Chiropractic Adjustments: Is Popping Normal?

If you are like most chiropractic care patients, you live your life in pain. Each day is another struggle that you have to face. For those with chronic pain, daily life can be an obstacle that is difficult to get over. Some injuries or spinal misalignments can be debilitating. Chiropractic care is supposed to be the solution. When you arrive in the chiropractor’s office, this might be your last hope before surgery or medication.

Chiropractors can diagnose and treat a variety of disorders with manual adjustments or spinal manipulation. If you know anything about chiropractic care, then you probably also know that there is a strange sound associated with chiropractic care. What is that popping sound? Is it the sound of your back cracking? Is it painful? Here is everything you need to know about the popping sound.

What Is an Adjustment?

Chiropractic adjustments involve the chiropractor applying manipulation right to the vertebrae. The procedure is meant to reduce subluxation. The whole procedure is supposed to help with the communication between your nerves and your spine. The idea is that if your spine is misaligned, then you are more likely to have other adverse health effects. A spinal adjustment can help with a lot of problems.

What Is the Popping Sound?

Most patients hear a strange popping sound during an adjustment. This might sound shocking at first. In fact, those who know little about the popping sound may assume that it is going to hurt. This is completely healthy and a normal sound. During your adjustment, you experience a gentle and rapid stretching of the spinal joint. The popping sounds are the tiny pockets of air that take the form of fluid that surround the joints. When you manipulate or pop your joints, these air pockets are released. You should never be worried about gas pockets. This is a regular part of the process. Most people will hear a popping sound during their manipulation. It is painless and crucial to the process.

There is no reason to be alarmed if you hear a popping sound when you are having an adjustment. Now, this does not mean that you should try to crack your back on your own. That can be dangerous and will not usually benefit you. Often, to crack your back yourself may not alleviate your problem for long and odds are you will end up injuring yourself more. Contact a chiropractor today to find out more about adjustments and spinal manipulation.