Is it bad to crack your own neck or back?

A common thing I hear in the clinic is new patients telling me they “crack” their own back or neck and asking me if this is a good or bad thing and something they are able to keep doing.  

Firstly what is this “crack” noise? The pop or crack comes from small pockets of air or gas which are in the fluid surrounding your joints and when a rapid movement occurs it releases this gas causing the noise. The sound itself is completely harmless but there is a big difference between doing it yourself and your chiropractor doing adjustments with chiropractic techniques.  

The urge to “crack” your neck or back often comes from feelings of tightness or stiffness which can result from many different things including poor posture, prolonged sitting, poor sleeping posture and repetitive activities. These things and many others cause irritation and the feeling that you want to do something about it. Some people change position, some move around and another thing people may believe will cause them to feel relief is to “crack” themselves.  

When this happens people often move or release the wrong joint instead of a specific joint in a specific direction like during your chiropractic appointments. It also usually causes movement in a joint which doesn’t need to be moved instead of the joint which is dysfunctional. Aside from this, it can also cause limited mobility, overstretched ligaments and muscle injury.  

Due to the problem being incorrectly addressed there is also often a continuing urge to repetitively do this. It may result in a short period of relief however this time of relief will generally become shorter and shorter and the area may become more problematic.

Spine Adjustments using Chiropractic Techniques 

By getting your spine firstly examined by a chiropractor the problem and cause can be identified and a variety of treatment techniques chosen which may include specific adjustments with that same “crack” sound to specific dysfunctioning joints. Restoring function in these joints will also continually lessen the urge to “crack” them yourself.  

If you’d like to find out how you could benefit from chiro Karrinyup, call us on 9341 3020 and book a Complimentary Spinal Health Assessment.

Dr Katie Hooper
Chiropractor

Jun 20, 2022 By Dr Katie Hooper

B.Sc. (Chiro), B. Chiro DOCTOR OF CHIROPRACTIC

Katie has a keen interest in children and pregnancy care as well as helping the whole family function to the best of their ability whether it be the newborn baby, the grandparents or anyone in between! Dr Katie’s main goal is to help people achieve their best possible health and she has a strong belief in wellness care.

Motivated by this Dr Katie completed her five-year double degree in Bachelor of Chiropractic Science (BScChiro) and Bachelor of Clinical Chiropractic (BClinChiro) at Murdoch University.