also, keep super silver in a dark bottle (they usually come in a dark bottle), and keep in a cupboard away from light or heat (don't keep above you stove in otherwords).
This is now what I would deem to be "common sense". Just remember, if you mix up your own saline solutions at home, to discard it after using it. It does not keep well. You can likely find a lot of information online on the topic of super silver and saline solutions.
3) Obviously try Claritin when your allergies seem to acting up. Prev
ention of the whole nasal scene is the idea, and Claritin seems to be the best at addressing that early (at least for me!)
4) Take odorless Garlic (or eat more garlic in general). This seems to help both arthritis and inflammation (if you have bronchitis, sinus problems, etc).
5) Take some type of Omega 3-6-9 to build up your immunity, whether it is Krill Oil, Cod Liver Oil, or plant based. When I started taking cod liver oil regularly (in gel caplet!) I noticed a huge improvement in my ability to avoid or weather the winter flues and colds that were floating around.
To all who have posted or will view this posting, it appears to be a condition called Costochondritis. Costochondritis is an inflammation of a rib or the cartilage connecting a rib to the sternum. It is a common cause of chest pain, which I was recently diagnosed with a few months back.
I found it interesting how you need to use a heat pad (low) instead of icing. You'd think anything inflamed would require ice, but this is not the case. Hope this helps.
***edited by moderator*** web addresses not allowed
I found it interesting how you need to use a heat pad (low) instead of icing. You'd think anything inflamed would require ice, but this is not the case. Hope this helps.
***edited by moderator*** web addresses not allowed
Can anyone give me some specific techniques on how to crack my sternum