Why You Shouldn't Crack Your Own Neck

When you have discomfort in your neck, you might move your head in different ways to alleviate the pain. Sometimes, you'll hear a crack in your neck — and this might even lessen your pain on occasion. It's important, however, to understand that you shouldn't make a habit of this behavior. It's a far better idea to see a local chiropractor to professionally treat your neck pain. They have years of training to understand how to properly treat all sorts of neck issues, and their treatments will yield better results than you attempting to crack this part of your body yourself. Here are some reasons that you shouldn't try to crack your own neck.

Muscle Strains

Depending on the condition of your neck, it may be necessary to significantly bend or rotate your neck in order to make it crack. It can be easy to be so focused on listening for a crack that you strain your neck muscles because of the unnatural position you put yourself in. Sore neck muscles can be slow to heal and may affect your ability to sleep. A chiropractic adjustment can crack your neck to relieve your pain without causing a strain in your neck muscles.

Disk Herniation

A lot of people have neck pain because of a herniated disk, and this is a condition for which you need professional care. Herniated disks can be very painful, and contorting your neck in an effort to get it to crack can put excessive pressure on the affected disk and cause further damage to it. This can especially be true if you try to crack your neck regularly. A chiropractor will often begin working with a herniated disk by having you get a scan of this part of your body so that they understand the severity of the condition and can treat it accordingly.

Stretched Ligament/Tendon

Attempting to crack your own neck has the potential to stretch one or more ligaments or tendons in this part of your body. You might enjoy the satisfaction of hearing the crack but then realize that you're feeling stiff and sore. Stretched ligaments and tendons can take a long time to heal, and these injuries can often return over time. As much as cracking your own neck might be satisfying and tempting to try, it's far better to seek care at a local chiropractic clinic for your ongoing neck issues.

Contact a clinic like CHIROPRACTIC FAMILY HEALTHCARE to learn more.