For some, the sound is soothing. For others, it’s a bit startling. No matter who you are, you’ve likely heard that “cracking” and “popping” sound that happens when you stretch your joints or “pop your knuckles”.
This is the same sound that sometimes happens during a chiropractic adjustment, and at Carolinas Chiropractic & Spinal Rehab, we get questions all the time about these sounds. Because there are some misconceptions out there about what exactly is going on here, we’d like to take a moment to explain what causes popping during chiropractic treatment.
We also want to let you know what these sounds mean and dispel some myths about the cracking you hear during a chiropractic adjustment. You may be surprised to learn the truth!
Getting to Know Your Joints
Before getting into the science behind that cracking sound, let’s take a moment to look at your joints. The joints inside your body are surrounded by a substance called synovial fluid. This fluid lubricates joint movement, and it is contained within a capsule along with various dissolved gases, including nitrogen and carbon dioxide.
Like any liquids or gases, pressure forces acting upon these elements can cause changes. When you stretch or experience a forceful amount of pressure on areas containing synovial fluid, pressure drops or fluctuates and gas bubbles collapse. This process is called cavitation, and it is what causes the cracking and popping sounds you hear during a chiropractic adjustment.
A Practical Example: A Fizzing Can of Soda
You can think of this sort of like opening a can of soda and hearing the fizzing that takes place. The carbon dioxide inside the soda fizzes when there is a pressure differential. While closed, there is no fizz because the carbon dioxide is in a pressurized environment.
Opening the can causes the pressure inside to change which then acts upon the carbon dioxide. The gas erupts as bubbles, and these bubbles burst, causing a fizzing sound.
The Science is Clear
The phenomenon of cracking and popping sounds during chiropractic adjustments has been studied for decades, and doctors have even used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to get a closer look. It’s been discovered that it takes about 20 minutes for gases to dissolve into the synovial fluid before a joint can produce a cracking sound again.
Common Myths About Joint Cracking and Popping
There are a number of myths and misconceptions out there about popping and cracking joints. Below are some myths and truths to put your mind at ease:
Cracking and popping is caused by bones rubbing together
False. The sound you hear is the bursting of gas bubbles inside of synovial fluid.
Cracking or popping your neck or back causes pain
False. Although you may feel some pressure and stretching during a manual neck or back adjustment, you should not feel pain during the adjustment.
Cracking a joint relieves pressure
Somewhat false. When a joint “cracks”, you may feel pressure relief, but this isn’t due to the cracking or popping sound. Instead, it’s due to the stretching that the pressure exerts on the joint. If you have tension built up in a joint or surrounding muscle tissue, you may experience cracking along with tension relief.
Is the cracking or popping sound safe?
For most people visiting a chiropractor, the primary concern about adjustments is whether they are safe, especially considering the sometimes alarming sounds involved. Although everyone is
different, chiropractic adjustments are considered safe when performed by a licensed chiropractor like the doctors at Carolinas Chiropractic and Spinal Rehab.
The cracking and popping sounds alone are not harmful and do not indicate damage to the joint or surrounding tissues. There should be no real pain that occurs when you hear popping or cracking. In fact, many patients report relief from pain and improved mobility following adjustments.
Speak With Your Doctor If You Have Any Questions
If you are ever concerned about a treatment for back pain, neck pain, or headaches, speak with your chiropractic physician. At Carolinas Chiropractic and Spinal Rehab, our doctors will be happy to provide you with answers to all your questions, and we personalize each treatment to meet your specific needs.
Our goal is always to provide natural pain relief using your body’s own healing abilities. We encourage all of our patients to ask questions because we believe that it’s important for you to be in complete control over your treatments for pain relief.
Contact Carolinas Chiropractic and Spinal Rehab in Waxhaw or Pineville
To learn more about chiropractic care in Waxhaw, Pineville, or the surrounding Charlotte Metro, contact Carolinas Chiropractic and Spinal Rehab. Our chiropractic physicians will be happy to provide an evaluation and develop a treatment plan to get you out of pain using drug-free,
non-surgical solutions. We provide decompression therapy, flexion distraction treatments, manual adjustments, cold laser therapy, and our exclusive VitaBed full-body light therapy.
To schedule your visit with our team, call (704) 243-1010, or schedule your appointment online.
