Looking for more ways to strengthen your back? An orthopaedic clinical specialist suggests four exercises to build core muscles that can help protect your spine. Yoga poses can offer some real benefits, too.
safe ways to crack your own back
Kneeling back extensions are a great way to crack the lower back, provided you have no neck problems and can kneel without difficulty. You can do this with or without a ball (the ball is great for beginners).
You can crack your lower back with the help of a foam roller. This is a cylindrical tube of foam used to massage the back. In addition to helping to crack your back, foam rollers can also give your sore muscles a massage.
While this may sound scary, an adjustment is nothing to be afraid of. All it involves is a tilt or some pressure along certain parts of your back. A trained and experienced chiropractor can tell you how many adjustments you will need for your lower back symptoms.
Even though that sensation of popping your back can feel good, doing so will not actually address any underlying issues and could make them worse. If you continue to feel discomfort in your upper back or in your lower back, it is common to visit a local chiropractor for spinal adjustments that can relieve some of your pain, but did you know that a physical therapist can be a great advocate for recovery and relieving pain as well?
A physical therapist can help you with gentle stretches that help strengthen muscles in your back and loosen (or crack) areas that feel tight. Here are a few stretches you can complete at home to safely crack your back and release tension along your spine.
Low-impact exercises are additionally great for improving your back health. You can also use props such as an exercise ball, foam roller, or chair to push your stretching and offer leverage for cracking your back. Just remember, if you start to feel pain during a particular exercise, do not continue. In that case, it is better to rest your muscles than push through the pain. (This is why working with a physical therapist -- and a customized plan -- is so important.)
One of the best --- and safest -- ways to relieve pain in your back is to get help from your physical therapist. They can help you with your mobility and strengthening your back muscles to recover from your persistent back pain.
Instead of needing to feel the release of popping your back every time you get home from work, your PT can help create a personalized plan for daily stretches that will lessen your pain and treat the underlying cause.
Before you get started cracking your own back, it helps to get a better understanding of why cracking your lower back is helpful. The spine is made up of a series of joints known as vertebrae that help you bend, twist, and stretch your way through your daily routines. The spine is also supported by muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues that offer stability and flexible movement for these joints. When you start to experience pain and discomfort in your lower back, it is often due to a combination of things: the vertebrae in your spine moving slightly out of place and the supportive tissues weakening and unable to provide the necessary support. When you crack your back safely and effectively, it helps adjust the vertebrae in your spine so they are properly aligned. Find out the best sleeping position while having lower back pain.
Sit with a neutral spine in a chair with your feet beneath your knees and your knees bent at a ninety-degree angle. Then gently and slowly twist your upper body to the left side, hold for ten seconds, and then twist to the right side. You may also try placing your hands on your knees and alternating between cat and cow poses by pressing your chest forward and extending your head back before bringing your chin to your chest and rounding out the back.
Lie on your back with your head resting on the ground and your legs extended. Then bring your left knee to your chest and grip the knee gently with your hands as it nears your chest. Swap and do the same with the right knee, and repeat alternating the knees for two or three cycles. You can also do a lower back rotation by lying on your back with your knees perpendicular to your back and bent at a ninety-degree angle. While keeping your head and chest on the ground, gently rotate your hips so that one side of your bent knees tough the ground before rotating to the other side.
Whether you unexpectedly achieve the pop or purposely contort yourself to hear the desired crackle, that sound stirs curiosity. What causes that cracking noise in our joints, anyway? And is it OK to crack your own back?
Tightness and tension build up in the muscles surrounding your spine throughout the day. You can try to counteract the effect of prolonged sitting with frequent stretching, posture-improving exercises, ergonomic chairs and ideal desk setups. Still, nothing quite compares to that back-relieving sensation of a deep stretch and audible crack.
And that stress release you feel may be more than physical relief. A 2011 study demonstrated that chiropractic patients attribute a therapeutic value to the cracking noise itself, especially when a professional chiropractor makes the adjustment. Psychologically, your brain may associate the sound of popping your back with a positive feeling of tension release. The combined physiological and psychological effect of joint cracking results in you ultimately feeling better.
Generally speaking, back cracking is safe. However, the practice is not entirely risk-free. A 2017 study of manual spine treatment suggests that while self-cracking side effects are usually harmless, there is a possibility of unfavorable outcomes.
Instead of daily back cracks, incorporate more stretching into your routine. Focus on exercises designed to increase flexibility like yoga, and work on improving your posture. The best way to avoid potential crack-related damage to joints and muscles is to prevent overdoing it and instead rely on trained spine treatment specialists to adjust you correctly.
Even if you experience no adverse reactions when cracking your back, it is best to limit how often you do so. Repetitive cracking of the same area may leave the joint without adequate recovery time to return to its original position.
While chiropractic is a successful therapeutic approach for many back issues, some conditions require additional or alternative treatments. If you have or exhibit signs of any of the following conditions, leave your treatment to the professionals.
Do you suffer from neck or back pain? We understand that spinal pain at any level can affect your quality of life, and we can help. Our physicians provide an environment of concern and honesty to discuss your pain and formulate a path to recovery together.
At the Spine INA, we strive to relieve your pain and revive your life. We are leading practitioners of state-of-the-art therapies, including endoscopic spine procedures, spinal cord stimulation and other progressive techniques. Contact us to learn more or set up an appointment to start your back treatment journey today!
The exact mechanism explaining what happens in your joints when they crack and pop isn't completely understood. However, the general consensus is that the sounds result from the spine releasing gas that has built up in the joints.
One theory is that these gas bubbles naturally build up within the fluid that lubricates your joints over time. Another is that stretching your back puts the fluid within your joints under pressure, creating vapor-filled pockets within your joints.
"Regardless of why it's there, stretching or trying to crack your back releases this gas, which sometimes results in an audible popping or cracking sound," says Dr. Kenneth Palmer, an orthopedic surgeon at Houston Methodist.
"If you're gently stretching your back and it cracks or pops naturally, it's likely not something that's bad for you or going to cause long-term damage," says Dr. Palmer. "But if you're using forceful, quick movements to try to crack your back or if you feel like you need to crack your back regularly, that's when we start to worry."
Other joint cracking is a mixed bag. Cracking your neck, for instance, isn't a great habit to pick up either, since doing so regularly can cause inflammation around important nerves. There are also the risks of adjusting your neck incorrectly, much like the aforementioned ones from improperly cracking your back.
There's better news for people who like to pop their knuckles. While some well-meaning adult probably told you not to indulge in the habit as a kid, the truth is that cracking your knuckles likely isn't as bad for you as urban legend has made it out to be.
The cracking and popping sounds happening during a chiropractic adjustment can be a sign that the therapy is effectively relieving the pressure from your spinal discs. Cracking your back at home could also indicate that your spinal vertebra instability or cartilaginous tissue damage.
It takes an in-depth understanding of the inner workings of your back and other organs to manipulate your spine successfully. But even with that knowledge, there are risks of injuries when you do it yourself.
The solution to your back or neck pain could also be as simple as a gentle massage that relieves tension in the muscles around your spine. Or maybe you might need a specific chiropractic adjustment to restore the healing function of your nervous system.
Yoga, stretching and maintaining the right posture are helpful for maintaining a healthy back and neck. If you cannot afford or see a chiropractor at this time, here are some options to help keep your spine healthy:
If you have any doubt about the difference between cracking your own back and a chiropractor adjustment, do yourself the favor of visiting a reputable chiropractor at least once for an evaluation and adjustment so you can experience it for yourself.
Have you cracked your back by moving a certain way, stretching, or with the help of a friend? Sometimes cracking your back helps relieve pain or stiffness. At other times, hearing the pop and snap just feels satisfying. 2ff7e9595c
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