One of the little details that has become synonymous with the notion of chiropractic care is the “popping” or “cracking” sounds that sometimes occur when a chiropractor is adjusting the bones of the spine, or other of the body’s joints. There’s nothing unusual about it.

The body’s joints contain a lubricant called synovial fluid. The fluid is a source of nutrients for the cells that maintain the cartilage in the joint. The synovial fluid includes dissolved gases—about 80 percent carbon dioxide, nitrogen and oxygen. Each vertebra has two sets of facet joints, which allow for flexibility, including moving your head and neck. In the course of a spinal adjustment, it’s not uncommon for a gas bubble to escape from a facet joint with a sharp popping or cracking sound. It’s similar to the sound that happens when a person cracks his knuckles. The noise is actually the result of a phenomenon called joint cavitation, a change of pressure inside the joint.

It takes 15 to 20 minutes for gas to reabsorb into the joint, which is why you can’t repeatedly crack a knuckle. In fact, if there is repeated noise from a joint, it may be caused by a tendon or ligament moving over it.

Some patients do not like to hear the sound a joint will make during an adjustment. Therefore, most chiropractors have different light force  techniques, for instance, the Proadjuster,  that they can use that does not  cause a “popping” sound, but still be effective. Talk with your chiropractor for more information on the care of your joints.  

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