What's that Popping Sound During a Chiropractic Adjustment?

If you're new to chiropractic care, or have just always been curious, you might wonder about the popping sound that sometimes happens during a chiropractic adjustment. Maybe you've heard friends and family say they go to a chiropractor to "get cracked," or maybe you've felt unsure about what's really happening.

Here's the good news:

• Nothing is actually cracking

• Your bones are not breaking

• It's a completely normal phenomenon

Let's break the popping down.

So, What IS that Sound?

The sound you hear during an adjustment is called a cavitation and it happens when the space between joint surfaces are briefly and quickly opened up.

Every joint in your body, the segments of your spine, your fingers, shoulders, etc., is surrounded by a joint capsule. Inside this space are fluid and dissolved gases (oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide). These help lubricate the joint and keep everything moving smoothly.

During an adjustment:

1. A quick, shallow, precise force is applied.

2. The joint space "opens."

3. There is a drop in pressure inside the joint space.

4. This allows the dissolved gases to expand into bubbles

5. These bubbles make an audible popping sound.

It's similar to uncorking a bottle of champagne. The pressure changes, the dissolved gas suddenly escapes, and you hear a sound.

What Happens After the Pop?

Once an adjustment happens, the joint quickly returns to its normal state, leading to:

• Fresh fluid moving into the joint

• Joint surfaces are re-lubricated

• Motion is smoother and easier

• Patient's generally feel relief

The degree to which someone experiences relief depends on several factors. How long has the joint been shifted? Was there acute inflammation in the area? Regardless, restoring normal motion is a key step toward restoring normal structure, which is the foundation of NeuroStructural Correction.

Do you Have to Hear a POP During a Chiropractic Adjustment? (NO!)

This is a big myth, yet many people chase the noise.

• The sound is NOT required for a successful adjustment.

• Many of our corrective techniques don't produce any noise at all.

What is important is that the joint moves correctly and in the proper direction, toward a healthier, more normal structural alignment. Noise doesn't equal effectiveness.

Should You Pop Your Own Spine?

Please don't!

Being a JSM (Junior self manipulator as we kindly refer to these people as) or twisting and "cracking" your own neck or back can:

1. Move the wrong segments

2. Make unstable joints looser

3. Delay structural correction

4. Create compensation and addtional stress on joints

So please - leaving the adjusting to the experts!

Still curious about chiropractic adjustments or something your body is doing?

Give us a call or ask during your next visit. We love helping patients understand how the body works so they feel confident and supported during their health journey.