Why does cracking your back feel good?

Question

If you are experiencing back and neck pain, the most obvious thing to do is try to crack it. Every day you will see people who are attempting to make their back or neck crack because they are sore or still. But why does cracking your back feel good? Is there any danger in cracking your own back?

Answer 1

When you are feeling tension in your back and neck, the first thing that you do is attempt to crack it. There is nothing worse than feeling like you are stuck in one place because your back feels like it’s out of place. The reality is when you crack your back you’re not really cracking anything. Rather, you are relieving pressure from your joints. The built up gasses from your joints are actually being released which cause the immediate feeling of relief. This isn’t always good for you and can actually have negative effects when you are stretching your joints beyond their typical range of motion, which can lead to damage if you do it for a prolonged period of time. Instead, trying going basic stretching or even yoga does help relieve pressure that you may feel. Hope

Answer 2

Ummm, why does cracking your back feel good? Actually you are not actually popping your back at all. Rather, you are popping the joints. Because excess gas builds up around your joint when you attempt to pop your back or put it into place, you are actually separating the joints slightly. This may give you some relief, but it doesn’t necessarily means that your back is out. Have you noticed that you feel the need to pop your back several times a day in order to feel good? This could be because you are doing it too often and you are now addicted to the sensation that it gives you.

While you may have some muscle relaxation in the beginning, popping your back too often may lead to your muscles being confused. You should never try to pop your neck. While this feels good, it can cause lots of other problems such as headaches and sinus issues. Instead of turning to constant self adjustment, try adding some exercise into your daily routine to help reduce tension and loosen up joints. While going to the chiropractor to have spinal adjustments done is healthy at times, if it becomes a habit you may be addicted to that good feeling of having your joints popped.