A common question in my office has to do with patients cracking their own neck.


"Is it ok to do this?"

"How is this different from what you do when I get an adjustment?"

"It feels really good, how could this be bad for me?"

To answer these questions, you must first understand the purpose of a chiropractic adjustment and how it differs from simply “cracking your neck”.

I would like to say that clinically, the “Neck Cracker” presents with a very challenging mechanical problem to treat.


Back and neck pain occur when there is a mechanical or functional problem with the movement of the spinal joints. As we bend and move our spine, each individual bone or vertebra is designed to move independently of each other. When we look down with our head, each bone in the neck should contribute to the overall range of motion allowing our chin to touch our chest. When bones in the neck or upper back become stuck together others compensate and end up working more then what they should. This will result in neck pain and stiffness.


The Neck Cracker: When stiffness and pain is perceived by an individual, some feel it necessary to crack their own neck in an attempt relieve pain and increase movement. This is typically accomplished by either turning their head abnormally or actually pulling on the head to get “cracks” from the neck. When a person cracks their own neck, it is the areas of least resistance (those joints with the most mobility) that actually crack. This is exactly the opposite of what needs to happen. When the more flexible joints are cracked repeatedly, these mobile areas become too flexible (hypermobile) and can eventually become unstable. Spinal instability overworks the spine and predisposes a person to degenerative joint and disc disease, a condition called osteoarthritis.


A chiropractic adjustment is a very precise maneuver that targets the stuck or hypomobile joints. The therapeutic value of a chiropractic adjustment is to increase mobility in joints that are stuck together and not moving (i.e. the area of most resistance). When chiropractic adjustments are administered to the stuck areas of the spine, gradually the stiffer joints loosen and become more normalized in their ranges of motion. Increasing mobility in joints that are stuck together provides a better mechanical situation thereby reducing the likelihood of degenerative joint and disc disease. Osteoarthritis can be prevented.


Cracking your own neck may temporarily feel good, however it’s definitely not good for you and can lead to accelerated degenerative disease and increase the likelihood of future neck pain.