Crack Your Lower Back
Stiffness and discomfort in your lower back can be alleviated by cracking, or stretching your back joints. This article will show you how to do this.
Contents
10 Second Summary
1. Lie down on your back with your hands by your side and your legs straight.
2. Bend your right knee. Keep your foot flat on the ground.
3. Bend your knee to the left so that it crosses over your left leg.
4. Turn your head and upper torso to the right.
5. Stretch until you feel a crack.
6. Repeat the process on the left side.
Steps
Trunk Rotation Crack
- Lie face-up, flat on your back with your hands by your side and your legs flat. Get in a comfortable position and completely relax your muscles. Spread your arms out flat against the floor until they're in line with each other and perpendicular to your torso.
- The area where you lie should have a flat, firm construction. Yoga mats or towels can provide padding if needed.
- Bend your right knee, keeping your right foot flat against the floor or surface. Your left leg should remain extended and flat in its initial position.
- When your right leg is bent, your right foot should be close to but not touching your buttocks.
- Allow your right knee to move slowly to the left and down towards the floor. Your right knee will cross over your left leg. If possible, twist until your right knee comes in contact with the floor on the outside of your left leg.
- If you reach a point of pain, stop the stretch, and return to the original position. Do not stretch past the point of comfort.
- Maintain the positioning of your right foot, but as you continue the twisting motion, the sole may lift from the floor.
- Turn your head to face right and rotate your upper body slightly in the same direction. While often effective, your back may or may not crack during the space of this method. Regardless the stretch should feel painless and comfortable at all times.
- Stretch until you feel your back crack, or until you reach your comfortable height of flexibility. Bring your knee back, pointing up towards the ceiling before extending your right knee into its starting position.
- Repeat the process by bending your left leg, and guiding it down and over your extended right leg. Though you may hear or feel your back crack after only stretching to one side, you may find it possible to crack different vertebrae of your spine by repeating the process on the opposite side.
Partner-Assisted Crack
- Lay face-down on a firm surface, your arms by your sides. Choosing a carpeted surface or laying down a towel will provide you with a bit of cushioning. Avoid any surface that will give with your weight, such as a mattress or thick cushion.
- Turn your head to rest comfortably on one side but do not elevate with a pillow or any other material that will raise your head or strain your neck — this can put your neck at risk for injury.
- Instruct your partner to place their dominant foot on your lower back. Have them begin to shift their body weight onto that foot, putting even but light pressure on your lower back.
- Your partner's foot helps to stabilize your lower back. The pressure should be firm but not contain their entire body weight. One foot should remain in contact with the floor at all times.
- Pressure is a part of the cracking process, but if you feel any sharp or uncomfortable pain, communicate immediately with your partner to remove their foot.
- Ask your partner to bend down, gently grab your hands and slowly lift your arms upwards. Keep your arms straight and strong, but avoid locking the elbows - unnecessary strain can cause injury to your joints.
- Guide your partner to slowly pull your arms up while keeping their foot firmly positioned on the small of your back. Your back will arch as they pull, but be vocal about your level of flexibility. While some people find back bends effortless, others have less developed muscles, and varying ranges of motion.
- Listen for the pop, or feel like your back cracks! Your back may crack several times, but don't force the motion as you may strain your joints or muscles.
Foam Roller Crack
- Position a foam roller onto a sturdy, carpeted surface and lie down onto it with the small of your back. Position the foam roller in the small of your lower back to begin with. Put your legs close together, with your knees bent, and hold onto the sides of your knees with your hands. Arch your head up slightly to activate your core muscles.
- Foam rollers are great back-cracking (and back-stretching) tools, but if you don't have one, you can probably improvise. Some people choose to use a PVC pipe with a yoga mat glued onto it. This is a much harder surface than a normal roam roller, which means it's less forgiving (and usually not great for beginners).
- With your back slightly raised and your legs anchored to the ground, begin to roll on the foam roller. You can roll by extending, and then bending, your legs while keeping them anchored to the ground. This creates a see-saw like effect. It allows you to glide over the foam roller with your lower back.
- If you want to get a good upper back stretch, roll the foam roller from the small of your lower back to the top of your shoulder. You should hear several cracks in your upper back especially as you do this.
- Continue comfortably rolling on the roller until your lower back cracks. You should experience several cracks if you haven't cracked your back recently. As you do your foam rolls, remember to:
- Keep your core activated and upper body slightly elevated. Remember not to slouch.
- Keep your feet anchored to the ground. Try not to move your feet too much as you glide over the foam roller.
- Stay comfortable and relaxed. The more relaxed your muscles are, the better your chances of cracking your back.
- Try a lower-back alternative with the foam roller. Get on the foam roller with your back. Bring one thigh up so that it's 90° to your torso. Your leg, however, should be parallel to your torso. Grasp the area behind the kneecap with the hand opposite it. (If you're elevating your left thigh, grasp behind the kneecap with your right hand.) Anchor your free foot and your free hand on the ground and begin rolling your lower back over the roller.
- After you feel the crack in your lower back, relax and switch sides. Perform the same stretch until your lower back cracks.
- As an alternative, extend your entire leg into the air and roll over the roller. Get on the foam roller with your back. Lift your thigh and leg so that both are positioned 90° to your torso. Your thigh and leg should be extended high into the air. Anchor your free foot and your free hand on the ground and begin rolling your lower back over the roller.
Seated Chair Crack
- Sit down in a comfortable chair without armrests. A chair without armrests is best so that you have a freer range of motion with your arms.
- Lower one bent elbow down to the outside of the opposite knee. If you're working with your right elbow, bend it and rest it on the outside of the left knee.
- Turn your torso in the direction of whichever knee you are using as an anchor. If you're resting your right elbow against your left knee, turn your torso to the left. If you're resting your left elbow against your right knee, turn your torso to the right.
- Be careful as you turn your torso. No jerky motions or sudden movements. A relaxed and steady pressure is best when trying to crack your back.
- After you feel the crack, switch arms and rotate your torso in the opposite direction.
- As an alternative, try the same basic trunk rotation seated on the ground. Bend your right knee and bring your right leg over your outstretched left leg, which should be flat on the ground. Take your left elbow and position it on the outside of the bent right leg. Move your torso to the right, using your left elbow against your right knee as a fulcrum.
- This is the same basic stretch as the seated chair crack — both use elbows against opposite knees as anchors. Once you feel the crack in your lower back, repeat the process using the opposite leg and elbow.
Health Concerns and Other Information
- Know that it's generally considered safe to crack one's back. Usually thought to be the purview of chiropractors and massage therapists alone, cracking the back can be safely performed at home, provided the act of cracking isn't accompanied by any pain or discomfort. If you begin to feel any pain during the act of cracking your back, stop immediately.
- What happens when you crack your back? When you crack your back, nitrogen and carbon dioxide bubbles travel rapidly from the surrounding tissue to the joint. This rapid expansion causes a momentary vacuum, which in turn causes the cracking sound we are all so familiar with.
- Know, however, that cracking one's back isn't the same thing as giving it a realignment. While cracking our backs generally feels good — and is often accompanied with relief — it may not be addressing the underlying problem if you have persistent back pain. You may be putting a temporary band-aid on a bigger problem, and in some cases, can even make the problem worse.
- Ever notice how cracking your back leads to a cycle of pain and then relief? You crack your back and get relief, but your back feels crummy the next day, necessitating another go at cracking. This cycle of boom and bust can usually be fixed by getting a chiropractic realignment.
- What happens in a chiropractic realignment? The doctor of chiropractic works any fixated or jammed vertebrae back into realignment so that the vertebrae aren't pressed together or pinching one another. Unfortunately, you cannot give yourself an alignment. You must have it done by someone else — even chiropractors cannot give themselves alignments.
- Try stretching exercises in addition to or instead of cracking your back. There are tons of great stretches that you can perform instead of cracking your lower back. These are often just as effective at providing relief and potentially less dangerous. Here are some that you might consider:
- Yoga poses such as cat pose, downward dog pose, pigeon pose, and chair pose
- Basic lower back stretches
- Be careful about working out right after cracking your back. If you work out too soon after cracking your back, you could end up with an injury such as a herniated disc. To avoid this, stretch instead of cracking, or decide to crack your back after you've done the requisite workout.
Tips
- Alternatively, exercises meant to strengthen back muscles can also be helpful in avoiding stiffness or back pain.
- Not everyone's back will respond equally to the same method. You may want to experiment with the different methods to find the ideal technique for your body shape or frame.
- Another way to do this is to lay flat on your back with your arms perpendicular to your body. (like a cross). Cross your right leg over your left and straighten it as far as it will go. You will feel your shoulder blades lift off the floor. Push your shoulder blades to then touch the ground again, without returning your leg. Repeat for the left leg.
- You may find it relaxing to lay flat on the floor, bring both knees as close to your chest as possible and rock like a rocking chair. Remember not to go past your comfort zone.
- One Great method is to use your thumbs. Use your thumbs and press them tightly on the side of your lower Spine then push hard and lean back to add more force until you hear a popping sound.
- To help ease pain when in bed, sleep with a pillow under your back. You can also do that for your neck.
Warnings
- Do not over stretch or force yourself beyond a comfortable range of motion. This may lead to a sprain in your back.
- If back pain persist, or pain interferes with daily life, consult a medical professional. Chiropractors are specialized in re-alignment and skeletal positioning, they may have insight or other individualized recommendations.
