Chest popping?

I've been experiencing this problem for about a year now. My chest (heart side) feels uncomfortable under the collar bone about 2-3 inches on the hearts right side near the sternum. I alleviate this by arching my chest forward and raising my head this in turn causes my chest to pop numerous times and causes me sometimes to become light headed ( this fixes the problem temporarily, I pop in numerous times throughout the day). This popping is analogous to when you crack your knuckles. Now my doctor basically told me not to lift heavy objects because at that time I was working in a warehouse and go to the gym a lot (cant do dips anymore), but I haven’t gone to the gym since December and I don’t work in a warehouse anymore so what is causing this sensation I’m feeling in my chest.. I had numerous cardiograms done and it showed nothing, I even did the stress test on the treadmill in my doctor’s office and I passed that as well. The doctor gave me naproxen (basically a really strong Aleve) and that’s all he did for me and I only take it when the pain is unbearable. I suffer from GERD by I have a lot of control over take using nothing more than Rolaids now a day. I take one a day multivitamins. Don’t drink, rarely smoke. Sleep on my left side. What other information should I provide even if it seems minuscule? Some days im ok and I don’t pop it some days are bad. There was one time where the pain was so incredible that I couldn’t lay down or move and my body was crooked. But I want to know so I continue to crack it, should I work this muscle out cause I’m about to start going back to the gym, any information would be appreciated.

Chest popping?
I have suffered exactly what you described. After years of this Doctor and that Doctor it was finally discovered I had a bad (herniated) thoracic vertebrae.





Unfortunately, it is basically inoperable. To repair a thoracic vertebrae you must go in from the front (like open heart surgery but worse), collapse a lung, to be able to get to that area. Thus, any thing short of paralysis, you should not have the surgery. In addition, two surgeons told me, most patients complained that they had more pain from the surgery site than what the surgery was suppose to relieve.





I have learned how not to aggravate it like leaning over the hood of my car to do repairs, under the dash repairs, anything that bends your spine in that area.





I wish you well and hope you find some comfort soon.





GOOD LUCK!
Reply:There is a syndrome called costochondritis, which in your case is probably the cause of your pain and popping. Suprisingly I don't know much about it, we didn't study it much in sports med school. But I can tell you from what I know it is caused by an inflammation in the ribcage that exacerbates the popping noise. I don't know much more about how to make it better, the people I have run across with the problem usually say it gets better after they crack it. I guess you could consult your doc. Otherwise I will send you a link, and you can look it up on google for more help.
Reply:Costochondritis is often a term used when your doctor knows you have something orthopedic going on in the front of your chest, but they don't really know what the hell it is.





Treatment of the ribs/thorax is not an easy thing, and so I would recommend seeing an experienced physical therapist who knows a thing or two about this area. Look for an orthopedic or sports certified specialist (OCS or SCS after their name).





I recently attended a course on thorax, and if I were you I'd ask the PT if they are familliar with Diane Lee's textbook on the subject. . . she's a Canadian lecturer, a PT, and she's forgotten more about the thorax than I'll ever know!





Anyway, a PT is the person most likely to actually help you with this. Again, the chest is a dodgy area to treat, so get someone who has been there and done that.





Go to APTA.org, click on "Find a PT", and search your home area.





By the way: your autnomic nervous system has a lot of nerve centers in the thorax. . . .it would not surprise me if, when you and the therapist start to square away this problem, that your GERD symptoms would be decreased.





Good luck!