Cracking your back: Harmless habit or hidden danger? Doctor answers

Long tiring days at work with hours of being trapped in a fixed position, your back might feel stiff, tense or frozen. To find relief, you move and manipulate your back until you feel the stretch of satisfaction and hear the faint popping sound of relief.

Back cracking or breaking is a common practice. Sometimes it is intentional and other times it happens naturally during movement. For many people, it is a habit initiated for stress or pain relief, for comfort or to regain mobility.

The hidden dangers of cracking your own back

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Yogesh Kumar B, MBBS, MS (Orthopaedics), Clinical Fellowship in Spine Surgery, AO Spine Asia Pacific National Fellowship, Senior Consultant at Spine Care, shared, "There is no medical consensus that definitively explains this phenomenon. However, the popping or cracking sound heard is due to the bubbles trapped in the synovial fluid."

Our spine consists of the vertebrae which are small bones connected to each other by facet joints. Dr Yogesh Kumar explained, "An increase in joint pressure simultaneously increases pressure in the synovial fluid (lubricant for the joints of the spine). This causes gas bubbles to develop in the synovial fluid. The twists and turns done during back cracking result in these bubbles popping and creating the ubiquitous sound people typically associate with back cracking."

According to him, the build-up of pressure and tension and its subsequent release due to back cracking contributes to the feeling of satisfaction and pleasure. Dr Yogesh Kumar elaborated, "Back cracking happens unintentionally when a person stretches, moves, and exercises; it is natural and safe. Intentional cracking is also harmless as it provides a pleasant sensation and offers pain relief. Also, there are claims of mobility recovery after back cracking."