Why can't i crack my neck anymore?
Cracking your neck does not cause damage: it happens when small gaps form inbetween your joints... heck i'll just cut and paste that portion of the Wikipedia article, which explains it way better than i was going to... "Causes The physical mechanism causing a cracking sound produced by bending, twisting, or compressing joints is uncertain. Suggested causes include: Cavitation within the joint—small cavities of partial vacuum form in the synovial fluid and then rapidly collapse, producing a sharp sound. Rapid stretching of ligaments.[1] Intra-articular (within-joint) adhesions being broken.[1] Synovial fluid cavitation has some evidence to support it.[2] When a spinal manipulation is performed, the applied force separates the articular surfaces of a fully encapsulated synovial joint, which in turn creates a reduction in pressure within the joint cavity. In this low-pressure environment, some of the gases that are dissolved in the synovial fluid (which are naturally found in all bodily fluids) leave the solution, making a bubble, or cavity, which rapidly collapses upon itself, resulting in a "clicking" sound. The contents of the resultant gas bubble are thought to be mainly carbon dioxide.[3] The effects of this process will remain for a period of time known as the "refractory period", which can range from a few seconds to some hours while it is slowly reabsorbed back into the synovial fluid. There is some evidence that ligament laxity may be associated with an increased tendency to cavitate.[4] The snapping of tendons or scar tissue over a prominence (as in snapping hip syndrome) can also generate a loud snapping or popping sound.[1]" It causes no harm at all... your neck pain is not related. The probable reason you can't crack your neck now, is because of reduced range of motion in the neck joints because of the pain. Your best bet to get rid of the neck pain is to visit a good massage practitioner. 3 to 5 treatments spaced a few days or even a week apart, plus some stretching exercises they should tell you about, should take care of things nicely... and you should be able to crack your neck again also!!
Back and neck cracking?
Hi, Actually, cracking or popping you bones is not bad to you unless you do it too much. Cracking bones means that you are pushing your joints back to its normal position. It also releases the stress and pressure on the joints. But if you do it too much (there are people who do it every 30 min) it can cause an injury to your joints. Instead your putting more stress on your joint capsules. Doing this too often can stretch out the ligaments and predispose you to injury. This back and neck cracking is due to bad posture. Cracking only releases the stress that you got from bad posture. You better fix you posture, if not it will lead to pain. You can use posture brace to fix your posture if you can lay out some buck. This is a great help to fix your posture. You can also try some video exercises you can find on the web. Thats all i could suggest. Take Care --Jiggen
My neck cracks all the time, is this dangerous?
The sound you hear is known as Articular release, which is a physiologic event that may or may not be audible. It is seen in patients with healthy joints as well as those with somatic dysfunction. Articular release is a repeatable phenomenon that can occur with or without an accompanying noise. It causes a freeing of motion and a release of joint tension. However, the physiologic and anatomic explanation for what happens during articular release is not fully understood. What is known is that articular release occurs when joint motion extends past the physiologic barrier. This extension may be accomplished by an outside force—as induced by a physician—or through muscle movement not directly emanating from joint release. The sound, or the noise, is what people notice in articular release; the subjective relief it provides is secondary. In other words it is not a serious problem. I've enclosed a link to a website where you can find out more about this condition.
Why have I been experiencing constant neck cracking for almost two years now?
The neck cracking can be caused by several conditions. Benign crepitus is a cracking or popping sound made by the fluid in the discs. Not to get very technical, but the fluid (called synovial fluid) releases gas bubbles that cause the cracking. If you move your neck a certain way and feel the “pop” and then try to elicit it again, immediately, but it does not happen, it is probably these gas bubbles. It takes about half an hour for the gas to build up again for you to be able to reproduce the crack or pop. This is harmless and is similar to cracking your knuckles.If your neck cracks each time you move it a certain way, you may have degeneration of the discs. The discs act as cushions between each of the vertebrae. The wear and tear of these discs is usually diagnosed as degenerative disc disease or osteoarthritis. When they become thin,dehydrated and worn, the verterbrae rub against each other. Other symptoms such as neck pain and pain that radiates down the arm can occur with progression of the condition and involvement of the nerves.Injury to the cervical spine and acute disc rupture are other, possible causes of the cracking. You would have no trouble recognizing these conditions because the pain is intense .If the cracking is asymptomatic for now, but, you do feel like it is more than benign crepitus, you may want to see an Orthopedist or Physical Therapist. They can educate you on ways to strengthen your c-spine and preserve the discs, which will slow the progression of osteoarthritis/degenerative disc disease. Good luck to you!