In reality, it’s as simple as asking if you can pull your own teeth.
In today’s world, you can see almost anything on the internet, including some back-poppers. There’s an abundance of claims that: “you don’t need a chiropractor to pop your back!” and articles upon articles about: “how to pop your back yourself”, claiming chiropractors use scare tactics to get you to come to them for something easily done yourself.
Yes, it can be tempting to listen, especially if your back is giving you a lot of pain. You’ll obviously want to relieve the pain as soon as possible. Surely, a do-it-yourself method can’t be too bad, right? After all, there are so many articles about it!
But there’s a reason why they say to check your sources and not to believe everything you see online. And popping your back? That’s something you are going to want to check your sources on, especially if you really want to relieve that back pain in a permanent way.
So, Can You Pop Your Own Back?
Short Answer: Yes, but you probably won’t like the results. Same as if you tried to pull your own teeth. Wouldn’t that hurt!
If your goal is to just get a pop, that is not too hard to do. But to get your spine to move in the right location, take pressure off nerves, and to relieve pain and discomfort, you need a real chiropractor.
Why, you ask?
Because the pop you hear when you pop your own back is just gas. Gas? Yes, that’s right, it’s just the release of gas in your synovial fluid (aka joint fluid). Just because your back pops when you tried it yourself doesn’t mean it went into the right place. The pop often releases a temporary endorphin to lessen the pain, but for long term pain relief, the bone must be moved into the correct place. You probably can’t move your bones yourself, especially not your spine. And do you really want to trust just anyone to attempt that?
Probably not. This is where chiropractors come in.
Why Do You Need A Chiropractor To Pop Your Back?
Here’s the long answer as to whether or not you can pop your own back: Preparation precedes performance (as one of my favorite people often said). A dentist or chiropractic physician has years of advanced doctorate level training to prepare him or herself with the proper skill, and discernment of how to treat your condition. When that preparation is combined with experience, it is even better.
Plus, a professional chiropractor will get to the root of your pain, effectively solving the problem as opposed to slapping a grimey bandaid on it and letting it flare up again. Trying to fix back pain yourself can create more problems, and do you want to risk that? You might end up forcing yourself to see a chiropractor anyway if you attempt to pop your own back and end up with even worse pain. Seeing a chiropractor from the get-go will save you a lot of pain and trouble.
All that schooling and practice helps chiropractors find the best solution for you, personally, as everyone is different. At times, spinal manipulation (or “popping your spine”) is not the best thing to do. Let a real doctor of chiropractic be the judge if an adjustment is right for you and properly adjust your spine into the proper position if indicated. Spinal adjustments should not be a random hope for relief. When it is done by a chiropractor, it is purposeful and specific to create accurate and proper movement in your spine.
After all, one of the most important and life-sustaining organs is in your spine – your central nervous system. The central nervous system governs nearly every function in your entire body. Do you really want to trust Uncle Louie with that?
All doctors of chiropractic have fixed a lot of self poppers and Uncle Louie’s homemade whack-um crack-um back jobs. As a result, I will not humor you by having an internet DIY tutorial, because it isn’t ethical, and could potentially hurt you. If your source doesn’t say DC behind it’s name, you shouldn’t listen to it. Unless there’s a DC behind your name or Uncle Louie’s, you probably don’t know what you’re doing.
What Can You Do If You Need To Pop Your Back?
Get a real adjustment from a real doctor of chiropractic. It’s as simple as that! At Grant Chiropractic, we believe in effective chiropractic treatment, and are happy to help with any back pain, spinal adjustments, or any other chiropractic concerns. Just call 801-546-2273 today!
