I’ve always cracked my neck by either throwing it off to the side fast or via a more disturbing method of placing one hand on my jaw and the other on top of my head and simply wrenching it. I know, I know, i will have arthritis and hypermobile joints but I like to live hard. Then one day I went to a Osteopath and as a aside asked him to crack my neck for me. I was absolutely astonished. It was a deep, resonant crack that left me agog on the table for minutes afterwords. It didn’t seem like the typical synovial fluid cracks that amateurs get. Having talked to a chiropractor, I discovered that someone cant crack their neck by themselves. My question is, what are they doing differently. I know many of you will say - “You are unconciously holding back” but there is a qualitative difference between my doing it and a pro. I wonder, are they pulling on the head while twisting it? What are they doing? What is happening inside. I know that the purpose is to get rid of subluxations, but how does a seemingly indelicate maneuver of that neck crack achieve it? thanks.
The more worrying thing is that you’re going to a chiropractor at all.
Quackwatch provides a very good resource on why chorpractic is a load of pseudoscientific rubbish.
http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/chiro.html
Cracking your own neck might make it hypermobile, but what’s really at is issue is why you crack your neck. Does it hurt? Just one of those annoying habits? If it hurts, see a chiropractor, if it’s a habit, stop(really!). You can only “crack” a few of the vertebrae on your own, and you probably stretch out the ligaments (and perhaps injure the smaller muscles as well) in the local area where you’re cracking it over time, and the longer muscles responsible for gross movement may start to tighten up to compensate. Then you’ll have a larger problem and you’ll need help.
Chiropractic has been demonstrated through studies to relieve back pain, and at least in my experience, it’s been very effective in relieving neck pain as well. I also have an orthopedist who has been very helpful in giving me medication for pain and inflammation, so I don’t have a bias against either. I say, “whatever works”
AHHHHHHHH. I only went to a chiropractor once. I crack it because it gives me relief. Im asking about how they crack it so i can co it. Im asking cuz im curious.
I have not read that Quackwatch article, but my girlfriend very strenuously claims that even her periods are directly affected by her chiropractic treatments. She used to have trouble having them on evenn close to a regular schedule.
I think the benefit of a chiropractor and the validity of the treatment depends on why you go to see one. I woke up one morning this spring and when I went to sit up I heard a crack, and my neck was basically immobilized and in pain. I needed a friend to help me to sit up without using any muscles in my neck as it was so painful. I went to the chiropractor and it helped a lot. Basically he just relaxed my muscles and snapped whatever it was back into place. Not any sort of treatment for a medical condition though; it would have gotten better on its own, but I needed relief!
I think I have gotten good as the Chiroprator as far as the neck popping(can’t do the arm crossover move yet) Anyway, I told him not to try and pop my neck to hard cause he might twist my head of because I already popped it.
Sure enough he tried and tried three different time HARD and if finally said you are getting to good at that. I’m not sure if that is a good or bad thing.
What I can’t figure out is why it takes three years to be a chiropractor it looks so easy. People ask me to “pop” them all the time. Then I started thinking maybe charge $40 a “pop” too. 