Question: I stretched my chest today with my arms outstretched horizontally and I heard a cracking or popping kind of noise. The kind you hear when you crack your knuckles. The only thing is is that it came directly from the center of the chest where the sternum is located (in between my pecs).
Just wondering if this is normal. / Mark from Illinois
Answer: This noise is very similar in nature to popping your knuckles in that the noise you hear is just gas bubbles being released from the synovial fluid in the joint. But the popping or cracking you’re talking about occurs in the sternocostal joint (where the ribs and sternum connect).
Though it’s not really a problem, it typically occurs when one or more of the ribs are subluxated (very slightly out of place) and not articulating with the vertebrae perfectly.
My experience is that is can virtually always be remedied with chiropractic adjustments to the appropriate (subluxated) ribs and vertebrae.
If you can’t get to a chiropractor (though I’d really recommend it), try rolling on a foam roller on a regular basis. That’s the next best thing to getting your thoracic spine adjusted by a skilled chiropractor.
~ Dr Clay
thank you i wondered for a long time why it did that and doctor’s never had an answer. Is it something is should be concerned about?
OH MY GOSH!!!!!….I didn’t think that when My sternum popped MY Ribs were slightly out of place!!…I’ve been doing that when I was 17 and I actually just woke up and I leaned back a little and poked my chest out and I heard 2 high pitched pops..so yeah….But Wow….THANKS FOR THE INFO!!!!
Jerri, should you be concerned about your ribs/sternum ‘popping’ – not really. If, in fact, you have rib subluxations (slightly out of place/not moving properly), it’s only an immediate concern if you have pain (usually in the upper back/shoulder blade area). If that’s the case you should see a chiropractor pretty soon.
But if the ‘popping’ is not associate with any pain, then it’s not an immediate concern, but something you should – at least ideally – take care of before long. It’s FAR easier for a chiropractor to fix things that haven’t been ‘out of place’ for a long time. But if something has ‘been out’ a while, then the body has adapted (or tried to), thus making it harder to fix – so it takes more time, more treatments, etc.
Hope that helps.
Dr C
You’re very welcome, Stacey.
Dr Clay
Hey Dr C.. My Name is kay and am having this pain as well… I dont think there is anything like chiropractor in my country and i always have this pain coming like every hour. Please what do i need to do? Thanks
Well, if you don’t have any chiropractors in your country, what about a physical therapist of kinesiologist who is skilled in the art of joint manipulation/mobilization?
When I have to “treat” myself, since I obviously can’t adjust my own back, I’ve found that it helps to roll on a foam roller quite a bit. It’s not the often instant fix you get from an adjustment, but, over time it does seem to ease the rib back into place.
Hope that helps.