Clicks and pops? Is it normal...

[almost_hectic]

I'm at 4 weeks post surgery from mini-sternotomy. Still having chest/incision pain, it's gotten a lot better but still there for sure. I've gone from taking pain meds all day to skipping them at night as I sleep pretty decent without them and I lay pretty still on my back so there's little chance to aggravate any pain or discomfort. I am takin a pain pill morning and afternoons now so that I can try to resume more activity and move around more during the day, which I assume is beneficial to regaining some strength. Anyhow when I'm on the pain meds I tend to relax my muscles more in neck, chest and shoulders because I'm no longer tensing up or guarding from pain. It's during this time when I'm more relaxed and freer to move that I sometimes get clicks and pops from my upper back, shoulders and chest. I don't think it's my actual sternum clicking or I would be concerned. But I'm just wondering how normal this is or if it's unique to me because I have some osteoarthritis. Anyone else experience similar clicks and pops?

 

[MethodAir]

The upper back and neck takes a beating, locking the thoracic spine and neck into bad positions. So the pain meds might be helping to unlock.

 

[T in YVR]

Things get moved around a bit and take time to heal and settle back in place....It can be muscles and tendons, bones healing still etc. They cracked a couple of my ribs when they opened me up, not including the major incision. Talk about pain....they had to x-ray me to make sure everything was ok while I was still in recovery.
I used to get the clicks and pops, but have not had any in a long time. It's likely nothing to worry about.

 

[almost_hectic]

Yeah I think my inherent back problems are exaggerating the problem and I get a little locked up. At least I'm hoping the was my issue yesterday. I'm assuming I was getting some referred muscle pain from my thoracic spine, either that or I over did it the other day with the physical therapist who encouraged me to do more arm work to open up my chest and gain some range of movement back?... Although an ice pack on my back seemed to relieve things considerably so referred pain kinda seemed more likely.

 

[Odie]

I had clicks and pops near my collarbone whenever I walked. Over time things settled back down into place. As I recall, by the six week mark most of that was done.