Joint cracking is a common habit. We crack our knuckles, fingers, toes, backs and even our necks. But not everyone does it for the same reason. Some of us do it to relieve the pressure we feel in our shoulders or neck or in response to stress. In this article, we discuss in whether it makes sense to crack the neck; what exactly cracking is and to what extent it is risky for you.
Does it make sense to crane your neck?
The answer to this question is yes and no. Cracking your neck gently and not too often can do no harm. But if you do it wrongly, too often or too forcefully, it can cause more pain or discomfort than you felt before you cracked your neck.
What causes the creaking sound?
When you crack your neck or a joint in your body, the capsule around this joint is stretched. These capsules contain fluid and stretching them allows the fluid to exert less pressure on the joint. When the pressure decreases, these fluids turn into gas. When the fluid becomes gas, it makes a plopping sound. This process is usually not harmful.
In the case of your neck, you have several joints called facet joints. These joints are located on each side of the neck. When these joints stretch, the fluid in the joint capsule can spread. Once the fluid becomes gas, you hear a snapping sound in the neck joints. As a result, cracking the neck feels like it takes pressure off your neck.
The placebo effect of squatting
Neck cracking can have a positive effect on the mental plane. This is because many people associate cracking sounds with the release of pressure and the successful adjustment of a joint. In some cases, just hearing the cracking sound can make someone feel better even if no pressure was released or if the joint did not even crack completely. This is known as a 'placebo effect'.
Feeling happiness through cracking
Snapping your neck also releases endorphins in the neck joint area. Endorphins are produced by your pituitary gland (front part of the brain) and are released by your body to control pain. When you crane your neck, endorphins are released in the area. This produces a feeling of satisfaction and pleasure.
How risky is it to crack your neck?
Cracking your neck can be harmful if you don't do it properly or if you do it too often. Cracking your neck too forcefully can pinch nerves. This can be extremely painful and make it difficult or impossible to move your neck. Cracking your neck too hard can also strain the muscles around the joints and the joints themselves. When your muscles or joints become tense, moving your neck can feel like a chore.
Feeling like you have to crane your neck a lot can be the result of hypermobility. This is when your joint has a greater range of motion than normal. When you give in to the urge to crack your neck a lot, the ligaments in your joints can become permanently stretched. This is called perpetual instability. When this happens, your neck joints are more at risk of developing osteoarthritis.
Do you have neck pain? FriskFysio will help you!
Do you think you have suffered neck pain due to (excessive) squatting? From (name physio), we can offer you tools to unlearn this habit and treat your neck. Want to know more? Call 085-5000333 for an appointment, send an e-mail to info@friskfysio.nl or fill in the contact form on our website. We will contact you as soon as possible.
