Is Cracking Your Neck Bad for You?
The question isn't simply a matter of neck cracking being "good" or "bad."
Medically reviewed by Laura Campedelli, PT, DPT
Cracking your neck isn't necessarily "good" or "bad"—it depends on how you do it. Popping sounds that occur when you move a certain way or cracking when you apply gentle pressure to your neck is usually harmless. However, cracking that causes pain can indicate an underlying injury or medical condition.
This article discusses neck cracking, including the potential dangers, reasons it might feel good, and how to do it safely.
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Why Neck Cracking Could Be Dangerous
Your neck contains many structures—including muscles, ligaments, nerves, and blood vessels—that can be damaged from cracking your neck. A forceful neck-cracking technique (also called spinal manipulation) can also affect the joints between the spinal vertebrae.
While dangerous spinal manipulation results are rare, they can cause significant disability or even be life-threatening. Examples of adverse events that can occur with forceful neck cracking include:
Stroke
Spinal cord injury
Injury to the nerves that are attached to the spinal cord
While it isn't common, aggressive neck cracking can cause a dangerous condition called "arterial dissection"—tearing blood vessel walls along the sides of your neck. This can cause blood flow to be cut off to your brain, leading to a stroke. Arterial dissection most often occurs when the neck is cracked by a professional, but it can happen from cracking your own neck.
Repeatedly cracking your neck with too much force can also cause ligaments that attach bone to bone to stretch out, leading to additional problems, such as spinal instability.
Side Effects of Neck Cracking
Cracking your neck can cause temporary discomfort and produce side effects that typically resolve within 24 hours, such as headaches, increased discomfort or pain, and stiffness.
Related: What Is Neck Crepitus?
Why Does Cracking Your Neck Feel Good?
There are various reasons cracking your neck can feel good.
Placebo effect: The cracking sound can make you believe that your neck has released tension—even if it wasn't. This powerful response is called the "placebo effect."
Endorphins: Cracking your neck can also release endorphins—"feel good" chemicals in the brain.
Improved symptoms: Gently cracking your neck decreases stiffness and temporarily improves your range of motion.
Neck Cracking at the Chiropractor
Having your neck cracked at the chiropractor is different than cracking your own neck. A chiropractor assesses your range of motion and the mobility of your spine to determine where the issues are—then targets these areas with specific manipulation techniques.
Spinal neck manipulation performed by a professional can also improve posture, decrease muscle tightness, improve spinal alignment, and reduce headache frequency.
Other medical professionals, such as physical therapists or osteopathic doctors, sometimes perform spinal manipulation.
Related: The Benefits of Hands-On Physical Therapy
Safer Ways to Crack Your Neck at Home
The safest way to crack your neck is to leave it to the professionals. Doing it wrong—especially if you are applying a lot of force—can lead to injuries, such as muscle strains, ligament sprains, pinched nerves, or disc herniation.
However, some cracking sounds—whether they're in your neck or other joints in your body—can be harmless. Applying gentle pressure to your neck or moving it in a particular way can cause gas bubbles to release from your joints, making a cracking sound. Ligaments and tendons can also shift positions, creating a snapping or popping sound.
If you experience pain when you crack your neck, stop doing it and consult a healthcare professional.
Pain Relief After Cracking Neck Too Hard
If you've cracked your neck too hard, there are things you can do to help decrease neck soreness. Home remedies for neck pain can include:
Ice: Apply an ice pack for up to 20 minutes several times daily. Place a cloth between the ice and your skin to avoid ice burn.
Keep it moving: Gently move your neck in a pain-free range of motion.
Stretch it out: Hold each stretch for 10 seconds, and repeat several times throughout the day. Do not stretch to the point of pain—this can worsen your injury.
Try over-the-counter medications: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, such as Aleve (naproxen), Motrin/Advil (ibuprofen), and Bayer (aspirin), as well as Tylenol (acetaminophen), can help decrease neck discomfort after cracking it too hard.
Consider seeing a physical therapist if your neck pain doesn't improve within a few days of home remedies. If you have tingling in your arms or sharp pain when you move your neck, see a healthcare provider to ensure you are not injured.
Summary
Cracking your neck can be harmless, but if it's done too forcefully, it can cause injury. Neck cracking occurs when gas bubbles escape through your joints or when tendons or ligaments move over bones when you stretch your neck a particular way.
Cracking your neck can have benefits. Simply hearing the sound can make your neck feel better due to the placebo effect. It can also release "feel-good chemicals" called endorphins in the brain and temporarily decrease stiffness in your neck. However, the safest way to crack your neck is to see a healthcare provider who performs spinal manipulation.
