What treatments and therapies are available?
The causes of the cracking in the chest include incorrect posture, muscle tension and blockages in the cervical and thoracic spine. To treat the cracking in the chest, it is important to pay attention to the correct posture. Don’t make a “hump”, but keep your back and shoulders straight.
It is also helpful to use backpacks instead of shoulder bags or shoulder bags, because these distribute the load evenly over the back and do not encourage the development of incorrect posture by a one-sided weight load. In addition, strengthening the back and shoulder muscles makes sense, which can be achieved through targeted back and shoulder training. In case of severe pain in connection with cracking in the chest, painkillers can be taken in order not to restrict mobility by a pain-related relieving posture. If these indications do not help to satisfactorily relieve the cracking in the chest, physiotherapeutic, osteopathic and/or chiropractic therapy may be useful.
Duration/Prediction
It is difficult to make a general statement about the duration of cracking in the chest. Some patients only suffer from a cracking in the chest from time to time, while others suffer very often. In some patients the problem stops by itself, in others the frequency of cracking increases. However, the prognosis of a cracking in the chest is good. It is not a malignant or serious disease if it is caused by incorrect posture and can be improved by strengthening muscles and paying attention to correct posture.
When does the cracking occur?
Chest cracking usually occurs when stretching the arms after sitting in one position for a long time or when stretching after waking up.The reason for this is that when stretching, the ribs in the joints between the sternum and the ribs move and “jump” into the correct position. This alignment of the ribs causes cracking in the rib cage during stretching. During a bypass operation, the sternum must be sawed open in order to operate on the heart.
Then the parts of the sternum are attached to each other with wires to stabilize it for the time of healing. However, it is difficult (for example because of the breathing movements) to completely immobilize the sternum. Therefore, during the time of healing, there may be a cracking in the ribcage.
This usually subsides when the bones have healed. However, if the sternum does not heal optimally, the cracking may continue for some time after the bypass surgery. A visit to the doctor is then advisable to clarify whether another operation is necessary.
When sneezing, strong forces act on the ribcage. This can cause pain in the chest, but also a cracking, e.g. due to ribs that have “jammed” or due to vertebral blockages and now move against each other due to the sudden movement. If the cracking in the chest occurs when sneezing after a fall or accident, an injury to the ribs may be the cause of the cracking.
Due to the sudden movement of the rib cage, the bones rub against each other and cause a cracking sound. After a bruise in the area of the rib cage, respiration-associated chest pain often occurs. The cause of the bruise can be manifold.
The most common triggers are accidents (road traffic, sports, falls). As a result, bony lesions – usually on the ribs – can develop. If after such a contusion there is a cracking sound in the chest, a rib fracture is suspected.
This can cause more pain than the bruise alone and should be clarified by a doctor due to various complications. The therapy is carried out with painkillers and physical rest. When coughing, a strong pressure builds up in the chest.
This is needed to transport small particles out of the lungs and airways. This pressure must be held by the bony thorax. As a rule, this does not present a challenge.
However, if the thorax is weakened, the increased pressure during coughing can lead to a rib fracture. This can become noticeable by a cracking in the ribcage. This is typically followed by pain in the area of the affected rib.
