The Long Term Effects of
Cracking your Own Spine
At least once a week at my office in Germantown, a new patient will
come for their initial chiropractic visit
and relay to me how they can't understand why they have the pain they do, when
they have been cracking their own neck
and/or back for years, and often decades. Typically, the person is in
their early to mid 40s, and tells me they have been doing this since they were
a teenager. If they bring along x-rays, their spines look like they are
75 years old.
Why You Don’t Want to Crack Your
Own Spine
I'm not the type to lecture patients. If you smoke, eat poorly,
drink too much, or whatever less then healthy behavior you engage in, odds are
you realize it is not healthy, and you have probably already been lectured to
by your primary care physician. So... the only mini-lecture I give is
about why you don't want to crack your own spine.
A “Stuck” Vertebrae is the Area
of Most Resistance
Let's start with the basics. The reason a person has the desire
to "crack" their own neck or back is that one or more of the
vertebrae are likely not moving properly, they are stuck. Now when you
apply force or speed into an area indiscriminately, the laws of nature state
the energy is going to find the area of least resistance. A
"stuck" vertebrae is the area of most resistance. Ultimately
what the person is doing is creating a loose vertebrae along with the stuck
one, and now they have two problems. Often cracking the area multiple
times a day. This is not normal.
The Neck is a Bit More
Complicated because it has Two Arteries That Run Inside the Vertebrae to
Nourish the Brain
In the neck specifically it gets more complicated, because of two
arteries the run inside the vertebrae to nourish your brain. Repeatedly
cracking your neck can injure these arteries and may lead to a deficit of blood
to the brain. Definitely not a good idea. And if you are a woman,
your arteries are even thinner then a man's, as hormones make them thinner, and
if you take birth control, thinner again, and if you smoke, increases the
likely hood of damage. Just don't do it would seem easy enough to say,
but let's deal with reality. Your spine is not right. Go see a Chiropractor. We are
are here to make sure your spine functions correctly. We will move the
vertebrae that need to be moved, not just randomly move things. Think of
it this way if you are cracking your own neck, right now you are using a
shotgun approach, just blasting everything. I am a marksman.
Dr. Michael Cramer graduated Magna Cum Laude from Cleveland Chiropractic College in Los Angeles. His undergraduate degree in Communications Studies from the University of California at Santa Barbara helps him effectively communicate to his patients in a way that they can easily understand. He specializes in neuromusculoskeletal disorders and injuries by utilizing the latest advances in chiropractic and physical rehabilitation for prompt recoveries. His pragmatic approach to health and well-being has helped countless patients to improve their health. He prides himself on providing quality principled care in a warm friendly environment. He is a member of the Maryland Chiropractic Association.
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