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"Popping" Your Own Neck or Back

Writer's picture: Dr. Melissa AdamsDr. Melissa Adams

4 donuts stacked on top of each other to demonstrate what happens when someone "pops" their own neck or back

A question Dr. Adams is frequently asked is, "Is it okay if I pop my own back?" or similarly commenting about having their friends and/or family "popping" their own back.


In the image above, the 4 stacked donuts demonstrate 4 vertebrae which are the bones that make up your spine, including your neck and back.


The image shows the restricted joint as being between the 2 middle donuts, this is where someone may report feeling a "pinch," "stiff," or significant pain, prompting them to think they need that area "popped."


If someone "pops" their own neck or back, they often are not actually addressing the restricted joints but are, instead, creating a noise from the joint(s) above and below the problem joint - so the problem is still there and another problem may be created over time - hypermobility (too much movement) in those joints above and below the restricted one!


Chiropractors are trained, over a period of 3-4 years, to use their fingers to find those restricted joints and, through various techniques, "adjust" them to help them move properly.


This is why it is important to see a chiropractor, one who is utilizing techniques you are comfortable with, to ensure your spinal joints (and other joints of your body) are moving properly!


**This is not medical advice.

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