I’m actually kind of surprised it took this long for this topic to show up from someone:
I grew up hearing warnings about cracking your knuckles. “If you crack your knuckles, you’ll develop arthritis when you get older.” So, now that I suffer from back pain, I’ve found different ways to “crack” my spine. For example, I’ve discovered that if my husband hugs me pretty hard around my upper back, I hear a refreshing pop. If he moves up another half inch or inch, I hear another one. If I’m in my car, I can push on the steering wheel and stretch my back in such a way that it cracks. So, what I’m trying to ask is – is this harmful and can it actually lead to more pain or back problems in the future?
-Randi
Thank you for your question Randi.
I get asked this by patients pretty much every day, and I cannot believe it took this long for me to realize I should cover this here- and the answer has two parts:
First of all, let’s talk about the ‘crack.’ Patients have come to expect a loud crack or crunch associated with osteopathic or chiropractic treatment- I can’t tell you how many times a week I hear ‘Doc- I need you to crack my back!’ In fact- with the treatment style I’ve developed over the past decade or so I actually do very little ‘craking’ at all. Some patients actually voice disappointment when they don’t have the satisfaction of the noise announcing that yes, they are cured! Sorry.
That being said, the cracking sound that so many folks associate with treatment is an interesting thing. You can make virtually any moveable joint in your body crack, but that sound should by no means be the goal of treatment. There are lots of thoughts on what is actually making the sound (One of the leading theories is the shift of nitrogen bubbles occurring inside the joint space when a corrective ‘thrust’ is applied.) Anatomically, there really isn’t much of a difference between cracking your knuckles, and cracking your back.
I’ve been a pianist most of my life, and more than one piano teacher told me I would get arthritis from cracking my knuckles, which by that time had already become a habit. I’ve done some research, and there is no evidence that cracking your knuckles, or cracking your back will cause you arthritis or any other problems.
Now, let me qualify that with two provisos: Firstly- I wouldn’t ‘crack’ my back if I were in the middle of a severe flare up of pain- you could irritate an area which is already inflamed, and potentially make your acute condition worse. Secondly- There have been numerous studies that have shown that when you ‘self-correct’ or ‘crack’ your own spine, you are very unlikely to correct the segment which actually needs to be moved. You may get the one above or below it, but you probably won’t get the one causing you discomfort.
I hope this answers your concern. And again, thanks for your contribution.
Be well!
-Andy
The minerals of the Dead Sea, thought to be so good for your joints, are apparently not so good for your bike!