Exercise For Arthritis In The Neck
Physical therapy
If youre experiencing neck pain due to arthritis, your doctor may recommend physical therapy. Physical therapy for neck arthritis entails doing specific exercises to help strengthen and stretch weak or strained muscles. Physical therapy can improve range of motion. Sessions and programs vary in length and frequency and are tailored to your condition.
The foundation of what were trying to do in physical therapy for the neck is often to help improve posture and the way people move, says Dr. Milani. Exercises in physical therapy tend to be focused on strengthening muscles of the back and neck, which puts less strain on structures of the cervical spine.
Youll do exercises during physical therapy and get instructions on ones to do at home.
Regular Physical Activity at Home
You may feel like you dont want to move when your neck hurts. But being inactive may increase stiffness, which can cause you to lose even more mobility. Aches and pains tend to respond better to continued movement than rest, says Dr. Milani. Exercise is often the foundation of treatment.
Exercises that involve stretching, strengthening, and improving range of motion can help reduce pain and keep your neck limber. You want to move gently and smoothly when doing neck exercises, not jerk your neck or make sudden movements. You may feel discomfort at first. Stop if any exercise increases your neck pain.
Why Cracking Your Neck Feels Better
There are a number of reasons why this cracking sound feels so good.
When you stretch your neck you dont just stretch the joints, you also stretch the muscles and ligaments that support it. This stretching is believed to increase your neck movement which may well explain why its better almost immediately.
Another theory why it feels good to crack you neck is that it may stimulate the release of endorphins in your brain . Endorphins are hormones that make you feel good for a short period. This may explain why you feel like you need to continuously crack your neck.
Remember, the relief you do feel comes primarily from the improved function of your neck, not the cracking sound you hear. Indeed, this improvement can be achieved without the cracking sound happening at all.
Whats The Link Between Cracking Your Neck And A Stroke
In rare cases, manipulation of the neck has caused a stroke. Manipulation refers to a high-speed twisting or turning movement that often causes a popping or clicking sound in the area.
These types of manipulations are often done to treat neck pain. They can be performed at home or clinically by a massage therapist, a chiropractor, or an osteopath.
The stroke itself occurs due to a condition called cervical artery dissection . This is when an artery in your neck tears. When this happens, blood begins to leak into the wall of the torn blood vessel, between the thin layers that make up the blood vessel wall.
As blood leaks, the space inside the blood vessel through which blood normally flows becomes narrow or even completely blocked.
Eventually, the blood from the torn artery can clot. This blocks the artery, reducing or cutting off blood flow to an area of the brain. The regions of the brain normally supplied by the damaged blood vessel can experience diminished blood flow, which results in a stroke.
Strokes due to CAD are rare. They account for only of ischemic strokes overall but are a notable cause of stroke in younger people.
Read Also: Does Tylenol Arthritis Have Any Aspirin In It
Cracking Your Back Neck And Other Areas
If you regularly crack your neck or your back, this is where you may actually be doing some harm to yourself. As mentioned earlier, if youre experiencing cracking or popping in these areas naturally, then you have nothing to worry about.
But if youre intentionally cracking these parts of your body because you feel pain or stiffness and youre looking for some quick relief, you might want to reconsider. Cracking your neck too aggressively puts you at risk for overstretching your ligaments or misaligning certain bones in your back.
| Related: Turmeric: The Natural Anti-Inflammatory for Joint Health |
If you struggle with back pain regularly, your best bet is to seek professional help from your doctor. Even doing yoga or other gentle stretches can help with this discomfort, and youll be making more permanent gains than if you just give it a quick crack.
So now you know a little bit more about the nature of cracking your joints. But if youre suffering from joint pain, the knowledge alone might not give you the relief youre looking for.
To help get you started on your path to better joint health, here are a few tips you should keep in mind when thinking about your joints:
So I Can Crack My Knuckles Freely There’s No Risk Of Arthritis
There are several types of arthritis, but knuckle-cracking is most commonly associated with osteoarthritis. In simple terms, “Osteoarthritis is a disease where the articular cartilage, located at the end of the bone on each joint, starts to break down and flake off,” causing pain, stiffness and swelling over time, Dr. Fackler explains.
“Osteoarthritis is age- and genetic-related…and people don’t get significant osteoarthritis until they’re in their 40s, 50s or older,” Dr. Fackler says. “The vast majority of arthritis patients have a genetic predisposition to the disease. However, if you have an injury when you’re young or tear a ligament or meniscus, that puts you at higher risk for arthritis when you get older.”
Don’t Miss: Can You Get Tested For Rheumatoid Arthritis
Orthopedic Care In Bishop Ca
At Northern Inyo Healthcare District, our team of orthopedists take a holistic approach to care, focusing on you as a whole person rather than specific symptoms or conditions. Whether youre suffering from aches and pains or mobility issues, were here to help improve your quality of life.
For more information about the orthopedic services at Northern Inyo Healthcare District or to schedule an appointment, call 873-2605.
Joint Sounds Due To Inflammation
One cannot blame every joint sound on rheumatoid arthritis as some joint deterioration is expected from normal aging. But for me, the sounds come and go depending on the level of inflammation. This symptom reminds me that joints may be activity impacted by the disease. The snap, crackle, and pop of joints serve as an audible reminder of RA.
Recommended Reading: Do I Need To Fast For Rheumatoid Arthritis Blood Test
Read Also: Can You Get Arthritis In Your Brain
But Wait There’s More Here’s What You Shouldn’t Crack
Dr. Fackler advises avoiding popping the neck, as it can cause inflammation around the nerves and lead to more serious injuries long-term. “I encourage people not to habitually pop their necks, especially kids.”
So, as it turns out, you can crack your knuckles, limitlessly, without the consequences of arthritis. Just don’t be too caught off guard if your rings fit a little tighter after a knuckle-cracking session. Cracking knuckles can cause temporary swelling or a subtle increase in the size of your hands, but is ultimately harmless. “There are no long-term studies that show knuckle-cracking causes any damage,” Dr. Fackler says. Until then, “When it comes to your fingers, don’t even worry about it.”
Snap, crackle and pop away.
Surgery For Neck Arthritis
Surgery is usually a last resort for neck arthritis, says Dr. Milani. Your doctor may recommend it if you have severe pain that isnt relieved with nonsurgical treatment or if you have signs of neurologic injury. Surgery may be needed if the arthritis causes instability, or more importantly, impingement of nerves and/or the spinal cord, says Dr. Shah.
Recommended Reading: What Rheumatoid Arthritis Looks Like
What Causes Neck Cracking And Popping
The snapping or grinding of your neck may be caused by:
Synovial fluid changes. The synovial fluid between your joints lubricates movement, and when the pressure changes in this fluid, it creates gaseous bubbles. According to a 2015 study, the creation of these bubbles makes a cracking or popping sound.
Ligament or tendon movement. When tendons and ligaments move over bone, they can make a snapping sound that is heard when you move your joints.
Bone grinding. If the cartilage in the joints has worn down enough, the grinding or cracking sound you hear may be due to the bones grinding against each other.
You May Like: Is Buttermilk Good For Arthritis
What Is Psoriatic Arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis is a type of arthritis linked with psoriasis, a chronic skin andnail disease. Psoriasis causes red, scaly rashes and thick, pitted fingernails.Psoriatic arthritis is similar to rheumatoid arthritis in symptoms and jointswelling . But it tends to affect fewer joints than RA. And it does notmake the typical RA antibodies. The arthritis of psoriatic arthritis comes in 5forms:
- Arthritis that affects the small joints in the fingers, toes, or both
- Asymmetrical arthritis of the joints in the hands and feet
- Symmetrical polyarthritis, which is similar to RA
- Arthritis mutilans, a rare type of arthritis that destroys and deforms joints
- Psoriatic spondylitis, arthritis of the lower back and the spine
Recommended Reading: Is Exercise Good For Rheumatoid Arthritis
Is Cracking Your Own Neck Dangerous
While there are benefits to having your neck cracked, it can be dangerous if you do it incorrectly or too often.
You can pinch nerves in your neck if you do it too forcefully. This can cause extreme pain, making it difficult or even impossible to move your neck. Cracking your neck incorrectly can also strain the muscles and joints in your neck, which can also cause pain and immobility.
If you have the urge to crack your neck often, you may be experiencing hypermobility. You may have a larger range of motion in your neck than normal. As you continue to crack your neck when the urge arises, the ligaments in your joints become permanently stretched, resulting in perpetual instability. If this happens to you, youre more likely to develop osteoarthritis in your neck joints.
The important blood vessels in your neck are in danger of being punctured if you crack your neck too often. You may also experience blood clotting, which can block the flow of blood as it travels to your brain.
What Makes That Cracking Or Popping Sound
When you crack your neck or any joint in your body, the capsules around your joint are stretched. These capsules contain fluid, and stretching them allows the fluid to put less pressure on the joint.
As the pressure decreases, the fluids in the joint turn to gas. When the fluid becomes gas, it makes a popping noise. This process is known as either boiling or cavitation, and it usually isnt harmful.
In the case of your neck, you have several sets of joints called facet joints. These joints are located on each side of your neck. When you crack your neck, the facet joints stretch, which lets fluid spread out in the joint capsule. Once the fluid becomes gas, your neck joints pop.
This is what makes neck cracking feel like its releasing pressure from your neck area.
Recommended Reading: Does Relief Factor Work For Arthritis
How To Crack Your Neck
Before you try to crack your neck, it’s important to talk to a doctor. They can help identify any underlying causes and make sure it’s safe for you to crack your neck at home, says Grandominico.
Once you’ve talked to your doctor, it’s best to focus on small, slow movements, says Granominico. Cracking your neck should feel like a gentle stretch, with no straining, twisting, turning, or jerking, he says. People often try to crack their neck with too much force.
While it’s important to get instructions from your own medical professional, here’s a basic step-by-step for how to crack your neck, according to Granominico:
1. Take a standing or seated position, with your back straight.
2. Place one hand on your lower back with your palm facing in. Place the other on top of your head, palm down, with your fingers reaching toward the opposite ear.
3. Use the hand on your head to gently pull your ear toward your shoulder. If you’re starting on the right side, your right arm should be pulling your right ear toward your right shoulder.
4. Hold for 30 seconds.
5. Then, switch the hand that is on your head and repeat steps 1-4 on the opposite side.
There’s no need for towels, straps, or other devices, says Granominico.
Does Cracking Bones Cause Arthritis
Whats creating that cracking or popping noise isnt fully known.
A traditional explanation is that pressure on a joint creates tiny bubbles in the synovial fluid, which pop when they form quickly. Your synovial fluid contains oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide and cushions your bones from rubbing against each other.
A 2015 study used real-time magnetic resonance imaging of joint cracking that showed the noise was related to cavity formation in the joint fluid, not collapse of a preexisting bubble. The technical term for this is tribonucleation, where two surfaces separate rapidly, leaving a gas cavity.
You May Like: Will Epsom Salt Help Arthritis
Spondyloarthritis In The Neck
Other types of neck arthritis include psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, which are both considered a type of arthritis called spondyloarthritis. Its an umbrella term for inflammatory diseases that involve both the joints and entheses, the places where ligaments and tendons attach to the bones.
Psoriatic arthritis is a form of arthritis often accompanied by psoriasis, an inflammatory skin disease. For some people who have psoriatic arthritis, the condition involves the spine, which impacts the neck. Pain happens when inflammation strikes the joints between the vertebrae. This pain can occur on just one side of the body, the neck, and the lower and upper back. Read more about psoriatic arthritis symptoms.
Ankylosing spondylitis is a form of arthritis that strikes the bones in your spine and pelvis as well as peripheral joints. Early signs and symptoms might include pain and stiffness in your lower back and hips, especially in the morning and after inactivity. Fatigue and neck pain are common. AS symptoms might worsen, improve, or stop at irregular intervals.
What Kind Of Damage Does Repeated Self
If you are constantly cracking your neck, pressure will build up in the joints. This causes the surrounding ligaments to stretch to unstable levels and the cartilage in your vertebrae to wear down. This can cause osteoarthritis, which is serious, irreversible and painful. It also causes even greater stiffness.
Some studies have found something even more frightening. People under 60 who repeatedly crack their necks have been shown to be more likely to have a stroke than those who dont. Thats because the cracking can cause a blood clot that deprives the brain of oxygen.
Also Check: What Does Psoriatic Arthritis Rash Look Like
Knuckle Cracking: Probably Safe
Doctors have debated for decades about why joints make that popping sound. The prevailing theory used to be that it was the sound of a bubble bursting in the synovial fluid that surrounds the joints, but current research suggests it is actually the creation of a cavity, or negative space, in the fluid that leads to the noise.
However the sound is created, studies have shown that cracking your knuckles doesnt lead to the later development of osteoarthritis, a condition that occurs from wear and tear on the joints. Despite what your grandma may have told you, knuckle crackers dont seem to have a higher rate of arthritis than nonknuckle crackers.
There has been some research to suggest knuckle cracking may lead to hand swelling and reduced grip strength, but this evidence is not strong, and other studies have not replicated these results. Likely, there will be no long-term damage from such cracking.
There have been a few clinical studies on knuckle cracking in the hand, says Rachel Lefebvre, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Keck Medicine of USC and assistant professor of clinical orthopedic surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. From what we have so far, it looks like there is no correlation between knuckle cracking and joint damage or arthritis.
What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease, which means that your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake, causing inflammation in the affected parts of the body.
RA mainly attacks the joints, usually many joints at once. RA commonly affects joints in the hands, wrists, and knees. In a joint with RA, the lining of the joint becomes inflamed, causing damage to joint tissue. This tissue damage can cause long-lasting or chronic pain, unsteadiness , and deformity .
RA can also affect other tissues throughout the body and cause problems in organs such as the lungs, heart, and eyes.
You May Like: Can Arthritis Be Seen On Xray
Ligament Or Tendon Movements
Your ligaments and tendons attach your bones to your joints. They also function like robust elastic bands. As you move your joints, your tendons and ligaments stretch over your bones and joints and snap back to their original position. Researchers believe this snap-back is one potential cause of neck cracking. Such snapping is often harmless, occurring with stretching or yoga. However, some instances of this snapping could indicate a serious issue, such as an injury or weakened tissues due to age.
As you age, the elastic strength of your tendons and ligaments weaken. The weakened elasticity could contribute to increased neck cracking. Other factors that may weaken your tendon and ligament elasticity and lead to neck cracking include:
- Swelling or stiffness in your joints, ligament or tendons
- Overstretched or torn tendons or ligaments due to injury or overuse
- Degenerative tissue
Should I See A Doctor
Its common to have aches and pains in your muscles and joints from time to time. This may especially be true if you take part in unusual or strenuous physical activities.
So, how can you tell the difference between the early signs of arthritis and normal pain and stiffness? And, how do you know when you should see a doctor about your symptoms?
If you have swelling or stiffness that you cant explain and that doesnt go away in a few days, or if it becomes painful to touch your joints, you should see a doctor. The earlier you get a diagnosis and start the right type of treatment, the better the outcome will be.
Here are some other things to think about that might help you decide whether you need to see a doctor:
Read Also: How Do You Diagnose Arthritis In The Hip
Recommended Reading: Is Zinc Good For Arthritis