question....

jdog499 · Post by **jdog499** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 7:22 pm

ok well I've had anxiety for years. and alot lately my chest(sternum) area it gets stuck. like i'll sit or lay a certain way for awhile and it gets stuck. like to where i have to straighten my back to pop it out . but it always is bothering me. its real uncomfortable and smetimes painful. was wondering is there anything a doctor could do about it. it's probably why i always feel like smething wrong with my heart. im 22 and i jst hate feeling like i hve nothing to live for because i feel i have some serious illness

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 12:35 pm

Does it pop when you thrust your chest forward. If so I have the same feelings. I am sure its fine. Just like a popped knuckle.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 8:57 pm

yea ill push my chest out an it will pop the stiffness out. most the time it doesnt bother me but some days it gets stuck bad to where i cant get it out. could smeone like a chrpractor fix this kidn of thing

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 8:59 pm

That's funny....mine does that all the time. Never heard anyone talk about it before. Glad I am not the only one. Sometimes it will be the trigger for my anxiety because if it doesn't pop back into place, it is extremely uncomfortable.
thanks for relating......

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:08 pm

I have the same sensation, but it's my throat area that is "stuck". It is a severe tightness, right in the front. It seizes up with strong emotions, panic attacks, anger, anything powerful. It's weird; it's like the emotions lodge there and I can't experience/ process them in a "normal" way (I haven'r been able to cry for many, many years). When my throat gets really tight I get sick within a couple days and sometimes lose my voice. In fact, I lost it really bad in January and have had on and off hoarseness since then, since my job requires that I dictate all day. The terror of not being able to speak creates more anxiety, which makes it tighter... it's awful. I'm not an asssertive person, but I'm working on it, working on "speaking my truth", trying to accept myself on a daily basis, but the thoughts of release are getting more comforting and less scary.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 11:09 pm

yea JD i really havent heard of anyone either that says they have this issue. thought i was the only one. i always hear maybe ur double jointed in your chest or smethn but this has only been going on for a few years now. havent talked to my doctor about it tho

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jul 28, 2010 3:30 am

That is an interesting question there. I'm not a chiropractor but i am in a similar field. I'm a shiatsu therapist and so I work with the body.

Sometimes its not easy to figure out why areas like that get still and painful, there could be many reasons. However sometimes its not always necessary to figure it out. There are 2 things you can do to help, 1 is to reduce the muscle tension in that area which you could use heat, massage techniques, relaxation and breathing techniques and 2 stretching the area out.

The stretch I'd have you do (if you were a client i would give you this), is to use a door frame and put your arms and shoulders on either side of the frame and just lean yourself forward. This is going to help loosen up the joints and ligaments in the area which will help with the flexibility. Give this a try, 2X a day for a week or 2 and then get back to us.

Mike

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jul 28, 2010 5:56 pm

Mike is right- these exercises really help. I do anterior neck stretches and get cheap massages of neck/ shoulder area and when I keep up with these things, as well as when I'm able to "speak my truth" the tension isn't stuck in my neck/ throat area. Tension and stress, for whatever reason, can localize to particular areas. Or it could be some kind of memory of trauma in the tissues... in my case, not being able to scream when I was raped... could explain the throat tightness and ongoing issues with hoarseness. Where regular doctors can't figure it out, shiatsu, yoga, self love and self care, and practicing the skills in the Attacking Anxiety Program do. Keep us posted.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jul 28, 2010 5:59 pm

Your definitely right about the door excercise, Mike. That is generally how I get mine back in place. The only thing to relate it to is when you have stiffness in the back, and when you twist or stretch, it pops back into place. So it leads me to believe it is just an alignment issue.
All I can say jdog is keep stretching and don't let it freak you out when it doesn't want to pop....it will eventually. It's all good!