Is it safe for you to crack your own back or knuckles? Or will it cause arthritis?
It seems like a common practice or rather a common habit to ‘crack’ your knuckles of your hand but what about your spine? I see patients in my office in Livermore, on a regular basis who have developed the habit of popping/cracking their own necks or backs. Usually these patients think that it is helpful to them and see it as a ‘no-big-deal’ maneuver. Why then do these same people come to see me to help with their back pain or neck pain?
Let’s first get the big myth out of the way: Cracking or popping your own knuckles will rarely ever lead to arthritis of your hands. Arthritis is usually either caused by over-use or and misuse of joints or rheumatoid arthritis is caused by a rheumatoid factor that is in the body’s system. So it is pretty safe to move around the joints of the hands. Popping or self-adjusting of the spine however is a whole different game.
There are 24 different vectors that the bones in our backs can move (very small movements). When a person tries to ‘pop’ their own back or neck they have 23 out of 24 chances of moving the bone incorrectly. So why does it feel so good you may wonder?
When a joint moves there is a gas that exchanges which produces the actual ‘pop’ or ‘crack’ noise. Just like when you open a bottle of champagne or soda, the gas exchanges and escapes producing the pop sound. When the gas exchanges, there is an endorphin release which produces the euphoria feeling temporarily. That is what risks the habit formation of self popping or cracking joints. This small endorphin release is not an accurate indication of the bone in the correct position however. In fact, many people who self adjust their backs or necks are causing more damage to ligaments over a period of time since they get over stretched and the joints become weak. That is usually where I come in the picture. Most of these types of patients with chronic back or neck problems who have popped their own joints have reached a point where they pop their backs several times a day and still experience pain. This is the type of situation that can become harmful to the bones and ligaments. If you are a chronic self back or neck ‘popper’ stop now and get your spine checked for possible damage instead of waiting until it’s too late.
For more information on this topic contact me at drhaque [at] haquechiropractic [dot] com
