What is the science behind cracking your back?
In layman’s terms, we call it cracking. Chiropractors use the term adjustment. Physiotherapists say manipulation. Regardless of terminology, the technique remains the same.
To fix a jammed joint, the professional gives a single rapid and hard tug to the joint in a precise direction. It is then that the patient may hear a loud cracking sound that emanates from the joint, hence the term cracking.
Normally and fortunately, this sound is not the result of a fracture or a tear, but is rather the result of a complex phenomenon called cavitation, in which an air bubble suddenly forms inside the joint, and bursts, all within a fraction of a second. It’s a bit similar to popping a bubble wrap.
Popular belief states that the louder the sound, the more effective the manipulation was, to the extend that some people believe the manipulation would provide no pain relief in the absence of a cracking sound. In reality, whether or not there is sound, a sharp tug remains a sharp tug and it is that physical force that truly allows the natural movement of the joint to be restored.
Manipulation is considered an aggressive maneuver that comes with its share of benefits as well as its share of risks. Specifically, a rapid and hard tug to a joint can fracture the bone, tear a ligament or burst nearby arteries that have been previously weakened by past accidents or by known, or unknown medical conditions that unfortunately are discovered when the damage is already done.
With the advancement of science and the option of using new techniques that are much gentler, less risky, but just as effective as manipulation, many physiotherapists have put down this practice or use it only as a second resort.