What's Wrong with Popping Your Own Back?

A lot of times people think that popping their own backs and necks does the same thing as what chiropractic does. I know because I’ve done it too, it can feel really good immediately after popping my neck. But there are a couple of reasons that you should try to avoid going out of your way to create those popping sounds yourselves.

First, we need to understand what those popping sounds are. They’re simply air release from the joints of that area, once those joints move past a certain amount. So when you pop your own back, you’re taking joints that already move really well and you’re putting more movement into them. Probably not the end of the world, but it’s also not having the same result as chiropractic care.

Compare that to chiropractic adjustments, where we take the locked-up, out-of-alignment areas and get them as they should. That’s where we get long-term relief beyond the short satisfaction of the back cracking. So both the self-d0ne and chiropractor-provided treatments might have sounds involved, but they’re having different long-term results.

The second idea I would throw out there, is the idea that doing too much of the self-performed back cracking does have a risk involved. For a lot of you, that might involve straining the muscles around the area. But if you’re not having a professional provide their opinion on your best interest, there may be some blind spots that could leave you worse off because you went off on your own.

So, yeah. See a chiropractor to make sure your back is treated well. More specifically, see me. Talk to you guys next week!

- Dr. Scott Minton