What Does It Mean to “Crack Your Back?”

When we have low back pain, our first reaction may be to go to a chiropractor to crack our back to relieve the pain. I have a friend who can crack all their joints without much effort. People often ask me if they will get arthritis if they crack or pop their joints too frequently. In this article, I will explain what the cracking sound is. Can physical therapists crack your back? What is the difference between physical therapists and chiropractors?

Cracking is also called manipulation. There is a pocket of synovial fluid that cushions a joint so the bones don’t rub together. A tiny pocket of gases are released when joints move, and at times, you can manipulate your joints forcefully to release this gas, making an audible “popping” sound. When joints are not in an optimal position, pressure builds up within a joint and will quickly release a popping sound when you move it in a certain direction to release the pressure. This is the same phenomenon as popping a bottle of champagne; a large “pop” sound is heard due to the pressure building up in the bottle when released. This release of pressure on our backs, or any joint, will make us feel so good and temporarily relieves pain.

This is a good MRI video of what actually happens when you crack your joints.

Can physical therapists crack your back and other joints?
Physical therapists also manipulate or mobilize different joints. Physical therapists crack the back by using passive movements on the articular surfaces to release pain. Joints can roll (only on incongruent surfaces), glide (congruent and flat surfaces), or spin along other joints.

http://images.slideplayer.com/5/1527003/slides/slide_5.jpg

In this picture it shows when a concave on convex joint (like a shoulder), it glides in the same direction. A convex on concave joint, (like part of an ankle joint) glides in the opposite direction. Using this arthokinematic concept, physical therapists can determine how each joint moves and how to safely mobilize or manipulate to release pain and increase range-of-motion (ROM), which cab have lasting benefits. Physical therapists will also incorporate exercises to gain muscle strength to support any changes after mobilization.

What are the differences between chiropractors and a physical therapists?
Chiropractors are spine specialists who will alleviate pain by aligning your spine using spinal manipulation. They use the concept of cracking to realign your spine to release tension and decrease back pain, neck pain, and headaches.

Physical therapists use manual therapy to provide guidance for people to reconnect with their body, restore their movement, and help them stay active to improve their performance. Components of movement and function that are evaluated by a physical therapist include strength, range of motion, flexibility, balance, posture, body mechanics, coordination, endurance and general mobility such as walking, stair climbing, and getting in and out of a chair or bed. Physical therapists are musculoskeletal doctors who diagnose, treat, and customize a plan of care to treat orthopedic, neurological, cardiovascular, sports, and workplace dysfunction.

I hope this was helpful and if you have any additional questions regarding joint mobilization, or spinal adjustments, or cracking joints, please feel free to leave a comment or message me directly.

References:
http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/health-answers/what-really-happens-when-you-crack-your-knuckles/