Is it possible to crunch your spine - is it harmful, reasons

The spine is the support of the entire human body. The spine provides mobility to the neck, head and torso. Therefore, it is important to monitor his condition especially carefully. Some people specifically move in such a way as to hear a crunch, not knowing whether it is possible to crunch their spine. Sometimes these actions are harmless, but in some situations they can be harmful. A crunch in the spine is a symptom of many diseases, so if it occurs, you should undergo a medical examination.

The main causes of sound

Crunching when moving the body also occurs in healthy people, but it is heard quite rarely. It usually occurs when there is a heavy load on the spine, a long stay in one position, a strong bend, etc. But if the spine often crunches and mild pain occurs, then you should urgently contact a medical facility. Since the cause of these ailments may be the following:

Violation of metabolic processes. Poor circulation causes disruptions in the functioning of the digestive organs and disruptions in oxygen circulation. A deficiency of building substances in the body leads to the accumulation of salts in the body and the formation of an annular plaque on the skeleton. If these failures are not corrected in time, serious diseases may develop: liver failure, Alkaptonuria, Atherosclerosis, etc.

Intervertebral hernia. Intervertebral hernia leads to displacement of intervertebral discs and friction. In addition to crunching, the development of an intervertebral hernia is indicated by pain, which worsens during activity, and joint stiffness, which usually occurs in the morning and after prolonged exercise.
Scoliosis. With scoliosis, the volume of the spinal crunch will gradually increase as the disease progresses. Because with scoliosis, the vertebrae deviate from their axis.
Spondyloarthritis. This pathology is chronic. It causes the formation of ankylosis, causing fusion of the discs of the cervical, lower back and other parts. In addition to crunching, the development of Spondyloarthritis is indicated by limited mobility of the lower back and cervical spine. Turning and bending will be difficult, as the spinal column turns into one solid column.
Arthritis. Arthritis affects different parts of the spine: cervical region, chest area, lower back, and so on. Arthritis is an inflammation of bone tissue that causes crunching, pain when turning, and limited mobility. If it is not cured in time, it will develop into arthrosis and osteochondrosis. And these diseases are chronic.
Osteochondrosis. This disease causes a change in the structure of the interarticular fluid, abrasion of cartilage tissue and bone deformation; all these changes cause crunching and pain when turning the head or body. This disease can cause serious problems, so it is important to diagnose it in the early stages and stop the destruction.

The listed diseases are serious and can cause complications. You should pay attention to a crunch in the back when turning and bending, and not ignore this symptom.

What causes back crunching?

The reasons may be different, but the main one is gas bubbles. The fact is that our joints contain synovial fluid, which is a kind of lubricant. It is what makes the joints mobile and elastic. The liquid consists of chemical elements that form the bubbles mentioned above. The gas cannot escape, which is not surprising, because the joints are sealed, and therefore burst, making the same sounds - clicking, crunching, crackling. In addition, the liquid contains collagen, which promotes the elasticity of the vertebrae/joints. Under heavy loads, the joint capsule stretches too much, which causes gas bubbles to form . What is characteristic is that the crunch is not accompanied by anything - no pain, no swelling, no difficulties with mobility.

Location of joint fluid

But this is only one side of the coin. Many people notice that there is a suspicious crunch in the spine when they lift weights or sharply turn the body. Let us note that the crunch is, first of all, an individual feature, since some people have a back crunch under certain conditions, while others do not. But if it is not accompanied by pain, then, most likely, it is not associated with any diseases.

Why do joints and spine crunch?

Note! If all your joints are crunching and you are worried about this, then it is better to visit a doctor as soon as possible. This is also necessary if, in addition to crunching, you notice pain, swelling, stiffness/numbness. This may indicate the following diseases/situations: osteochondrosis; previous surgery; herniation/protrusion of the intervertebral disc; injuries; kyphosis, scoliosis.

Structure of the human spine

The spine can also crackle in an absolutely healthy person during stretching exercises. But this is observed only at the beginning of execution, and then goes away. Also, similar sounds appear during procedures carried out as part of manual therapy. Experts even welcome them, considering them evidence of the correctness of their own actions.

In old age, the spine/joints crunch due to salt deposits and this point should be given special attention. Salts can be deposited in joints only with the development of gout , an extremely painful condition accompanied by inflammatory processes in the joint elements. Here the deposition of uric acid salt occurs - who doesn’t know, this is a “waste” of metabolic processes (more specifically, purine metabolism). It has nothing in common with the table salt that we use, and their composition is different. If there is an excess of uric acid, problems will arise with its excretion. As a result, it crystallizes in the joints, which is why gout develops.

General information about gout

And if older people talk about salt deposited in joints, then, of course, they are mistaken. After consumption, table salt breaks down into chlorine and sodium, which, in turn, take part in metabolism and do not accumulate. In a word, this does not in any way affect the deposition of salts or the crunch in the back described in the article.

Often, salt deposition is mistakenly confused with osteophytes - growth of the edges of the spinal body. This is also a completely different problem.

Osteophytes of the lumbar spine

Preparations for strengthening ligaments and joints

Is it possible to crunch?

Some people like to specifically crunch their back and neck. And such people are interested in the question: is it possible to crack your neck and spine. For many years, experts have tried to determine whether cracking the spine and cervical joints is harmful or beneficial. And this question still remains open. Some doctors have come to the conclusion that doing this is extremely harmful to the body - such turns of the neck and tension in the thoracic area lead to destabilization of the bony joints of the spine. And this can cause dislocation or pinched nerves.

And some doctors are conducting special studies to prove the usefulness of intentionally inducing a crunch. So, according to the latest research: crunching your spine is possible and even beneficial. In the vertebra and bone articulation there is a special cavity that is filled with synovial fluid. From time to time, gases accumulate in this liquid, forming bubbles. These bubbles burst when moved and are what causes the crunch.

Over time, the bubbles form again, which is why people often hear a crunching sound when turning their torso and head.

However, if, in addition to the sound, a person feels pain in the chest, lower back or neck, and it becomes difficult for him to move, then he urgently needs to undergo a medical examination, since in this case the sound is a sign of the development of pathology. In such situations, deliberately causing sound is harmful to health, as it accelerates the development of diseases.

The harm of cracking your fingers

Irritating crunching of fingers is unpleasant to others and many consider this manipulation a bad habit. Although there are also fans of this kind of “warm-up” of joints, who believe that cracking your fingers is an absolutely safe activity that does not cause any harm to the skeletal system. In contrast to the depressing forecasts of orthopedists regarding this habit, the American doctor Donald Unger cracked the fingers of one (left) hand for 60 years and observed the body’s reaction. In old age, he saw no difference between his left and right hands, and neither showed signs of arthritis. Is it good to crack your fingers, or should you get rid of this habit?

What happens when you crack your fingers?

To find out whether cracking your fingers is harmful or beneficial, you need to know the structure of the joints and be aware of what happens inside during such a “warm-up”. As you know, the main purpose of the joint is to ensure bone mobility. The area where the two bones meet is covered with articular cartilage, which has a special capsule containing a viscous substance called synovial fluid. Thanks to it, the load and friction at the point of connection of the bones is reduced, and the joint remains mobile and bendable.

However, no one could give an exact explanation of what happens at the moment of crunching. And just recently, scientists from England conducted an unusual experiment. A group of 20 people was created who voluntarily agreed to take part in this experiment. Using a special mechanism, the participants' fingers were stretched, and at this moment the scientists took an X-ray of the joints.

The harmless crunching of fingers is the bursting of gas bubbles formed in the joints due to pressure fluctuations

As a result of the experiment, it was discovered that when a joint is tense, the pressure in the area of its connection instantly drops. The synovial fluid begins to fluctuate at high speed and achieves a “boiling” effect. A gas bubble forms in the capsule, which has no access to exit, since the joint is sealed. During a change in pressure, the gas penetrates the synovial fluid, and then the bubble bursts, which leads to a kind of click.

The version of orthopedists has its own explanation for the crunching of fingers. They believe that this sound is formed in tendons and ligaments, which, when sharply bent, overcome slight resistance and crunch. Doctors do not recommend subjecting them to frequent stretching, since regular friction at the point where the bones connect can lead to destabilization of the joints.

Crunching your fingers is harmful

If you ignore the depressing appearance of irritated faces who do not like the sound of cracking joints, this habit cannot lead to serious disruptions in the functioning of the body. However, most experts and ordinary people believe that cracking your fingers is harmful.

Systematic cracking of fingers leads to fragility of joints, provokes their loosening and destabilization

To prove this, there are a number of alarming reasons why joints can make characteristic sounds:

There is salt deposition in the skeletal system. Their accumulation in the body leads to hardening of cartilage and muscle fibers. This leads to clicking when bending the joints, causing discomfort and reducing their mobility.
The structure of the joint is damaged. Sometimes the joints at the junction can extend beyond the joint box, which leads to severe crunching and pain.
Congenital pathology. Sometimes there are deviations in the structure of the joints, during which their increased mobility is observed. During movement, the bones move apart and return to place, causing crunching, but without causing discomfort.
Muscle inflammation. In some cases, doctors are inclined to believe that when overwork, overload and inflammation of the adjacent muscles, the joints experience pressure and produce a crunching sound.
A dangerous disease is arthrosis. This is an unpleasant bone pathology in which wear and tear of cartilage and joints is observed. As the disease progresses, their ability to be flexible and mobile decreases, which leads to friction and sharp clicking.
Problems in the functioning of joints after injuries. After fractures, sprains or dislocations, the vessels and tissues surrounding the joint box are damaged. During restoration, growths and compactions may occur, leading to a characteristic sound.

If such pathologies are present in the body, cracking your fingers is certainly harmful. This habit leads to further damage and stretching of weakened muscles, joints and ligaments, which leads to their increased vulnerability.

Is it good to crack your fingers?

It has been proven that a person who systematically cracks his fingers often does so in an attempt to reduce emotional stress and strives to concentrate on some process or his thoughts. If the process occurs regularly, this leads to the formation of an obsessive habit, without which he can no longer concentrate, and this is already a psychological addiction.

The desire to crunch your fingers can develop into an obsessive habit.

Is it good to crack your fingers? Certainly not. But if, while working for a long time at the computer in one position, the thought comes that a warm-up is necessary, you can crack your fingers. However, this must be done correctly, turning a bad habit into a pleasant massage and easy joint training.

The rules for healthy crunching are not complicated:

Relaxation of fingers, light shaking
Sharp clenching of fists and slow straightening
Crossing the fingers of both hands and rotating in different directions
Alternate massage of each finger and joint
Squeezing a ball or cube in your hands
Scissors (softly placing a finger on the adjacent one)

And the best option for warming up your joints would be light exercise, baths, a relaxing massage with oil, or swimming.

Consequences of cracking fingers

At a young age, when any problems seem insignificant, a person does not think about whether cracking his fingers is beneficial and what harm it causes to the body. However, with age the situation can worsen dramatically. European scientists, after a series of experiments, have proven that systematic stretching of the finger joints leads to their fragility. And this is fraught with frequent dislocations and even pinching of adjacent nerve endings.

Loads on the joints lead to crushing and grinding of cartilage, destruction of their integrity and malfunction. And such a seemingly harmless habit can lead to an unpleasant disease - arthritis. Although some scientists are inclined to believe that this disease, when cracking fingers, can only occur if a person has a predisposition to it.

Is it good to crunch your spine?

During sports, sudden changes in body position or bending, you can hear a slight crunching sound in the spine. This sound should not be frightening if the person does not experience pain or discomfort at this moment. A crunching sound in a vertebra may indicate that the bones are stretching and warming up after the transition from a relaxed to a tense state.

Involuntary crunching of the spine does not cause concern if the person does not experience severe pain or tension

You should be wary if the crunching is accompanied by acute pain and occurs regularly. Such symptoms indicate that the muscles are under constant tension and cannot cope with their functions. And even chiropractors strictly prohibit crunching the spine on purpose. Such actions can lead to disruption of the main support of our body, displacement of bones and pinched nerves.

Is it harmful to crack your neck?

If you enjoy constantly cracking your neck, and for this “warm-up” you help yourself with your hands, you will soon become a regular patient of a chiropractor. The impact on the area of the cervical vertebra should be very soft and delicate, and even specialists are very careful when working with it.

Kneading the cervical vertebrae with force can lead to damage to one of the main arteries of the body

The fact is that along the spine and cervical region there are special arteries that supply the brain with blood and oxygen. Sudden jerking and impulsive movements of the neck can easily damage these blood vessels, causing a clot to form, blocking the blood supply to the brain and leading to a stroke.

And although the percentage of development of such a pathology is minimal, you should not tempt fate and contact a trusted specialist to warm up your neck.

Why do you feel relief?

Some people and doctors believe that crunching your back is possible and even beneficial. After all, after this action a person feels relief. And this is true to some extent; after such a rotation, the block of muscle tissue and bone joints is removed. Thanks to this, stiffness of movements disappears. However, this effect does not last long; after the body is stressed, tissue spasm occurs again.

To eliminate stiffness, it is necessary to perform special therapeutic exercises. Physical activity will not only relieve lower back stiffness, but also normalize the functioning of housing and communal services, get rid of excess weight and restore general health.

Diagnostic procedures

Crunching between the shoulder blades is a specific symptom of a number of different diseases. Therefore, consultation with a therapist and extensive diagnostics are required in order to determine the cause of the unpleasant sound. If the clicks are not normal, according to the doctor, he will prescribe the following tests:

X-ray of the spine. With its help, a large number of spinal diseases, joint deformations, and degenerative processes in cartilage tissue are identified.
Computed or magnetic resonance imaging. It is recommended for all patients who have no contraindications for this. You cannot do without such an examination if the crunching is systematic and causes severe discomfort to the person.
Ultrasound of soft tissues. This is a more highly specialized technique that allows you to identify any pathological changes in the discs, for example, fluid accumulation, problems in the joint membranes.
General analysis of urine and blood. Indicates the presence of an inflammatory process in the body.
Spinal tap. It is used only in particularly severe cases to determine disorders in the spine and the presence of blood in the cerebrospinal fluid.

During the examination, the patient’s complaints are also taken into account in order to determine the location of the crunch and the presence of accompanying symptoms. The most common complaints are weakness, limited mobility, or fever. Based on the results obtained, tactics to combat the pathology are prescribed. In some cases, several different types of examinations will be required, but usually an x-ray or MRI is sufficient to identify the cause, the width of the lesion and associated disorders.

Urine and blood tests can detect inflammatory processes in soft tissues, therefore they are required to be taken during the examination

Who is forbidden to crack their spine?

When looking for an answer to the question: is it harmful to crack the neck and other parts of the spine, people should take into account the individual characteristics of their body. Crunching your spine is harmful for some people. The following groups of people are strictly prohibited from crunching their backs:

Pregnant women. Since the spine is already heavily loaded, and such actions lead to additional stress, which is very harmful for the woman and the fetus, in addition, these actions can lead to disc displacement.
People suffering from osteochondrosis of the neck, thoracic spine or lumbosacral area. For such people, crunching their backs is especially harmful, since such actions accelerate tissue destruction.
With a hernia.
People with disorders in the formation of the skeleton.
People with a poorly developed skeletal system.
People suffering from obesity.

These categories of people should refrain from intentionally causing a crunch in the spine, as this is very harmful for their body. In addition, it can lead to injury and deterioration of health.

Spinal diseases

If a crunch in the back is a sign of some kind of disease, then we are most likely talking about one of the pathologies listed below.

Protrusion

With poor blood supply to the tissues surrounding the intervertebral discs, a deficiency of nutrients occurs (the discs begin to “starve”), which negatively affects functionality. First of all, the rigidity of the disc core increases due to water loss, which reduces the softening of loads, but increases the pressure on the vertebrae. In addition, due to such “starvation,” the fibrous ring, which is necessary to hold the disc in the right place, also suffers. Over time, degeneration of the ring occurs, it becomes less elastic and becomes covered with microcracks. What is typical is that there are no serious symptoms at this stage yet - the person only experiences fatigue, there is no pain.

Protrusion of intervertebral discs

The core, becoming more and more rigid, puts pressure on the fibrous ring (and it, as we remember, also suffers from a lack of nutrients). This is how protrusion appears - a pathology in which there is almost complete destruction of the fibrous ring. The crunching here occurs due to the pressure exerted on the damaged intervertebral disc. After protrusion, a hernia appears - the disc protrudes beyond its limits.

Reasons why the spine constantly crunches strongly

There are numerous reasons why the spine crunches and they need to be fixed and eliminated whenever possible. This will contribute to the process of rapid recovery with the correct choice of treatment methods.

Let's look at those diseases that cause severe crunching of the spine:

spondyloarthrosis deformans - damage to intervertebral joints and deposition of calcifications on their surfaces;
osteochondrosis at the stage of protrusion of intervertebral discs with gradual deposition of calcium salts in the structures of the fibrous ring;
scarring of the tendons and ligaments that maintain the balance of the spinal column;
uncovertebral arthrosis, which contributes to disruption of the vertebral bodies;
dystrophy of the muscular frame of the back;
scoliosis and other types of spinal curvature;
chest deformity.

If the spine constantly crunches, then it is necessary to exclude negative influence factors. In a modern person, they can be hidden behind such aspects as:

maintaining a sedentary lifestyle,
leading to dystrophy of the muscular frame of the back;
excess body weight with metabolic disorders in the endocrine system;
violation of hygiene and ergonomic rules when organizing sleeping and working spaces;
wearing incorrectly selected clothes and shoes;
incorrect placement of the foot and the presence of destructive processes in the hip and knee joints, which lead to changes in posture and the position of different parts of the spine;
trauma and inflammation, infections and tumors.

Diagnosis of instability of the position of the vertebral bodies and identification of the cause of the crunch begins with an examination. We invite you to a free initial consultation at our manual therapy clinic. Experienced doctors conduct consultations here. Already during the first examination, they will be able to make a preliminary diagnosis and prescribe additional examinations as necessary. You will also receive all the information about how effective treatment will be carried out and what results will be achieved during it.

Vertebrae crunching: when is this normal?

Often, concerns about whether it is possible to crack fingers, joints in the cervical or lumbar region every day arise in people who experience such crunching even in the absence of special tension. After all, clicking sounds in the chest or cervical region, under the shoulder blade, in the fingers, in the jaw sometimes occur during the most ordinary movements, for example, when chewing, turning, stretching.

In a healthy person, a crunch in the same joint cannot be repeated earlier than after 15 minutes. Frequent clicking in the vertebrae is normally typical only for adolescents, because they grow quickly and they develop joint hypermobility. For the same reason, joints and vertebrae often crack in infants.

Constant crunching is also normal in some respects for older people, since their skeletal system is subject to wear and tear. Cartilage that has lost its elasticity can no longer prevent friction of bones and vertebrae, so old people often “ring” when walking and other movements. Unfortunately, it is no longer possible for them to get rid of these sounds.

Be careful about your health

Preventive actions

The appearance of a crunch in the thoracic region or any other place causes discomfort and can become a symptom of a serious pathology. To prevent it and improve the health of the body, experts recommend following a number of simple rules:

Organize proper healthy nutrition. Eat only healthy fruits and vegetables grown without the use of dangerous chemicals. Eliminate sweets, flour, spicy, fried foods from your diet.
Include sports in your life or move a lot during the day. Swimming, yoga, or at least a little exercise in the morning will be of great benefit.
Don't wear high heels every day, only on holidays. Choose high-quality orthopedic shoes with stable heels made of high-quality material.
Always pay attention to your posture, especially when working at a computer or doing delicate work. The shoulders should be straightened, the back should be straight, the head continues the spine.
Consult a doctor promptly for treatment of any type of pathology.

If you follow all the rules, you can forever forget about spinal pathologies, crunching between the shoulder blades and other disorders, most of which are not treatable and can become chronic, significantly reducing the quality of life.

Back crunching occurs in many people and is usually not a cause for concern. But if it is accompanied by discomfort, pain, fever or decreased sensitivity in the affected area, then you should immediately consult a doctor. He will conduct a comprehensive diagnosis and prescribe the correct therapy to eliminate unpleasant symptoms and restore normal joint mobility.

When clicking indicates illness

Quite often, a crunch in the chest or under the shoulder blade appears not only when stretching the joints, but also when turning, taking a deep breath or bending over. This may be a symptom of certain diseases:

Rachiocampsis. Due to scoliosis, gaps form in the spine in which gas bubbles accumulate. They burst even with slight tension in the joint, and the process itself is accompanied by acute pain.
Intervertebral hernia. As the website Komu-za30ru found out, with this disorder, the intervertebral discs are displaced, pinching the nerves. The mobility of the spine deteriorates significantly, so a crunch may appear even with normal movement.
Salt deposits. Calcium compounds are deposited on the surfaces of the vertebrae as a result of excessive human consumption of salty foods. Excess salts do not have time to be eliminated and settle on the bones.
Hypermobility. This term refers to an abnormality of connective tissue, making it especially elastic. Most often, this anomaly is observed in children and people with a miniature build.
Ankylosing spondylitis. This is a disease of the joints in which they gradually become inflamed and eventually fuse with the intervertebral discs.
Arthritis or arthrosis. The first disease is inflammation of the joints of various etiologies, and the second is age-related changes in the spine. Both pathologies limit the mobility of the spinal column and may be the reason why the spine crunches when turning the body.
Protrusion. This disease is a pathological change in the intervertebral disc, in which it goes beyond the boundaries of its physiological position.
Individual characteristics of human muscle function. Very often, when turning the body and bending, a crunch appears in the cervical region of athletes. Usually it disappears after warm-up exercises.
Previous injuries or spinal surgeries. Due to trauma, the spine temporarily loses its mobility and crunches more intensely than usual.
Osteochondrosis. This disease also affects the intervertebral discs. As a result of this lesion, the joints become deformed and lose their elasticity.

Thus, if, when turning or bending, twisting, walking and other movements, the musculoskeletal system begins to crunch, pain or simply stiffness appears, there is a reason to see a doctor. The crunching sound, which is accompanied by painful shooting pains, is especially dangerous: this indicates the presence of inflammation.

If you experience any pain or discomfort in the joints of the spine, consult a doctor

What to do if the bones of the spine crunch?

If the bones of the spine crunch, it is important to begin taking measures to eliminate this symptom. This condition is not an independent disease. Crunching is only a sign of trouble and developing disease of the spine. Therefore, the appearance of a clinical symptom is an excellent chance to pay attention to your health.

The first thing to do if your spine crunches is to look for an experienced specialist. Our manual therapy clinic employs highly trained specialists. Extensive practical experience allows us to effectively deal with even complex clinical cases.

You can sign up now for a free consultation. Based on the results of the manual examination, you will be diagnosed and effective treatment recommended. We would like to draw your attention to the fact that most diseases of the musculoskeletal system, including the spinal column, can be easily treated with conservative methods only in the early stages. In advanced cases, patients require surgical assistance. And any operation leads to a partial loss of the shock-absorbing function of the spinal column. Therefore, you should not allow the development of pathology. Contact your doctor when the first negative symptoms appear.