How To Crack Your Neck- So many factors could bring about pain or stiffness of the neck. Wrong sleeping posture, stress, misuse of the neck or even infection could bring pain and discomfort to the neck. One of the common ways people use to get rid of this discomfort is neck cracking. In this post, we would show you how to crack your neck . Read along to discover them.
Different Techniques To Help Crack Your Neck
Cup and reach method
Carry out the following steps to crack your neck
- Loosen up the muscles of your neck before starting out. This you by gently massaging and stretching the muscles of your neck. If you crack your neck without first loosening the muscles of your neck, you might pull a muscle
- Cup your chin into the palm of your left hand. Ensure your thumb rest slightly along the length of your jaw bone
- Grab gently the back of your head with the right hand. Ensure your grip is firm but not painful.
- Then gently but firmly push your chin to the left so as to rotate your head counter clockwise. You may hear some cracking sound as you do so. Be sure to get all the air out of your neck joints . You can do so by adding a little more pressure.
Foam Roller Method
If you don’t like the idea of neck cracking described in the method 1 but you need to get some pain off your neck, you can try this method. You will feel relieved thereafter.
- Lie down with the foam roller just beneath the curve in your neck. Ensure your neck is comfortably resting on the roller while your arms are placed flat beside you.
- Then gently push forward your hips without changing your neck or head position. As you are doing this, start rolling your neck from left to right while still balanced on the roller. As you do this, you will begin to feel the muscles of neck relax
- Keep pushing your lower body up and then begin to slide your neck up and down the roller. Keep doing this until you can feel that your neck muscle is relaxed.
- This method should stop any neck even if there is no cracking sound heard in the process.
- You can move the foam roller down your back if you feel the tension travelling towards your back.
Safer Method
The neck cracking method even though is a great way to relieve pain and tension in the neck has some risks attached to it. Below are some safer methods you could use to relieve the pain in your neck:
Stretch your neck: You can do this by leaning from one side to another, this way your neck gets stretched.
Check out with your Doctor: If you experience neck ache frequently, you may have to see your doctor instead of cracking your neck every now and then. You may be dealing with some health issues that neck cracking cannot handle. Moreso, frequent neck cracking can bring about wear and tear on your vertebrae which can cause bone damage and some other health problems.
Visit massage therapist: they have the training and equipment to help soothe your aching neck instead of cracking your neck so as to play safe. It is better to visit them to help you take care of your aching neck.
Talk to professionals: There are different categories of professionals you can talk to whenever your neck is aching or strained. Examples of such professionals include Physiotherapists, Chiropractors, Osteopaths, etc.
What Really Happens When You Crack Your Neck
This is what happens when you crack your neck. Cracking of neck is usually followed by a popping sound known as Cavitation. Inside our joints are gases and fluids that help lubricates and cushion the joint. During cracking of neck, there is pressure in the fluid which makes it bubble and pop. Also, the sound can also arise as a result of the movement of ligaments and tendons over the joints and over one another. This popping release endorphins which help relieve pain temporarily.
Is It Bad To Crack Your Neck
Cracking your neck even though has its own benefits can at times be bad. Cracking of neck can turn out bad when your neck is extremely stiff or swollen. At such times, cracking of neck can even aggravate the pain. What you should do instead of cracking your neck is to see a doctor.
Also, forcibly or constantly cracking your neck can be a bad idea. This is because there are lots of blood vessels in the neck which carries the blood to and from the brain. Constant cracking of your neck can cause damage to these blood vessels which can eventually lead to stroke.
Also , constant cracking of your neck can cause the over extension of your ligaments and tendons and thus the head cannot be supported properly.
When Should I Seek A Doctor
You should contact your doctor when:
- You notice an unusual swelling around your neck. A swelling could be as a result of fluid build up , infection or injury.
- You experience pain around your neck that has no traceable cause
- Your joints are becoming immobile
When you notice the above symptoms, then you should rush to see a Chiropractor or Physiotherapist.
Risk Factors Related To Neck Cracking
Stroke: Constant neck cracking can cause damage to blood vessels around the neck area. These blood vessels are responsible for carrying blood to and from the brain. Damage if these blood vessels imply less supply of blood to the brain which could lead to stroke.
Blood clotting: Neck cracking could also lead to blood clotting
Osteoathritis: It is a disease that arise as a result of the ends of the bones getting weakened
Immobility: Neck cracking can cause damage to the connective tissue in the spine. This can overtime lead to arthritis.
Some Benefits Of Neck Cracking
- It alleviates pain
- It can correct the positioning of the spine
- It relieve migraine symptoms
- It relieve neck pain and lower back pain.
Last Word
It is good to crack your neck sometimes. This is because it helps relieve headaches, pains in the lower back. However, you must crack your neck the right way so you don’t inflict new pain on your self. Whenever, you need to crack your neck, you must do it gently turning your neck from side to side.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I treat neck pain?
Take pain reliever
Apply cold or heat press to the neck.
Exercise the neck regularly
Does cracking of neck actually relieve headaches?
Yes. In a way, neck cracking provides some short-term pain relief from aching neck. It can also relieve back pain and headaches.
Is neck cracking risky?
Yes. Neck cracking has some risks attached . For instance, present in the neck are lots of blood vessels that carries blood to and from the brain. Continuous cracking can damage these blood vessels which can lead to stroke.
What causes stiffness of neck?
Pain and stiffness of the neck could be caused by injury, wrong posture during sleep or overuse of the neck. And sometimes, it could be as a result of serious infection like Meningitis.
What are the benefits of cracking your neck?
Neck cracking can relieve you from joint pain. It can relieve muscle soreness, migraine symptoms and anxiety generally.
Reference
- www. wikihow. com – How to crack your neck
- www. healthline. com- Neck cracking, is it safe or should I stop
- www. insider. com- How to safely crack your neck for quick relief, according to a chiropractor
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