There’s no better feeling than stretching your stiff muscles after a long, stressful day, right? During certain stretches, you probably hear a few popping or cracking noises. This is normal and usually harmless, but if you’re purposefully stretching your back just to hear that sound, you may be doing more harm than good to your spine.
First of all, self-adjusting the joints in your body is relatively normal and can help keep your spine and other bones flexible and in alignment. When you twist or bend your joints a certain way, you’ll likely hear a pop or crack. Why? Well, the joints in your body contain fluid, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. When pressure is placed on your joints, gas exists them and creates a popping sound.
While cracking or popping your back can relieve some tension and discomfort, Dr. Mark Giovanini does not recommend performing this activity on a daily basis. There is still a lot we don’t know about cracking your joints, especially the safety and efficacy of this activity. Therefore, it’s best to err on the side of caution and limit the times you crack your back.
If you have frequent urges to crack your back so that you can reduce your spinal discomfort, you may want to see a spine specialist about the presence of an underlying spinal condition. Dr. Mark Giovanini of NeuroMicroSpine can evaluate your symptoms and determine the best possible form of treatment.
Ultimately, cracking your back could be safe if done infrequently. The last thing anyone would want is for you to develop a serious injury from incorrectly stretching the spine. Call NeuroMicroSpine today to talk to Dr. Giovanini about physical therapy at iLifestyle Destin. If you frequent spinal manipulations or treatment to strengthen the spine, his team will know what to do! Call today!
For more information on whether spinal surgery is necessary for your condition, or to make an appointment with the doctors at NeuroMicroSpine, please call (850) 934-7545 or click here to request an appointment. We hope to see you soon!
The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace or counter a physician's advice or judgment. Please always consult your physician before taking any advice learned here or in any other educational medical material.