Do (or did) you crack your neck/upper spine hourly?

I don't know about hourly, but I do crack my neck to help relieve pressure. Well I should say that some days I can and some days I can't. The days that I can't spell increased pain and very limited motion for me as well though.

I wish I could get my upper back (upper thoracic especially), to move as well - that would be heaven!! I deal with a lot of muscle issues in my neck and thoracic are as well - spasms (which can create the ice pick in the neck thing), cramps (which can often interfere with breathing easily & of course increased pain) and just a general tightness!

I had a really good chiro that I was working with, but then he shut his practice down! I'm a hard one to please when it come to Chiros too - I've been hurt by one, so I insist on them being gentle and easy in all things or I walk out (without paying). So now I'm stuck to my own devices to figure it out.

Ice, heat, arnica, DMSO (occasionally) and naproxin generally help me get through - but I also do stretches through out the day. One other trick I've learned is to use a "rounded edge" of a wall and use that to put pressure on the muscles on either side of the spine to help relieve some of the spasms or cramps that way. A tennis ball on the floor would work too, it's just hard for me to get up and down off the floor lately....and the dogs that end up on my chest!

I use to crack my neck all the time. Now I can only crack my neck from time to time. But I seem to be cracking my lower back a lot lately. I wish I can crack my neck more cause I really need it. But when I'm able to crack anything it does feel sooo good.

Since beginning treatment I have been having a lot issues with my neck, shoulders and back. I have headaches from all the tension and issues from that. But I've started seeing a chiropractor too and they have slowly diminished in intensity. I have to admit I'm actually a little scared every time I go. When he cracks my back and arms and hips, it feels good. But when he gets to my neck it really freaks me out. I tense up and pray that he's not going to completely break it. I've talked to other people who have said they've had their heads turned completely around but that doesn't make me feel any better.

This neck cracking is the last symptom. It comes and goes. When I need to crack my neck it is several times a minute. Then it magically stops. I can now feel tension building up in the area so now I can do some relaxation exercised and "cut it off at the pass".

Trav - that sounds promising. To be muscle tension free!

I had a neck spasm coming yesterday, and "successfully cut it off at the pass" by prolonged hard thumb pressure on the knotted neck muscles. - Followed by Arnica gel and MSM sulfer cream.

Today its crackable again, every couple hours, thats good. Just goes along with our need to be mobile, keep things moving, while not overdoing it.

Worked on my forearms and hips for 1/2 this morning too.

Oh yes, the loud sternum crack / pop!

Funny, I figured that was just me. Arms out, chest out, loud POP. Felt real good too.

Doesn't seem to happen as much to me anymore.

I have an upper rib or maybe my left collar bone doing that now, not as loud though.

Just started cracking the top of my left foot too, after a chiro showed me how. It comes back fast though.

I used to go to a chiropractor for years not knowing what was wrong with me. The muscles would get so tight in my neck down into my thoracic area to the point it feels bruised. Now that I've been in treatment it doesn't seem to bother me as much. It helps to take a muscle relaxer for the tension from it.