Question
hi, i have been trying to figure this out for about 3 weeks now...well my question is every once inawhile i will take a deep breath and will have pressure on my upper back , and it will crack also...what the heck is going on...im in the army and they dont help at all. plus i dont trust them they already screwed my hand up to where i cant move it.


Answer
Hi dempsey,

I can empathize with your opinion of military medicine.  I was raised on it (dad was a Marine lifer AND I was GI Joe for a few years).

Anyway, probably you are describing a dysfunction between the spine and the ribs.  There are a large number of joints in the area and each one can stretch open with breathing and other motions.  When the joint faces separate causing a quick noise as the suction is broken.  Fancy name: cavitation of a diarthrodial joint.

This can happen under very normal circumstances.  Since this is a fairly new phenomenon, you may have injured the area a bit.  Gentle stretching and rest may be all that you have available.  

A chiropractic consult would be ideal.

Otherwise, try this:

Roll up a towel into a tube shape, put it on the ground and lay on it longways right on the spine.  Let gravity just stretch you over it for 3-4 minutes.  It should feel good.  If it doesn't make the towel fatter and cushier or longer and thinner.  It should feel like a stretch not a pain.

Hope this helps.