How To Crack Your Lower Back

Is Cracking Your Back Bad For You

We might hear a loud popping or cracking sound when we exercise or bend, or when a health professional â such as a chiropractor or physiotherapist â manipulates our bodies to achieve the sensation. Spinal manipulation techniques apply pressure to move joints beyond their usual range of motion. This can lead to an audible crack or pop.

So, whether it happens naturally or is forced, is cracking your back bad for you? Fortunately, back cracking is not normally a cause for concern â but if itâs accompanied by pain or swelling, it could indicate arthritis or another medical condition.

âIf you have ongoing pain or discomfort in your back, or any other concerning symptoms such as tingling in your arms or numbness, see your GP or physiotherapist,â suggests Amandeep.

Back cracking with too much force or too fast can have these impacts:

• Pinched nerves in or near your spine

• Strained or torn muscles in or around your back and neck

• Injured blood vessels

Also, if you do it too frequently, you run the risk of stretching your back ligaments, which could raise your risk of osteoarthritis as you age.

âAlways speak to a professional if you need assistance, and do not be tempted to ask a friend or family member to crack your back for you, as they may use force or pressure that is actually harmful to your back,â adds Amandeep.

Be Diligent And Get Rid Of The Pain

Youve got all the information youll need to fix that lower back pain right above the tailbone. Follow each step consistently, and perform the movements exactly as Ive shown them. If youre careless, youll risk worsening the pain and lengthening your recovery time.

If youre diligent about following this pain-relief routine, youll not only get rid of that back pain, but youll enjoy the benefits of increased hip mobility and a powerfully developed core.

How To Crack Your Back Like A Chiropractor

Start your day with a stretch. Doing this regularly enables you to know how far your back can stretch and design appropriate exercises for you.

Please refrain from doing sit-ups as they will aggravate your lower back pain. Instead, try doing side planks which result in a stronger core.

To prevent any misalignment or pressure build up on your back, try stretching your hamstring.

Working for long hours on your laptop or when using your phone or TV should be avoided. This is because it makes your back muscles stiff, thereby causing pain and stress.

Avoid sleeping on your stomach as interferes with the natural curvature of the spine. Instead, lie on your side or back.

Do not slouch when sitting. Also, dont cross your legs when sitting for extended periods of time.

Go for a massage if the pain is unbearable and nothing gives you relief.

Do not crack your back if you had any back injury in the past or recover from it.

Avoid cracking your back if you have severe osteoporosis, high stroke risk, tingling in legs and hands, spinal cancer and an abnormal bone on the upper neck area.

Consult your doctor if symptoms persist.

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How Do You Pop Your Lower Back And Hip

When you crack your back, you adjust, mobilize, or manipulate your spine. Overall, it should be all right for you to do this on your own back.

In fact, these moves do not need the telltale cracking and pop-up sounds to be successful, but we know that they offer that momentary feeling of relief. Only try not to overdo or push anything.

Here are moves and stretches to teach you how to crack your lower back like a chiropractor.

What Happens When You Crack Your Back

First things first: How is that cracking sound actually made? The answer requires a little refresher course on human anatomy.

Lets start with the spine, which snakes down the middle of your back. It combines with 33 interlocking bones called vertebrae to serve as your bodys primary support column.

This intricate system of bones is a marvel of engineering, combining strength and flexibility to help you sit, stand, walk, twist and bend.

Slippery connective tissue fills the joints between the vertebrae. This cartilage provides the flexibility that lets your body move like one of those inflatable air dancers outside car dealerships.

Those facet joints also speak out from time to time especially when theyre fatigued. Overuse of a body joint leads to a buildup of gases and pressure inside it.

Your joints dont do well with pressure on them, says Dr. Bang.

So they crack under that pressure.

The sound comes from that built-up gas escaping the joint when its stretched or manipulated. You also may hear popping or snapping noises from tendons and muscles flicking over this and that.

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Does Popping Your Back Cause Arthritis

Another common misconception is that back cracking causes arthritis. This is a myth. While the origin of this myth is unclear, research has shown that there is no direct link to cracking your knuckles or other body parts and an increase in the development of arthritis. Physical therapists, pain specialists and chiropractors can analyze your back pain and assist you in cracking your back.

Seated Lower Back Rotation

• Sit straight on a chair forming an angle of 90 degrees
• Place your right elbow to the left knee and rotate your upper body towards the left
• Hold the position for 15 seconds and return to the initial position
• Now place your left elbow to the right knee and turn your body towards the right
• Again hold the position for 15 seconds and return to the initial position

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Back Stretches To Try

Its also a good idea to have a physical therapist teach you some stretching exercises for your back before trying them on your own. These four exercises can help crack your back and may be done safely at home.

Back of Chair Stretch. For this upper and middle back stretch, youll need a chair with a strong back that allows your shoulder blades to fit over the top. Sit in the chair and lace your fingers behind your head. Slowly lean back until you hear your back crack or feel a stretch. Slide your body up or down to find the right area where the pain and stiffness are.

Standing Spinal Rotation. In a standing position, extend your arms in front of you. Slowly turn your body to the right while keeping your hips and feet facing forward. Return to the starting position, and then turn to the left. After a few turns, you should hear a crack or feel a loosening in the lower back.

Knee to Chest Stretch. Lying on a floor mat, stretch your legs out flat and keep your arms at your sides. Bend your left knee and place your hands on either side of the left thigh. Then gently pull your knee toward your chest and hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on the right side.

Is Cracking Your Back Safe

The good news is that cracking your back is usually pretty innocuous. Ultimately, it doesnt matter why this happens it doesnt hurt, he adds.

Some of this can change and evolve as you age. For example, as you get older and the cartilage that helps your joints glide smoothly wears out, cracking your back can start to hurt, Dr. Asghar says. That’s a sign you should try to kick the habit before the situation becomes worse.

If you are feeling pain in your back or neck and its not getting better , thats definitely a sign to take a break from cracking your back and to talk to a doctor.

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Heres An Important Primer On Your Spine

Before you understand what happens when you crack your back, you have to know a bit about your back itself. Down the center of your back you’ll find your spine, which you can think of as “the scaffolding for the entire body,” according to Cedars-Sinai Spine Center. Your spine protects your spinal cord, a bundle of nerves that transmit messages between your brain and pretty much every part of your body. With the help of vertebrae, or interlocking bones, it also supports about half the weight in your body. The average person is born with 33 vertebrae, but most adults only have 24 since some of the lower ones fuse together over time.

Your vertebrae are divided into sections: your cervical spine , your thoracic spine , your lumbar spine , your sacrum , and your coccyx . Your vertebrae connect with each other at the back via flexible joints, and rubbery cushions known as discs are in between each one to provide some cushioning. Finally, your vertebrae connect with muscles, ligaments, and tendons throughout your back to help you do everything from pound out Russian twists at the gym to lean over and whisper in someones ear.

How To Crack Your Own Back: The Right Way

Sometimes you just need some relief in your back, but what happens when you cant get to the chiropractor? Theres still a way to find relief: you can crack your own back. Of course, theres a right way and a wrong way!

Cracking your own back is also referred to as self-manipulation. When done correctly, it can relieve tension in the back so you can get on with your day and feel some comfort. Before you attempt this on your own, make sure you have a professional diagnosis on the cause of your back pain and how to go about relieving that pain. Some people should not attempt to crack their back at all. Once you talk to your doctor, youll know if you should or not.

Tips

Here are some tips on cracking your own back to relieve back pain:

As previously stated, its imperative to see a doctor first before attempting any pain control in the form of back cracking. Contact Advanced Wellness and Rehab today for a free consultation.

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Use A Foam Roller To Crack Your Upper Back

Another way to pop your upper back like an expert is to use a foam roller under your upper spine. Foam roller exercises for back pain are a great and easy way to relieve back discomfort at home. Its important to remember while using the foam roller to pop your back, that you should keep your knees bent to prevent putting extra pressure on your spine.

It is important to note that according to both Monica Vazquez, certified personal trainer and coach, and the National Academy of Sports Medicine, you should not use the foam roller on your lower back, and you can find the reasons for that, as well as other common mistakes when using foam roller, in my article about foam roller exercises for back pain.

• Sit on the ground with your knees bent.
• Place the foam roller behind you in the approximate position where you need to crack your upper back.
• Lay back on the foam roller and adjust the foam roller to the right spot under your upper spine.
• Put your hands behind your head to support your neck.
• Relax and let your head go back to crack your upper back. .

Alternatively, you can lay back on the foam roller and while holding your head, roll back and forward to help relieve tension from your upper spine.

How Expensive Is A Chiropractor

The cost of chiropractor services may vary depending on whether you are going there for the first time or follow-up and care, but the average reported is about $75 per visit.

Chiropractor rates for the initial appointment will be between $55 and $200 depending on the chiropractor of choice, venue, etc. if you do not have insurance coverage or if your insurance does not cover alternative medicines.

This is typically the most costly of all appointments that you will have with a chiropractor. This is when medical evaluations are usually carried out to design a treatment plan.

So it may be expensive for some who may not be covered by insurance to access their services, hence the importance of learning how to crack your lower back like a chiropractor at home or by yourself.

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Is Cracking Your Lower Back Bad For You

Depending on the type of back pain you have, it may be good to crack or pop your back on your own.

For example, sometimes cracking your back will help ease the stress in your lower and middle backs if you learn how to crack your lower back like a chiropractor properly.

This may also provide some relief from moderate low back pain. As the Journal of the American Medical Association has pointed out, spinal manipulation has a short-term advantage of alleviating back pain.

However, if you have chronic back pain, you should still have a doctor examine the cause of your pain before using self-manipulation techniques on your spine.

Is There Anything You Should Be Doing Instead

If you want to safely relieve tension at home, gently stretching your back and doing some exercises is the best way to manage stiffness and flexibility issues, says Amandeep.

âYoga, Pilates , or just five minutes a day of simple back exercises are alternative ways to prevent back pain, tension and stiffness,â she advises.

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How To Pop Lower Back

Yeah, its ok to pop your back. When you do this, you are not really popping your back. Think of it as adjusting more, relieving stress, or expanding your muscles. The same thing happens when your fingers, toes, neck or other joints rupture. How to safely pop your back, what precautions you need to take, and for what reason a doctors trip may be needed. Lets Discuss.

Get Rid Of The Lower Back Pain

In this post, you will get best ways which will guide you to get rid of lower back tension or stress by yourself or like a chiropractor. All the ways are effective that will provide quick relief to your lower back.

In case after following the above-mentioned ways of cracking your lower back, you still face uneasiness in your lower back, then you should immediately consult a doctor or physical therapist.

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Is Back Cracking Safe To Do

The answer is yes if you do it yourself, but with a warning label. You move and you might crack your back without doing much of anything, explains Dr. Bang. Its natural and it happens to everyone. In that regard, its not bad for you.

The issue, however, is frequency. Gently cracking your back once every few days or even once a day isnt necessarily a problem.

But if youre making your back go snap, crackle and pop every few hours to relieve overburdened joints, thats a sign of a repetitive stress issue that needs to be addressed, says Dr. Bang.

When you start doing it multiple times a day, youve got to realize your body is trying to tell you something, notes Dr. Bang. You need to make some changes to get the pressure off.

Chiropractic Addresses The Entire Body

How common is chiropractic care? Approximately 22 million Americans visit the chiropractor each year. Of that number, about a third 35% do so in the hopes of finding relief for their back pain.

However, chiropractic adjustments can be effective for many different issues. These include:

• Headaches and migraines
• Osteoporosis
• Fibromyalgia

Chiropractic care also helps alleviate stress and tension. It has even been shown to boost the immune system. Plenty of people who do not suffer from chronic pain visit the chiropractor regularly. They want to keep their body in alignment and allow their energy to flow freely.

It might not seem as though cracking your spine or moving your limbs about could help with issues arising elsewhere in the body. However, chiropractic care is holistic and affects the entire system. You might be surprised at what a difference it can make in your overall physical condition and well-being!

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Why Does It Feel So Good To Pop Your Back

The reason that cracking your back usually feels so good is that it helps to release tension from joints. Dr. Steven Yeomans, quoted earlier, says that the popping sound helps to release joint pressure. Dr. Yeomans says that if the back or spine is tense or the patient has muscle spasm, the audible pop may not be heard.7

Possible Causes Of Cracking Spinal Joints

There is no consensus on what causes joints to crack or on the potential long-term effects of frequent back cracking. The mechanisms that cause joints to crack or grind can differ from person to person. There are three primary theories about why facet joints crack, pop, or grind:

• Cavitation. Surrounding each facet joint is a capsule of liquid, called synovial fluid, that lubricates the joints and allows for smooth, comfortable movements. One theory on crepitus suggests that air pressure within the joint is suddenly altered when the joint is cracked, resulting in the formation or collapse of an air cavity in the synovial fluid that produces a popping sound.1
• Ligament or tendon snapping. When a tight or tense ligament is pulled across a surface of bone, cartilage, or another tendon or ligament, it can create a snapping noise similar to a joint crack or pop.
• Bone grinding. Deteriorated cartilage surrounding a spinal joint can cause popping, cracking, or grinding. Cartilage may wear down from overuse and/or age, causing the bones of the joint to rub together and produce a grinding sensation and a sound similar to a crack or pop.

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