The popping or cracking sound you hear when receiving a chiropractic adjustment for many can be a welcome sound, but for others it can be frightening or alarming. The following information will give you a better understanding of what is creating the “pop” sound you may hear when receiving a manual chiropractic adjustment.
*Please note that at Edge Health we are trained in several different techniques, so a manual adjustment is never needed if not a fit or uncomfortable for you.
SO What Actually Creates the “POP”.
The short answer is when a chiropractor moves the joints, it creates a change in pressure in the space between the joints which allows gases to release creating the “pop”.
SPINAL FACET JOINT
During the day, our spine and joints might become inflexible or have had pressure build up.
Chiropractors identify these inflexible areas and bring that movement back. It’s the gentle stretching of your spinal facet joints that causes cracking or popping noises.
There is a specific fluid (synovial fluid) that surrounds your joints and when the joint is moved through an adjustment, small pockets of air or bubbles form in the fluid that surrounds your joints. When joint tissues are stretched, the pockets of air ‘pop’ or ‘crack’ which creates the sound that you hear.
When this release happens, endorphins or our feel-good hormones are also released. For many they feel immediate relief. For others there may be a temporary tightness or stiffness like after having a good workout at the gym. This temporary stiffness should not last longer than 24-48hrs.