Sunset Chiropractic Clinic

Back Issues

I'd love to see a chiropractor, but I hate that 'cracking' sound..."

Perhaps you have tried to convince someone you care about to stop popping pills for their chronic headaches or back pain and get checked by a chiropractor. But they told you they could never go because they get too freaked out by the "popping" noise that can sometimes be heard during an adjustment What is that noise anyway?

Well, the "pop" or "crack" noise you hear is a tiny air bubble being released from fluid at the joint surface. There is a natural suction that occurs between two bones that make up a joint. When the two bones are quickly distracted from each other, that suction is relieved, releasing the air bubble between them. It's just like removing a suction-tipped arrow from the wall. That "pop" you hear is the air being released from the suction!

So, what if you tell your friend this and only to be met with, "I don't care what it is, it still freaks me out."? Well, at our office, we have many techniques to make a good spinal correction without making any popping noises!

The technique we use the most is the adjusting instrument, which delivers a "tap" or series of taps to the spine. We have found it is comfortable for all our patients, from newborns to 95 year-olds. The strength of the tap needed varies depending on the patient's age, build, pain tolerance and spinal region adjusted. It can be used with the patient lying down, sitting or standing.