Why does my back crack so much?

Question

My back is driving me nuts! Whenever I stretch my back as part of the warm-up before my work out, there is a cracking sound. I suppose this couldn’t be a good sign, but the thing is: I never felt any pain. I just don’t understand it. Why does my back crack so much?

Answer 1

No sweat. It’s totally normal if your back cracks when you stretch it. Most likely the cracking sound comes from the ligament or cartilage in your back slipping over bumps on the bone. Or, alternatively, it could also come from cartilages slipping over cartilages. It doesn’t matter which is really the case, as long as there is no pain or discomfort. It’s just like cracking your knuckles: you wouldn’t think that the cracking sound means there is something wrong with your knuckles, right? And you are not gonna cause any harm to your knuckles just by cracking them either (though you probably don’t want to overdo it…) And think about this: some people just can’t make the cracking sound out of their knuckles, and you wouldn’t say that their knuckles are any better or worse than yours just because of that. The same goes for the back. So stop worrying about that.

Answer 2

Yeah I used to ask my chiropractor the same question: why does my back crack so much? And his answer: you don’t need to worry about the sound, but you should definitely try to strengthen your core muscles to give your back a stronger support. Core muscles, that is, basically back muscles and abs, are very important in maintaining the stability of the spine. If your core muscles are strong, then your spine is better supported and protected and thus less likely to get hurt. I have been doing core strength conditioning for quite a while now and my back just feels indestructible. The cracking sound is still there if I stretch (or overstretch maybe) my back, but that doesn’t bother me anymore. The only thing you should not do is perhaps intentionally crack your back on a regular basis. I think my doctor friend once told me that this would cause your cartilage to wear out more quickly.