How Safe is Cracking Your Own Neck or Back?
You’ve been sitting at your computer all day, and your neck feels stiff. You roll your head around and hear a pop in your neck that suddenly makes it feel better.
Does that sound like you?
If you crack your own back or neck, you’re not alone. Studies show that many of us commonly crack our knuckles, necks and even even our toes on a regular basis.
But is it safe?
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Cracking Your Own Back and Neck is Risky Business.
Come on. If cracking your neck or back feels better, how can it be so bad for you?
Let’s take a minute to list the parts of the body that are contained in the neck area:
blood vessels
spinal cord
bones
joints
muscles
arteries
nerves
ligaments
With all of those tiny, yet essential body parts involved, forcefully moving the neck beyond its normal limits, can cause a great deal of damage!
Do you have a disc bulge? Does your neck have any anatomical malformations? Without a proper exam, you have no way of knowing, and some of these risk factors depend on the rotating and twisting forces in the neck.
What Makes the Cracking or Popping Sound?
Joints contain oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide gasses as well as fluid that lubricates the area where two bones meet. When you put liquid under pressure (which happens when you put pressure on a joint), the tiny gas bubbles in the joint are released, creating a popping sound.
It’s similar to opening a can of soda. The pressure in the can is released when you open it, and the gas bubbles forcefully rise to the top with a pop!
When the gas bubbles are released, the fluid within the joints lubricates the joint surfaces restoring movement and nerve function. But best of all, you feel relief.
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So If You Feel Better, What’s the Problem?
Each time you manipulate your own joints, you are causing your ligaments to stretch like a rubber band.
When you stretch a rubber band too many times, it loses its shape and can become unstable and could even snap.
Your ligaments function in the same way.
When you continually stretch them by cracking your own neck or back, they can no longer provide the structure and stability that the joints in your neck or back need to maintain proper alignment.
This can lead to a whole list of problems including pinched nerves, misaligned vertebra, stiffness and pain.
In addition,when you crack your own neck or back, the joints you’re actually “cracking” are supported by the ligaments that are already stretched too thin, not the areas of the spine that are locked up and causing you pain or stiffness.
So, you’re never really fixing the problem – just releasing the gasses, stretching ligaments and lubricating joints that are already too stretched out.
So what’s the alternative?
Chiropractic Care for Neck Pain
A good chiropractor will take the time to to a through examination and X-rays to determine which areas of the spine are locked up (hypomobile) and which areas are too stretched out (hyper mobile).
Conservative chiropractic care for neck pain will then follow with a Report of Findings where the chiropractor will explain the results of the exam and suggest a written treatment plan to restore normal motion to your joints.
Take Away: A spine that is functioning normally has the ability to heal and maintain proper function without relying on constant manipulation.
Cracking your own joints may feel good temporarily, but if it creates long-term structural problems in your back and neck, it’s not worth the risk.
Learn more about neck pain treatment through chiropractic therapy or schedule an appointment online to see if our conservative chiropractic care for neck pain can help with the specific symptoms you’re experiencing.
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Low Back Pain
Low Back pain is one of the top two reasons that people seek out chiropractic care. Chiropractors are uniquely qualified to provide low back pain relief.
There are many causes of low back pain. If you have low back pain, some common causes include:
Whiplash- Whiplash is a hyper-flexion / hyper-extension injury often resulting in damage to the connective tissues of the lower back. Whiplash is usually associated with motor vehicle accidents.
Herniated Disc – A herniated disc is a bulge in the disc material between vertebral segments, resulting in an increase in pressure in the spinal and/or lateral canal of the lower back.
Pinched Nerve – A pinched nerve is a non-specific back condition in which one or more nerves is not working properly. A pinched nerve is often referred to as SCIATICA.
Myofascitis – Myofascitis refers to low back pain originating from muscles that are in spasm.
Low Back Strain – A low back strain refers to pain in the tendon of a low back muscle that typically results from an over stretching or over use of the back muscle.
Arthritis (spondylosis) – Arthritis in the low back is a term referring to the degeneration of the joints of the back resulting in a decrease of space between the vertebra and neural canal.
Posture – Repetitive postures, hunching forward, and falling asleep on sofas and chairs cause back pain.
Stress – Stress can position the human body in such a way that a great amount of weight is placed on just one or two muscles.
When to Seek Low Back Pain Relief
Some signs that you should be seen by a chiropractor include:
Difficulty carrying or lifting objects
Injury that causes a change in your appearance, i.e., tilt or inability to stand erect
Low back pain that occurs at night or while resting
Low back pain that persists beyond a few days
Inability to perform normal range of back motion
Swelling or bruising around the low back
Signs of an infection, including fever, redness, warmth
Any other unusual symptoms
As holistic practitioners, we place the focus on the body as a whole rather than focusing on your low back pain alone. By examining your lifestyle, daily activities, diet and exercise we are able to not only identify the symptoms causing your low back pain discomfort, but also the causes of your low back pain. This integrated approach helps determine the best and quickest treatment protocol.
Chiropractors are uniquely qualified to restore the health of your joints, muscles, nerves and connective tissues. Chiropractic techniques focused on your low back may relieve the pressure that is causing your low back pain.
After locating the misaligned joint in your back, we manually apply gentle pressure and reposition the joint to its proper joint mechanics. These adjustments can help restore alignment, improve mobility, and relieve low back pain, swelling and stiffness.
Back Pain
Caulfield Family Chiropractic is raising awareness of back pain and encouraging Australians to seek help.
Chronic back pain is a national issue. One in six Australians suffer from the physical and psychological effects of chronic back problems – that’s an estimated 3.7 million people suffering. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare defines chronic back pain as a health condition that lasts for three months or longer.
If you or anyone you know is affected by chronic back pain, the good news is that you don’t need to suffer in silence. You can visit us to find out how chiropractic care can help.
At Caulfield Family Chiropractic, we are encouraging our patients and the Caulfield community to think about chronic back pain and take steps to improve spinal health.
In addition to chiropractic care, simple measures such as incorporating walking into your daily routine can improve chronic back pain symptoms. Walking keeps the spine active and mobile. Improving posture can also help to relieve strain on the spine and improve circulation.
Make an appointment at Caulfield Family Chiropractic and speak to us about chronic back pain treatment and preventative measures.
Contact us on (03) 9532 8715 to book an appointment today