Should I Crack My Neck?
- Dr Cooper Hart - Chiropractor
- May 1
- 2 min read
No, cracking your own neck doesn't fix the painful / stiff joint, it is only temporarily hidden by the release of pain-reducing hormones; additionally, the nearby joints become hyper-mobile.
What is the ‘Crack’?
Many of the joints around your body are covered in a capsule that contains a lubricating fluid called ‘synovial fluid’. Over time, small nitrogen bubbles naturally form in this fluid and as the joints stretch, the pressure in the synovial fluid drops, allowing the gas bubbles to collapse (or pop). This is known as a cavitation.
When you ‘Crack’ yourself…
Also known as ‘self-manipulation’, when you feel pain or stiffness in your neck, and then you push on it to get a crack; you are applying a slow, heavy force across several joints in your neck.
In response, three things occur, together or in isolation:
The painful / stiff joint resists the force, remaining restricted (as seen in the image to the right).
The joints around the restricted joint release under the heavy pressure, allowing for the ‘crack’. These joints will become hypermobile, over time, if the self-manipulation continues, potentially leading to more pain and inflammation.
That good feeling you get afterwards is because of hormones, known as Endorphins, being released.
The hormones released mask the pain while they’re in your bloodstream. That's why the pain / stiffness disappears immediately but returns after a short while, because the hormones have worn off, and the painful / stiff joint is still present.
Solution
Avoid self-manipulation and get checked by a chiropractor, as they will perform a thorough history and examination, to identify the joint(s) and areas involved and assist you in returning to your full function and range of motion without pain.
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