As chiropractors, the most common question we get asked is “What is that noise?”.  Whether you have only been adjusted by a chiropractor a few times or 100 times, the chances are you’ve probably thought about this too at some point. So, let us chat though some of the main things about the noise you may hear with your adjustments.

The popping noise! The noise that you hear is only the formation of gas within a joint, when your adjustment moves two, close together, joint surfaces.  It’s called a joint cavitation and it’s just the same and is no more significant than any other gas release from the body (like when people crack their knuckles).  Many people ask if the sound comes from the joints rubbing together, but it’s a process that happens in perfectly healthy joints.

The popping sound does not mean you are getting arthritis.  Many studies which have looked into habitual knuckle cracking, conclude that it is not associated with clinical or radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis.

It actually doesn’t matter whether the popping noise occurs with your adjustments, or not.    We do know that higher adjustment speeds, mean you are more likely to get a popping sound.  So, all the popping noise really means is that your chiropractor just adjusted you really fast.  Whether you heard a pop or not, or if it was loud or quiet, makes no difference and does not affect the outcome you get from the adjustment at all.

Chiropractic adjustments help the small muscles around your spine and body to work better, for you to have improved mobility in your joints and to help reduce muscle tension.  Research also shows that chiropractic adjustments can change the processing in your brain in a way which aids your nervous system to help you heal and feel calm (the parasympathetic nervous system).

Keep this in mind next time you get adjusted by your chiropractor!

Heal > Adapt > Evolve