Neck Cracking

Neck Cracking – Why It’s Not Such A Good Idea

At some point we all suffer from stiff necks, are overworked and carry a lot of stress on our shoulders. Bad posture and slouching over the computer doesn’t help either. In truth your shoulders can really start to hurt from all that strain. It would be easy to quickly relieve the tension with just one sharp crack. Naturally it would feel better because pressure is being relieved. But you should know that after you crack your neck, things do not go back to normal as you might think.

Neck muscles don’t go back to their original tightness immediately. They take their time. Continuous stretching of these muscles obviously doesn’t give them a chance to get back to normal as fast as they should. In some cases, chronic neck cracking can lead to loss of elasticity in the ligaments which forces the muscles to work harder and get tired easier. It happens because joints are forced beyond normal range of motion and the ligaments stretch out over time. When they do not return to normal, this causes a condition known as hypermobility.

The problem with the repetitive cracking is that you’re moving the joint unnaturally – you’re substituting one problem for another. Cracking stretches the joint capsule and creates a minor injury with each crack. In response, the muscles tighten up to stabilize the joints. Even though it feels good when you do it, each time you crack your neck, it wears down the cartilage in the vertebrae and can cause arthritis in the future. Clinical studies have also shown that hypermobile joints are more prone to being arthritic than normal joints. In addition, any time the neck is cracked, a major artery is threatened. If you happen to compress this artery while cracking your neck, it could cause a stroke.

When neck cracking is concerned, its best to find the root problem of your tension and stress you feel. That way, you don’t have to try and stop the cracking your neck, you just won’t feel the urge to do it. Try and adopt a correct posture when standing and sitting to stop the tightness. You can also try using a heat and cold pack for 15 minutes to get fresh blood flowing. If you constantly feel back pain and neck pain, visit a doctor. There could be underlying cause to the problem

Steve’s Health Answers provides the latest natural health news, research and tips about Joint Care and Arthritis. For more details and our free newsletter, please visit http://www.steveshealthanswers.com

Neck Cracking

Neck Cracking: Why is this bad for you?

Ever wondered if neck cracking is bad for you? The neck has several bones which aided by strong muscles support it and allow the head to move freely. I have studied the phenomena of neck cracking and have found plenty of medical evidence to prove that it is harmful and may cause serious health concerns.

Neck cracking is most harmful when you use your hands to intentionally swing your neck to one side with reasonable force. The cracking sound that accompanies this action is from the ligaments that support the neck and connect it to our torso. The issue is that ligaments are temperamental and do not easily repair themselves.

Many of us think that neck cracking is not a serious issue as we have seen many of our friends and colleagues do it. Some people who crack their neck told me that this practice was recommended to them by their friends as a technique for reducing the stress felt at the base of the neck. But, all scientific evidence points out that neck cracking does nothing to relieve stress, it only contributes in stretching the ligaments and causing more degeneration in the neck joint.

The impulse to crack the neck is because some of us have joints with hypermobility. What this means is that such joints have a larger movement range that is normal. In joints with this problem, the supporting muscles have to work harder to restrict the movements of the joint. Over time these muscles become weak and you feel as if they are constricting your movements. This is when you have the urge to indulge in neck cracking.

Your joint may feel good for a short time after you crack it, but the reality is that the ligaments in the joint become more loose and increase the mobility of your joint. This puts additional stress on the muscles and you will be feeling the urge to have a go at neck cracking more often. Neck cracking could also be a contributing factor to the stiffness in the neck region that some of experience in cold weather.

How do you avoid the habit of neck cracking? Well, you could begin by starting a routine of muscle toning exercises. As your muscles build up their strength, the tendency to crack your neck should also reduce with time. Turning your neck slowly to either side every hour or so should also help in preventing the build up of physical stress in this region.

Steve’s Health Answers provides the latest natural health, news, research and tips about Joint Care. For more details and our free newsletter, please visit http://www.steveshealthanswers.com