Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

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Just like when you crack your knuckles, I often times feel the need to crack my chest.

It's not the center of my chest, but more of on the right side/corner is where it cracks. I've had this for quite awhile now (maybe less than a year).

It has been better going Paleo, especially with inflammation in chest going away, but I'm wondering do I just not crack it, and wait for it to heal? Or do I keep cracking it? If I don't, it feels like tension builds up, and then it kinda hurts to crack it the longer I wait.

Any suggestions?

flag	asked Oct 28 2011 at 14:18 Ben Nash 2,852●2●15●46

I don't have any suggestions, but I have this too! I attribute it to getting old and/or being pregnant. Has been happening for several months now when I get out of bed... – Gazelle Oct 28 2011 at 14:27

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A friend of mine has something similar, but his cracking comes from the middle of his chest. He asked his doctor about it and the doc said it was normal and to not worry about it. I don't know how much you believe doctors, but that was the "professional" opinion. 8) – Ali Oct 28 2011 at 14:45

Mine does that too, right around my sternum. Not always, but if I stretch hard or turn funny it cracks sometimes. There are lots of small muscles running across our ribcage and if one or more of these are tightened it stands to make sense that it would exert some pressure on the ribs. Ribs are supposed to flex quite a bit (how else would we breathe?) and are only held in place by cartilage and the further down you go the more mobile they are. – Nemesis Oct 28 2011 at 20:32

I doubt it's age-related as I have exactly what the OP describes at the tender age of sixteen :/ – Adulescens Appetens Oct 28 2011 at 22:22

How exactly do you purposely crack it? – saiklón Oct 29 2011 at 2:18

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none · Answer 1 · 2011-10-29 01:16:11Z UTC

I know of a physical therapist who calls this a subluxed rib. He says that if your try hanging from a pull-up bar with hands in chin-up position. Sometimes this helps. I have no links or sites - this is just what he says to me verbally.

saiklón · Answer 2 · 2011-10-29 02:15:09Z UTC

I have a rib that gives me problems but only have popping first thing in the morning after a heavy chest lifting session and I consider it almost unrelated. The rib issue may or may not be due to "subluxation" but I know it can come and go easily and the pain can be quite severe. It usually concentrates as a sharp pain in the back but I also sometimes get a dull ache around on the chest side. Usually making a barrel shaped chest (hands behind head, elbows out, deep breath, arch back) tends to put things back where they belong.

P.S. If there is no pain I wouldn't worry too much.

Cracking in chest area? How do I get rid of it?

2 Answers