A tight, stiff, or sore neck makes it difficult to function. When you can’t turn your head as much as you want or need to, or it hurts to move, your quality of life will suffer. A chiropractor can improve your neck pain with cervical spinal manipulation — neck cracking.
Though there are some risks, chiropractic neck adjustments can be a safe and effective treatment when performed by a trained professional. Here’s everything you need to know about neck adjustments and chiropractic care.
Why Do Chiropractors Crack Necks?
A chiropractic adjustment is the application of a gentle and precise force to your joint to reduce muscle tension and pain and to improve mobility. Your cervical spine, AKA your neck, has several joints, and your chiropractor cracks your neck to:
- Increase range of motion. Neck cracking can improve how your neck functions and help you move it further.
- Decrease neck pain. Cracking your neck can release the pressure or tension that’s contributing to any neck pain you’re experiencing.
- Reduce referred pain. Neck pain can also cause headaches, shoulder pain, and arm pain. Neck cracking can reduce and even relieve pain that’s happening elsewhere.
- Align your spine. Spinal misalignment can also cause neck pain. Neck cracking can restore this alignment and relieve pain.
What Makes That Cracking Sound?
The popping and cracking sound you hear during a chiropractic neck cracking is the same popping and cracking you hear when you crack your knuckles. Most practitioners think the cracking sound is caused by nitrogen gas bubbles in your joints popping. When your chiropractor performs any adjustment, the controlled force pops the gas bubble, which is why it may feel like pressure releasing from your joint.
However, recent research suggests that the sound may be created by bubbles forming. Applying sudden pressure to a joint — like during a chiropractic neck cracking — forces it to move in a specific direction, which opens the joint. This creates a small and temporary cavity, which allows the bubble to form.
Whether the cracking sound is a bubble popping or forming, not all chiropractic adjustments make that sound, particularly low- or lower-force adjustments. Hearing a popping sound doesn’t mean the chiropractic treatment was successful, and not hearing a sound doesn’t mean the adjustment wasn’t successful. The best indicator of success is how you feel. Feeling better and experiencing pain relief indicates the chiropractic treatment is working.
What If My Neck Makes a Cracking Sound Outside of the Chiropractor?
The occasional cracking sound from your neck isn’t cause for alarm. Your joints may crack on their own when you move and pop a gas bubble outside of a chiropractic neck cracking.
However, the cracking sound may be neck crepitus. Crepitus is a popping or cracking sound caused by cartilage damage. What you’re hearing is the sound of your bones rubbing together. Cartilage damage is often caused by arthritis, but general tightness and stiffness or even poor posture can damage the neck joints.
As long as the popping sound happens occasionally, you have nothing to worry about. However, contact your doctor immediately if:
- It sounds or feels like your neck cracks every time you move it
- You feel significant pain in your neck that radiates down your arms
- You feel any numbness in your neck or arms
- You feel lightheaded

Is Chiropractic Neck Cracking Safe?
Chiropractic neck cracking is generally safe when it’s performed by an experienced professional.
Nearly all your joints are mobile. After all, they’re what help your bones and body move. However, some joints are more mobile than others, and the neck joint is one of these “more mobile” joints. You can look up and down, left and right, and even make rotational movements with your neck. This mobility is important to living a healthy life but also makes it easier to injure your neck, like when you sustain whiplash during a car accident.
What’s more, your neck vertebrae contain major arteries that carry blood between the heart and brain. While the vertebrae are protective, injuring the neck joint could damage these arteries. In rare cases, arterial dissection — torn blood vessels — can happen with a neck injury. And it’s possible to experience an arterial dissection and not realize what’s happened if the tear heals on its own.
It’s critical to work with a chiropractor who understands how delicate the neck area is. If you’re seeing a chiropractor for neck pain for the first time, the doctor should examine your neck to ensure it’s healthy enough for chiropractic neck cracking. For example, a recent injury may make your neck more vulnerable to additional injuries if you undergo chiropractic treatment.
That said, it’s not uncommon to experience some temporary discomfort after a chiropractic neck cracking, like fatigue or even a mild headache.
And while it is possible to crack your neck at home, that’s not advisable. Cracking your neck on your own could result in a pinched nerve, which would make it difficult, if not impossible, to move, or you could strain your muscles.
What Are the Risks of Chiropractic Neck Cracking?
While chiropractic neck adjustments can relieve pain and improve how you feel, they do have some risks you should consider. These include:
- Stroke. Though arterial dissections can heal on their own, sometimes they can cause a stroke. This is more likely to happen in people with a neck-cracking habit outside of the chiropractor’s office.
- Blood clots. Some neck cracking has caused blood clots in the neck.
- Osteoarthritis. While chiropractic adjustments can relieve pain caused by osteoarthritis, the pressure from frequent chiropractic neck adjustments can weaken the tissues at the ends of your neck vertebrae. This can worsen existing osteoarthritis or even cause it.
Find Relief
Neck cracking can be a safe and effective solution for your neck pain. While there are some risks, when performed by a professional, neck adjustments can restore flexibility and range of motion to your neck area, helping you live a fuller and healthier life.
If you’re ready to find relief, the compassionate team at Flourish Chiropractic Spa is ready to help. Schedule an appointment today, and we’ll work with you to design a holistic treatment plan that meets your needs and helps you accomplish your health goals.