Q: My son is constantly cracking his own neck. Besides being annoying, is this damaging his spine?

A: Repetitive and excessive forceful cracking of any joint of the spine can lead to a stress injury overtime. Unnatural movement of the facet joints (the spinal articulations) can create inflammation in that area.

The need to constantly "crack" your own neck is usually due to the fact it feels uncomfortable. The irritation reappears because doing it to yourself doesn’t correct the condition of spinal tension. Our office treats neck conditions, more commonly found in teenage patients that have the habit of repetitive cracking. Over stretching the joints irritates surrounding soft, tissue (ligament and muscles) and may make the joint hyper-mobile. The increased movement can prevent stability in the vertebral joint causing it to misalign and eventually subluxate (create neurological irritation). When the vertebral subluxation complex is created, chiropractic adjustments are the most appropriate treatment.

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from themselves. James Barrie