TiddlyPom

'onya, mate.'

mooncat

Ha ha thanks you guys. Was just making a decision on which one might be more appropriate (based completely on other peoples opinions of their own experiences, as you do) and then someone goes and throws in the Alexander technique !!!

Just slightly off backs but still with the cracking. My sternum cracks when I stand up straight and tip my head back and put my arms out to the side. It can't be healthy all this cracking and crunching surely? Is it actually a crack and if so what cracks? My family are all really tall and my dads side has wierd calcification things going on. Both my grandmother and my dad have had an operation on their hands as their fingers started to contract inwards ie as if you were going to make a fist. My dad called it something that sounds like deupetrons contracture.

And not that this has any relevance but to top it all off I'm typing this and 'Bones' (the tv program is on in the background)

augigi

Not sure how old you are, but might be worth getting an Xray or bone scan if you get any pain with the sternal popping. If not, may just be a shifting of cartilage etc. Check with your osteo/chiro.

Weird Fish

I'm a massage therapist and would personally recommend an osteopath over a chiropractor. Over the years for a shoulder injury and part of building my knowledge I decided to visit just about every type of therapist going.

Osteopaths manipulate muscle and the spine and if you can find a good one they can be very effective. Chiropractors manipulate the spine and will often recommend you visit a massage therapist to maximise benefit. Put it this way, why is the bone being misaligned in the first place, normally because of muscular problems and if this isn't fixed with appropriate rehabilitation exercises and strengthening the problem will simply re-occur. If you can find a good osteopath they can work wonders. My experience of chiropractors was not as favourable and much more expensive.

Bowen Technique is an Australian complementary therapy and is a muscle rolling type of massage and Alexander Technique focuses on posture. X-Rays also have their place, 5 years after having what the GP referred to as a trapped nerve, I am now conviced that I actually had a cracked rib and received all the wrong treatment.

All these type of therapies will work, but only if you identify the cause, force your body to do things differently, do rehab exercises, stretch and strengthen. There is a general rule that however long you have had the injury is how long it will take to heal, so the sooner you get treatment the better.

TiddlyPom

Wow, my chiro never recommended I visit anyone else. He sorted me right out. Haven't had back issues ever since.



That's very true. Strengthening is so important. My injury was from a fall originally... but my treatment was years later, yet still achieved excellent results so I guess it's all on a case by case basis anyway. I started yoga - that really gets me sorted.