Hi Tinker,
Your description wasn't confusing at all. From what you're describing, after you post a message you would like to return to the Subject page - the forum you had just posted in.
By design, when you post a reply to a topic, the forum returns you to the topic you replied to. If you attempt to use your "Back" button it will take you back to the previous page which is actually a redirect to the page you were just at - which is creating that loop you're describing. A "redirect" is a sort of like a command to your browser to go to a specific page.
I know this probably isn't the answer you're looking for, but the two things you are doing to work around the "redirect" are among the few options you currently have.
The other alternative I can suggest is that when you're at a forum - looking at a list of topics (or messages), right click on the topic you want to read and open it in a new window. Read it, respond if you want to and when you're done, close that window and go back to the original window and go on to the next topic. That way you don't lose your place either.
Hope that helps.