My friend just went to the chiropractor and he had said that if it happends once and a while its ok. But if its happening everyday then theres somthing wrong. I wasn't the one who went to the doctor but maybe im thinking I should. I have this problem too. Im in my early 20's and its scares me so much. Ive asked my doctor about it and she said its nothing. But I think it is. Has anyone here gone to the chiropractor? If so what have they said.

I have had this problem for 3 months now and it wont go away. Ie. Starting w sharp pain, cracking chest and very sore sternum. Saw a dc yesterday and said I needed to lay off of the dirtbike riding because all of the jarring is causing it not to heal. He said it can take up to a year to heal. However, after reading this site I am highly doubt that! Is there anyone out there that has been cured for this??

About 5 months ago, my friend and I were fighting each other, just stupidly fooling around, and he punched me in the chest extremely hard. Since then, I have had pressure on my sternum, relieved often by cracking it. But also, I have experienced some symptoms that have worried me: sharp chest pains localized around my heart, dizziness, poor circculation causing numbness in fingers/hands, and once in a while some sort of "disconnected" feeling in my whole body, which only further worries me causing much panic. This I felt bery much the morning after the initial incident.

I have read many of these posts, pretty much all of them, concerning the "cracking sternum" and am glad to know that I am not the only one with this problem. However, I wonder about my other symptoms, and whether anyone else experiences anything similar. Thank you for any advice on the subject.

I am a fairly healthy, fit and active 23 year old female. Exactly a week ago I started experiencing distinct pain in my right shoulder pain. The next day I was at the gym doing ab crunches and noticed a weird clicking on the right side of my rib cage. I stopped the crunches but did not think much of it and continued with the rest of my workout. That night after my session with a physical therapist (for knee problems) I pointed out the cracking. She was baffled and so was her boss.

As the week went on the pain in my right shoulder blade became almost constant and at times excruciating. It feels like a burning sensation coupled with an occasional stabbing pain. The pain in my chest is minimal which seems different than what many of you are experiencing.

I met with my orthopaedic surgeon on friday. I had already done internet research and suggested that I might have "slipping/clicking rib syndrome." he said that he knew little about that and had never seen a case of it, which shocked me. He sent me to get an emergency sonogram as he thought that my symptoms could have been a problematic gallbladder.

I just got my sonogram results this morning and they were negative, as I had expected. This puts me back at square 1 with clicking ribs, back pain and mild chest area discomfort. I have been taking 7.5mg of mobic twice a day for the pain. I know that I can not take this indefinitly, but I am not sure how else to deal with this pain.

Has anyone tried prolotherapy? I am considering that as treatment if this doesn't heal in another week or so. Really all I want is to be able to exercise again. I am very active and this is depressing me. Any advice?

Same here, I would love to know what anyone out there knows about prolotherapy?

I would also like to get back to exercising but am worried that if I just ignore this now it will come back to haunt me in a few years!

Thank you.

I have spoke with a couple of my friends who have had costo. I was surprised to find out that two of my friends have had it over the years. Both of them are in their mid to late 30s. They are both in great shape and lead very active lives. One of them said his symptoms went away after 6 to 9 months and he hasn't had a problem since. My other friend said his symptoms lasted for a year. However, he said he can still feel the pain in his chest if he completey exhales. It's now been a year and a half for him. He said he doesn't really feel anything besides that. Neither one has the chest cracking any longer.

I have had costo for three months now. After reading all of these post I must admit I was starting to get freaked out! A lot of doom and gloom. I think a lot of folks post stuff on here and then you never hear back from them once the symptoms pass. If you experience this pain, go to the doc and make sure it's nothing worse. If you have costo, don't think it's the end of the world. The best thing to do is relax and get plenty of rest. That's worked for me so far! It will pass for most.

I just recently started having the cracking in my chest with a little pain on my rib under the left breast... When my daughter lays on me and puts her head in the middle of my chest I feel the pain (not bad but bothersome)....It started in december when I went to lean over and had my had up on my fireplace holding me up I felt tight on my left side of my chest ..... When I leaned up it cracked sooooo hard, I freaked!.... I thought let me call everyone up and ask if its happened to them...Lol..As it turns out everyone was shocked about it and recommend me to stop dancing.....(i have now). I seriously thought it was due to a birth control reaction which caused me to have chest pains and leg cramps....Its not.....Now its been happening everyday mostly.. If i've been slouching then try to sit up crack! And when I talk on the phone using my shoulder to hold it when I stand upright it has to crack.... I've been reading on this site not to crack it>>>?...... But how will I be able to stand up right or be able to do anything as for that????..... I've seen my Dr....And he has told me to get an x-ray....And sent me for blood work for all types of crazy stuff that freaked me out ....I'll reply back with the results...By what he says I might have the cartilage a little swollen and lets see ) :shock: 80/

jenny 23

My sternum cracks every so often but my back cracks every hour probably. All the way down. It just feels so tight and tense and it feels so much better after I crack it. I went to a doctor, who claimed to be one of the best spinal experts, and he told me I had ocd and I needed to relax more and find a hobby. However, when I wake up in the morning and my back feels as if its going to fall apart I know that isnt ocd. I can probably crack most of the joints in my body too and I have no idea what to do.

After doing research on the internet, i’m quite surprised to see how many people actually have the same problem.
My cracking sternum started about 4 years ago, about 8 months into when I started weight training. I’d get stiffness in my chest and i’d have to stretch to ease it. Made me panic a bit the first time it actually cracked! I’ve been to the doctors several times and been for x-rays and blood tests…. But nothing! They can’t seem to tell me what the problem is. I’ve basically been told to stop doing weights for a while and take painkillers when the pain gets really bad. Sometimes it hurts that much I can feel the pain in my back and I have to sit up straight with my shoulders back.
I’m currently on my 3rd week of not doing weights and yet i’ve not noticed any difference. I actually feel better when I lift weights! I’m trying not to crack it as much but this seems to cause me more pain sometimes. I’m going to the doctors again soon to see if I can get a referral to a physiotherapist, see if they can help in anyway, but I doubt it.

Im a 24 year old female and healthy as far as I know. I started getting chest pain and popping in my sternum area for the last couple months. Everything started after ive been drawing at a desk and doing my job at a computer. Im slouched over for periods of 3-4 hrs or more, when I try to move after ward I feel a pulling ache in my center chest. When I turn my upper body my sternum pops and it feels better, but it just returns within an hour or so. I've been having other strange things like a rapid heart beat when im lying on my back occasionally, its so scary, does anyone else get this too? Is this stress related? Im a little worried about this because I dont have insurance right now and I dont want to pay to see the doc if hes just going to look at me crazy.

yes I get the rapid heart beat also. It's kinda like palpitations just not all the time, I probably get that once or twice every few weeks. I think worrying about it makes it worse though as you get all worked up and your adrenalin kicks in, which speeds up your heart rate anyway. I've had blood tests, blood pressure tests and i've been checked over with that stethoscope thing a few times and my doctor thinks it's nothing.
If you're worried though go to the doctors and get checked over, maybe get a second opinon also from another doctor. That's what I did and it put my mind at rest :)

I am 25 years old and in great shape (as far as I know). I just finished my first half-maraton, and workout regularily. I also play intermural softball and volleyball. I've notice this sternum cracking for about 6 months now, but started to feel real pain about a month ago. Now it happens about once every week or so. One night last week I got the "heart-attack"-like symptons and had no idea what was going on. I thought the worst! It makes me feel so much better to know others are feeling this too. I going to the doctor in a couple weeks for a physical, and will ask about costo... In the meantime, I guess lay off the activity? That's so hard to do to stay in shape! Any fixes people come up with, please post 'em. This truely is something that should be taken care of, and can be very painful...

I am a 23 yr old male and have had this sternum cracking problem for like 2 years. I have come to the conclusion that this sternum pressure (which results in cracking) is definitely a direct result of bad posture. At my job, I sit at a computer most or all of the day.

My chest started tightening up every half hour or so which made me have to crack it. I realized that my posture while sitting down is very poor. I looked up how to sit correctly at a computer and I certainly wasnt doing it. You should basically sit straight up with your shoulders pulled back even with the rest of your body. When I sat like this for an entire day I experienced no tightness or cracking in my chest.

I will let you know that it is very tiring to sit with correct posture all day. I recommend doing back and ab exercises to build the muscles that will allow you to facilitate the correct posture for a long period of time. Basically, the slouching that results from bad posture causes the chest cavity to sort of compress which results in tightness and pressure. The cracking relieves this tightness and pressure.

I would like to comment on the way that I have cracked my sternum in the past. For me to succesfully crack my sternum when I feel pressure there, I have to put my hand on my chin and turn my neck slowly as if im cracking my neck. This in turn will crack my sternum. I have no idea how or why that works. I can also crack it by arching back or throwing my shoulders over my head.

To stop your chest cracking, practice good posture all day. Always be aware of your posture, as it is easy to forget. Put a stick it note by your desk that says "good posture" if it helps you to remember.

i've posted on this board for nearly a year now as a "guest" and finally got around to registering. Anyhow, i've had my symptoms as well for over 4 years now. They progressively got worse but have plateaued in the last year and a half. My chest cracks and pops like fireworks if I sit on the couch for a while or sit in any position for a long time and then stand up and pull my shoulders back.


It causes pain but generally I feel better after relieving the pressure in my chest. I also have heart palpitations when symptoms are bad. I miss lots of sleep b/c i'll wake up an hour after going to sleep with massive rib pain, and will eventually fall back asleep.

I've had several work-ups by my family doctor over the years, and they continue to find "nothing" except costochondritis. Chest x-rays negative, blood work looks great, etc. Yet my Dr. Acts surprised when he hears how loudly it pops.

Btw, i've noticed working out helps symptoms even though it may worsen the pain at the time i'm working out. Staying active is a necessity, even though you may think it'll help to rest and not use your chest. I've tried 6-8 months of zero chest excersises to attempt to eliminate my costo, but it stays. Short of being in a full body cast, I can't figure out a way to not use my chest during regular activities. So I said screw it, and i'm bench pressing again & working out, and I feel better overall.


Hang in there everyone, you're not alone...And take it from someone who's had costo a long time & spent many nights up late worrying that i'm dying or very sick, costo isn't something to worry yourself to death over. It's painful but it's manageable and not something to ruin your day. Stay positive!

Yesterday after reading thru every post on this site I asked my sister if her sternum ever cracked. Very matter of fact she said oh yes ... Especially when I arch my back. I'm getting the feeling that this is very normal/common.... Perhaps more so for people with some sort of bad posture... Which most of us have. Mine started cracking approx. 8 years ago when I started doing yoga. When I mentioned this to the friend I was doing yoga with she said that happens a lot when people start doing yoga.... Something about opening up your breast bone/sternum area.
Like the people who have posted above ... This really does seem to be a posture problem. I also believe we are finding this more and more in younger people.... Because of the computer.... Xbox , game boy..Etc. All of these relatively new inventions that keep us hours and hours with both our arms caved in and our shoulder slouched for long periods of time. I've read and heard that if your posture is off it can lead to a lot of things going wrong in your body.
I'm glad that people brought up tmj. My dentist has pointed out that if your jaw is not aligned it can throw out your back and cause all sorts of problems with in your body. Carpal tunnel is another way skeletal problems manifest within our bodies. I would not be surprised if some of the people who have posted here also have what some doctors love to refer to as gerd or acid reflux. Some of you may not know it.... But perhaps the pressure you are feeling comes from this. There are acupressure points up and down the torso of your body.... Starting right below the sternum area ... Right where the fleshy part starts. Take your fingers and press..... Firmly and vertically. If you are having a problem with this you should be able to feel pressure in this area as well as in the back of your throat ...Sort of coming out the back of your neck. Remember ... Everything is interconnected. Press, with your fingers held vertically, for a count of 5 and then release... Do these 3 x's then move down a fingers space and do the same.... Then move down one more time and repeat. Then move over just under the right rib cage and do the same....Without moving down this time.... And then over to under the left rib cage.... Again without moving down. Finally finish by pressing with your palm over the mid section (where you first started) counting 30 seconds. This is a preventive procedure for stomach cancer and ulcers. You should also feel the bowels start to move inside. A lot of the pain some of you feel might be from the air trapped inside.
The other thing I wanted to mention is inflammation. If you feel that any part of you is inflamed you want to get rid of it. It is understood that this might be the beginning of a lot of different diseases.
Quick story. A couple of years ago I had a bladder infection. I went to the doctor and since he knows I don't like to take drugs he said he could prescribe an alternative remedy as well as send me home with an antibiotic prescription just in case it didn't work. He said that's what he had done for other patients that had requested an alternative to drugs. When I asked him if it worked he said " oh ... I don't know... I never asked them. He responded like it didn't really matter .... Like it wasn't important.... Like he had absolutely no interest what so ever in finding out. This amazes me because if I was in his shoes.... I'd be asking a lot of questions of all my patients!!!!
I'm sharing this story to point out that if it really doesn't matter to people that are in that line of work... That have the best opportunity to learn and then share with us.... Then who does it matter to? Doctors are busy ..... (that's why they make us wait so long in the waiting room) then they go home to their families... To spend time with them. When do they have time to do research? If they don't have the time or inclination or desire to learn (from us during treatment) then how are we going to ever figure out what is causing all these illnesses. If not them... Then who? This is not an isolated case. I can only think of one time when a doctor was very intent on listening to something I had to say.... To perhaps write a paper on why my blood sugar level was thru the roof. (and again... It was something I figured out on my own ... Doing my own research ...Don't rub niacin on your thighs the night before a glucose test) even though I fasted for 14 hours he was still suspicious that i'd eaten just a little tiny something before the test!!!
Sorry for the long post.... I can go on and on with a million first hand experiences... .. But I hope I have at least stressed that you should not place your health in the hands of someone who has very little time and concern for your well being.
The internet is one of the greatest methods to quickly share information and there by deduce/solve/unravel some, if not most, of our afflictions.
Please share not only one isolated symptom .... But all you can think of sharing... Even if you don't think it has anything to do with this. You can share things such as stress.... Which messes up your digestion... Which causes acid reflux... Which causes gas.... Which causes pain and pressure up against the sternum. You can share other information .... Such as medications you might be on... Foods that you might be eating that might bloat you up... Such as dairy, soy, wheat, sugar, etc. You can share the line of work you do.... Which gives us an idea of what you are being exposed to on a regular basis.... It might be toxic fumes at a paint manufacturing plant... Poor posture at a computer all day.... Heavy stress at a sales position....Etc. Sharing of good quality information can be very rewarding.
One last thing I might mention... Apple cider vinegar 1 t (taken in a small amount of water thru a straw ... Because you don't want it to eat away the enamel on your teeth) is good for digestion and might help with acid reflux. Oh ... And turmeric is good for inflammation and for preventing cancer.
A toast to everyone's perfect health!!!

Im so glad I found this forum. For several weeks now I have had pain on my sternum and front chest plate. Of course I thought this was a sign of heart disease or something and I was really getting worried. I read that someone else also experienced pain in the back directly behind the pain in the sternum, I also experience that too. The other day I tried to lay down straight on the hard floor and felt a sharp pain in my upper back like something was protruding out. I have not yet attempted to "crack" my sternum. I really do not want to start doing that. I have been cracking that spot in my upper back though. All I have to do is stretch out and it pops. Im relieved that im not the only one with a sore chest, (not related to heart disease).

Its been over a month and my sternum condition has improved dramatically since ive stopped eating wheat, soy and cut down on dairy. I also sit with better posture now and stretch regularly. Im not sure which thing has really improved the problem the most but after doing research I found that ive been doing things to my body that imbalance my body alkaline ph and can cause stress and fatigue, since ive been correcting those things my sternum and rapid heart beat are fading:) people think its weird that eating wheat products have anything to do with my sternum popping but I tell you when I tried stopping in only 3-4 days my chest pain was gone. A week ago I got kinda lazy and had some processed wheat product, I cant believe it but that night my whole body felt like crap and my sternum pain came back.

hi. I was just wondering how your prolotherapy treatments worked out. You posted back in february when you got your first shots. Have they improved your slipping rib syndrome problems? How many treatments did you have? How much did it cost? I'm looking into trying prolo myself and I just wanted to find out first-hand how effective it was for this specific problem. My chest and back are hurting all the time now. They crack constantly and the fact that it's allergy season doesn't help. Sneezing and feeling like my chest is ripping open is not fun.

I found this forum a few months ago and was greatly relieved to find out it seems to be a poor posture issue and not a heart issue.

Basically my life was extremely sedintary. I work at a computer job and then I would go home to play on the computer 24/7. I noticed these problems happening about 6 years ago. Rapid heart beat with extreme chest pain that only cracking my chest would relieve.

A few years after I stopped playing as much on the computer the problem would go away and then come back around a dozen times a year throughout the last few years.

About 3 months ago i've started swimming around 3 to 4 times a week. Being a fairly tall guy I usually don't stretch.. Not much room in the apartment. The pools deep end lets me fully stretch out all my joints and arms. I make sure to not stretch anything in chest area, as i'm sure everyone here knows it can become addicting, somewhat like popping your knuckles.

Less computer use and changing my office chair to fit my size. Apparently I had been using the wrong chair. I think this and learning proper posture has helped this problem immensley.

I feel better (haven't lost any weight tho) no chest pain or chest cracking.

I can only hope it continues. Good luck to anyone out there with this problem!

i totally understand how you feel. Try this: right before you sneeze, cross your arms across your chest and pull them tightly into your body. This was advice from my prolo doctor and has helped me with the pain part of sneezing.

I received two prolo treatments, 6 weeks apart, and can't say if it helped or not. I am better than I was prior to prolo, but it could just be the time that has transpired as well as the other things that I have been doing.

The prolo I received was $200 per session, which included 15-20 shots in each area which for me was the chest (sternum area) and the upper thoracic area of my back. It did not hurt, at least not near as much as the pain that it was treating. He increased the irritant % in the second session. Dr. Adams in st. Peters, mo was my doctor. He is a great guy and has a lot of experience with prolo. I am not jumping ship on prolo since the experts say it takes an average of 4-6 treatments to see true results. It’s just at this point I sense I need something else.

I feel my issue is primarily structural versus soft tissue. So, being the frantic solutions-oriented person that I am, I saw (yes!) another doctor - Dr. Sandra tate, a physiatrist. She said that the right side of my rib cage had shifted and recommended rehab. She feels that my problems originated in the upper thoracic region of my back which transferred directly to my sternum, since it's the same two ribs. The muscles in the affected area of my back are extremely tight which doesn't allow anything else to move. This is what rehab is for, to relax and strengthen the muscles while mobilizing the structure.

I’ve been in rehab for a few weeks and love it. It could just be the fact that I am doing something physical, because I still have pain in my chest and back, though it is decreasing. My sternum still pops when I sneeze, but again with less pain. So, overall I think the rehab (and time) has been the best thing so far. To further focus on mobilizing my ribs to their proper position, Dr. Tate recommended me to a chiropractor for a couple of sessions. This isn’t something she normally does, but feels I need more attention in this area than rehab was able to give me. I see the chiro next week.

Some things i’ve learned over the last several months:

#1 you are your doctor – period! You know your body better than anyone. So, in light of that fact, do your homework and come up with a plan of attack for your healing. Also, stay open, ask questions, say what you feel, and allow your plan to continually evolve as you learn new things. Doctors are only a piece of the overall plan.

#2 don’t expect a doctor to do more than their specific expertise. Get what they offer and if it doesn’t help or fit right with you, see another doctor. Remember, this is your body and if you get many opinions on fixing your car, shouldn’t you do the same with it?

#3 healing comes from many different areas – diet, rehab, time, treatments, etc. Very seldom though will a pharmaceutical heal your problem. Only take them if absolutely necessary and make sure you read the side effects before you do. Most drugs only treat symptoms, and for me that’s not good enough. I want complete healing, not a band aid that makes me sick in another area.

#4 surgery is a last resort!!!

#5 keep a positive perspective. My nephew, who was born with cerebral palsy, has never taken a step or thrown a baseball in his 27 years. This always brings me back to reality. Remember – as bad as it gets, it could always be worse. Be thankful for what you do have on your way to complete health!

Until next time…