You crack your back

This cartilage provides the flexibility that lets your body move like one of those inflatable air dancers outside car dealerships. Overuse of a body joint leads to a buildup of gases and pressure inside it. The answer is yes if you do it yourself, but with a warning label. The issue, however, is frequency. Some simple changes can reduce the stress and strain on your body. You have to switch things up and use different muscles.

Gentle stretching also may help relieve tension on your back — or even safely make it crack. Here are a handful of seated, standing and on-the-floor stretches and exercises to try.

What this helps: The movement builds range of motion in the spine while also working muscles in your back. The stretch also benefits your neck, hips and even shoulders. What this helps: The stretch can help release tension in your lower back to address sciatic nerve pain. What this helps: Foam rolling can help release muscle tension while improving flexibility and range of motion. Looking for more ways to strengthen your back?

Guide to Stretching Your Back Muscles Do this simple stretch times daily depending on the degree of tension in your back.

Warnings - Don't hold your breath. Instead, you should breathe deeply and exhale as you relax into the stretch. You may have to slowly rock forward and backward in this position to get a better muscle stretch, but always do so in a controlled, gentle fashion.

The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment. Read More To crack your back, try doing a supine twist. First, lie down on the floor with one leg bent and one leg extended. Then, bring your bent knee over your extended leg and toward the floor.

Keep your shoulders flat on the ground. Finally, switch legs and repeat. You can also try to track your back using the back of a short chair. First, sit in a chair with a backrest that comes up to the middle of your back. Then, place both of your hands on the back of your head, and slowly lean back in the chair until your back cracks. Move forward in your seat to crack higher up on your back, or move backward to crack lower on your back. To learn more from our Chiropractor co-author, such as stretches to try to loosen up, keep reading the article!

Did this summary help you? Yes No. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue.

No account yet? Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article parts. Tips and Warnings.

Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. All rights reserved. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc. Stretch your back over the edge of your bed.

Another way to achieve more extension is to use the edge of your bed as a fulcrum point, so that your head can dip below the level of your spine. This position is effective for cracking the mid back primarily. Lie down on your back on a bed, with everything above your shoulder blades extended over the edge. Relax your back and let your head and arms slowly extend towards the floor, breathing out entirely as you do it.

After each downward extending motion, hold for about 5 seconds and then do a full sit-up to get back to the original position and take a full breath in. Repeat as necessary. This movement carries a little greater risk of injuring your spine, so maybe ask a companion to be a spotter to make sure you can do it safely. Tip: This movement is also great for strengthening your abdominal muscles.

Get "picked up" from behind. A possibly more effective method of adjusting the mid back is getting a hug from behind because extending the thoracic spine is a little easier from this direction, assuming the person doing it is strong enough to lift you off the ground by a few inches or so.

Instead of using their hands to crack your back, the person lifting you can use gravity and their own chest as they arch back which takes less coordination. Cross your arms across the front of your body and allow a stronger, taller person to hug you from behind and grab your elbows for support.

After fully exhaling, give a signal and allow the person to lift you off the ground while simultaneously squeezing you and extending your mid back. This maneuver is a little risky for both participants because of the greater forces on the spines and shoulder joints. Get a "bear hug. Some extension is needed to release the joints and it certainly helps if the person performing the hug is stronger and taller than you so they can get good leverage. Be careful though, because broken ribs and lung injuries are possible.

Allow the person to hug you and have them clasp their hands near the area that you want to crack while you relax your arms at your sides. After breathing fully in and out, give a signal for the person to squeeze harder with their hands in a quick thrusting manner this takes some practice and coordination , which will extend the spine somewhat and likely release a few joints. For women with large or sensitive breasts, this maneuver might not be appropriate. Don't let someone crack your back on the floor.

There is a technique that should only be attempted by someone with adequate training, such as an osteopath or chiropractor. There are laws that prevent some health professionals from doing this maneuver without adequate training. If you are interested in having your back cracked in this way, talk to a licensed professional.

Part 2. Standing lumbar extension. Upward stretch. Standing spinal rotation. Seated twist. Supine foam roller stretch. Supine twist. Supine shoulder blade stretch. How to crack your back video.

Tips to practice. When not to crack your own back. The takeaway. Read this next. Medically reviewed by William Morrison, M. Medically reviewed by Daniel Bubnis, M. Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph. Aquatic Exercise May Be Better for Chronic Back Pain Than Physical Therapy Experts say water-based exercise can help ease chronic back pain, but the ultimate goal is to return to land-based activities.

Medically reviewed by Angela M.