“Is it good to crack your back?”
I am a 24 year old male. I want to know if it is good to crack your back?
18 Answers
It is fine if done by a chiropractor. They are trained to adjust your back the proper way.
It is NOT. If you force the pressure release out of your spine yourself you overtime will create degenerative change in your spine. A chiropractic adjustment does not based on the physics of the force applied.
So, the outcome of "cracking your back" is to reduce neurological stress, which stimulates a response of reduced symptoms. That's why it most likely feels better when you crack your back. But why is there additional pressure that you feel needs to be reduced? The most common cause is change of spinal curvature from an anterior and lateral perspective. When your spine is out of alignment, it increases an additional, abnormal load on your spine, which directly affects the function of your nervous system, which controls your muscle systems. By evaluating the spine via X-ray, biomechanical assessments are able to determine the cause of your symptoms. By analyzing the "Four Pillars of Pain," muscle, nerve, bone and soft tissue (discs, ligaments, tendons), you can establish a baseline of causes and then develop a plan to correct the pathologies.
If you feel the need to crack your back a lot, chances are you need to see the chiropractor as there is dysfunction going on.
It is never good to "crack" your back and neither do Chiropractors. However, after a thorough evaluation, the Doctor will explain your situation and how he/she can help you with the proper Chiropractic Adjustments.
Hello! This may be a little lengthy, but I would like to address multiple aspects of the answer to this question.
What most refer to as a “crack” is the opening and closing of a joint and the release of gas from the joint capsule. You often hear this sound when you “crack” your knuckles. A chiropractic adjustment moves the joint to realign into its natural position. Only certain joints will make the sound you are referring to. Properly aligning a joint based on expert skill and knowledge by a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic is good and healthy for the spine. It allows for optimal Biomechanical function and movement reducing uneven wear and tear on the structures. Self-manipulation where a person forces joints in a certain direction to release a sound can actually be detrimental to the joint and the surrounding soft tissue structures (ligaments, tendons, etc). If a joint is not specifically moved in its natural range of motion to realign it, you can risk acute or repetitive injury. I suggest always getting a professional to realign your body. Look for your local chiropractor to help you with your health goals.
What most refer to as a “crack” is the opening and closing of a joint and the release of gas from the joint capsule. You often hear this sound when you “crack” your knuckles. A chiropractic adjustment moves the joint to realign into its natural position. Only certain joints will make the sound you are referring to. Properly aligning a joint based on expert skill and knowledge by a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic is good and healthy for the spine. It allows for optimal Biomechanical function and movement reducing uneven wear and tear on the structures. Self-manipulation where a person forces joints in a certain direction to release a sound can actually be detrimental to the joint and the surrounding soft tissue structures (ligaments, tendons, etc). If a joint is not specifically moved in its natural range of motion to realign it, you can risk acute or repetitive injury. I suggest always getting a professional to realign your body. Look for your local chiropractor to help you with your health goals.
That's a great question! It is not good for you to crack your own back as you create instability in your spine and can lead to more problems.
No, it is bad to crack your own back. It may feel better for a few hours afterwards due to an enkephalins release. When that wears off you’ll feel like it needs another cracking. You are basically mildly spraining your back when you crack it yourself without the precision that a chiropractor uses. If you’ve been doing this frequently it can be hard to quit. Try just holding the muscles very tight for 60 seconds instead. This can help strengthen the joints and relieve the pain without causing injury. The pain relief doesn’t last as long at first, but in time it will be very effective, unless you need clinical help. Pete Egoscue wrote a few good books that offer good self help exercise routines for pain.
I hope you feel better soon.
I hope you feel better soon.
While "cracking" your own back does not usually do any harm (unless you overdo it and hurt yourself) it does not do as much good as when a chiropractor adjusts your spine. You see, the feeling that makes you want to "pop" your back usually means that joints need to move. When you self treat in this way, you are easily able to move the joints that are not "stuck" and you often miss the joints that need to be moved. This offers temporary relief, but the underlying problem remains. You will feel much better if you let a trained professional find and correct the joints that need to be adjusted.
While it may feel better, you are possibly creating a bigger issue. I would refrain from cracking your own back and going to your Chiropractor as we have trained for many years to learn how to properly care for patients.
Great question. It depends. Cavitation of joints (the crack) is a nature phenomenon which can occur in all joints. It occurs when energy transferred into a joint release gas in the joints lubricating fluid. If you are doing a simple stretch or a naturally occurring motion, the “crack” is perfectly fine. If you are twisting your body or neck fast or torquing you head and neck, it my not be the best thing for your body. Many patients will fell the need to constantly “crack” their neck or low back to gain a sense of relief. It usually is an indication of spinal misalignment which should be addressed by a chiropractor. I hope this answers your question.
I don’t recommend that you crack your own back or neck. There is potential for injury when you move vertebrae in the wrong manner. I highly recommend you seek the care of a Doctor of Chiropractic to have them evaluate and restore proper spinal motion in a safe effective manner.
Steve Lipschutz, DC, CCSP
Steve Lipschutz, DC, CCSP
It depends on what you mean by “cracking” your back. Do you mean forcing your own back to make that audible sound? If so, the answer is no. If your back “cracks” when you just move or stretch, that’s fine. However, when you push it beyond a safe stretch, just to hear the sound, you are doing significant damage to you ligaments and tendons. It will cause a hyper-mobility that can lead to severe injury and even paralysis, should you be in a major accident. Chiropractors are trained to adjust the joints to a safe level of relief and will not cause hyper-mobility. It’s best to leave the “cracking” to the professionals.
If you mean so crack your own back, the answer is NO. The joint that cracks is a joint that is mobile. When a chiropractor makes an adjustment , it is very specific. If you continue to crack a mobile joint you can create hyper mobility which will lead to instability and possible injury. Please see a professional.
It truly depends on how you are attempting to "crack your back". If you are are using high velocity twisting it can actually cause damage to your intervertebral discs and the supporting ligaments of the facet joints of the spine. I would recommend that if you need help that you see your local chiropractic physician to help out.
Maybe. I have patients who told me ever since they did that their neck hurts. If your back cracks with gentle stretching that is fine. If you use a lot of force that probably a bad idea.
no
Cracking of your back is ok when you are moving through your normal ranges of motion. If there is pain involved with the crack, then you should seek professional help from a Chiropractor.
