Can Cracking My Neck Cause Arthritis?
Do you often crack your neck? If so, you may wonder if this habit could be causing arthritis. Arthritis is a common condition that can cause joint pain and stiffness. While there are different forms of arthritis, the most common form is osteoarthritis. This type of arthritis is caused by the wear and tear of the cartilage that protects the bones.
Experts can treat neck pain in Chicago. Methods like spinal cord stimulation, epidural injections, and trigger point injections can be used to help relieve pain.
Read on to understand how cracking your neck can cause arthritis and what you can do to prevent it.
How Does Cracking Your Neck Cause Arthritis?
When you are constantly cracking your neck, you are putting a lot of stress on the joints and ligaments in your neck. It can cause the cartilage in your neck to degenerate, eventually leading to arthritis. Also, cracking your neck can damage your nerves, leading to numbness or tingling in your arms and legs.
What Kind of Health Conditions Cause Neck Arthritis?
Neck arthritis is also known as cervical spondylosis or cervical osteoarthritis. It is a condition that affects the joints and disks in your neck. The symptoms of neck arthritis include pain and stiffness in the neck, shoulders, and arms. The pain gets worse with activity or at night.
Neck arthritis is most common in people over the age of 50. However, it will occur in younger people who have had an injury to the neck or a herniated disk.
Several types of arthritis can affect the neck. The most common type is a degenerative joint disease, caused by the joints’ wear and tear over time. Other types of arthritis include:
- Rheumatoid arthritis: This chronic inflammatory disease can affect any joint in the body, including the neck.
- Osteoarthritis: This is the standard form of arthritis. It happens when the cartilage between joints breaks down.
- Psoriatic arthritis: This occurs in people with psoriasis, which causes scaly patches on the skin.
- Ankylosing spondylitis: This is a form of arthritis that affects the spine. It can cause the spine to fuse in a rigid position.
Tips To Crack Your Neck Safely
If you crack your neck, do it safely to avoid further injury. Here are some tips:
- Don’t force it. If you can’t crack your neck without forcing it, stop. Forcing it could damage the ligaments or disks in your neck.
- Don’t crack it too often. If you crack your neck more than once a day, you could irritate the joints in your neck and cause nerve damage.
- Don’t crack it for too long. Cracking your neck for more than a few seconds at a time could also irritate the joints in your neck.
If you’re concerned about cracking your neck causing arthritis, talk to Gateway Spine and Pain Physicians, the experts for pain management in Chicago. Our pain specialists can help you find relief from your neck pain and other chronic pain conditions. Schedule an appointment today.
