# I'm getting poppy



## Aprilswissmiss (May 12, 2019)

I'm only 20 and my back sometimes pops in 10+ places at once when I twist and stretch in the morning. And man, it feels _good_! I feel like my range of motion drastically increases/tension releases like you said, and if I ever have some strange motion-related tension, I can usually pop it away: in my hips, neck, and back especially. I'm not sure if it's coincidental, but I also have absolutely no back soreness problems. On the other hand, my boyfriend is completely incapable of cracking his back at all, and he deals with a lot more soreness.

There have been studies disproving the myth that frequent cracking/popping of finger joints leads to arthritis, so I'm fairly certain that would carry over to other joints in the body as well.

Chiropractors pop joints for a reason. Sometimes things are just a little out of place, and popping gets them back where they need to be. Including in animals!

I'm not sure about aging-related popping, but if I had to guess, I might think that in your case, it might have to do with increased flexibility. Those muscles holding everything together are a bit looser now and are more accommodating for popping to happen. Just my completely non-professional two cents!


----------



## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

I know in those who crack their knuckles the "pop" is = to a air bubble moving allowing fluids to then invade a dry spot is what a PT told me....
My knees creak, crack and groan from cartilage wear and arthritis stiffening the joint fluids so not as lubricated.

I wonder if your hips are slightly out of balance....
We not always ride centered/balanced but place more stress to one side than the other naturally...
All the extra riding time and work means extra stress to one side of your body since we all are one side dominant to some degree.
I'm not into chiro work on me as I have serious damage to my spine and a wrong adjustment puts me forever in a w/c,..._.so what risk do I take but ride horses. :icon_rolleyes:
_
I know many though who have adjustments for this exact kind of thing when they have discomfort like you describe...slightly out of align and we hurt.
Placed back in align and we feel much better. :smile:
My son can crack my vertebrae by just rubbing my back when bad and it feels so good...scary to hear all those pops but the instantaneous relief...:mrgreen:
I get it, but would look for the real cause as wear & tear damages, muscle memory is a lousy thing to have to unlearn..be careful you do treat the cause not just address a short-term relief.


Look carefully at your saddle stirrup leathers and irons when hanging and see if they hang level or off-center...
Might be a beginning of answers to your what did I do...
Also look at your footwear/shoes for a abnormal wear pattern appearing..
:runninghorse2:...
_jmo.._


----------



## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

You are probably right about the popping relieving tension. I really wouldn't worry _too_ much about arthritis. That sound is more of a grinding than popping. 

Either way the non-medicine fix can be the same. Slow stretching. Like qui gong style tai chi. Don't laugh if it looks too easy. It's great for joints. 

I keep threatening to make a qui gong video for ranchers and horseman. Up in the mountains. At a cow camp. Hobbled horses grazing in the meadow/park. A stream... Ooops. I get carried away.


----------



## SteadyOn (Mar 5, 2017)

As for muscle aches and pains, I've found that taking the following every night helps:
Calcium + Magnesium + vitamin D (combination pill)
Some additional vitamin D
A low dose B complex

It's been huuuuuge for helping with muscle recovery. I've recently started taking a turmeric pill and flax oil pills every night, too, though I noticed a difference with the above well before adding those.


----------



## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

I take turmeric and fish oil. I have a multi-vitamin, but I always forget to take it. I have a B Vitamin complex as well, but I tend to take it only when I'm tired. I'll try to remember -- if I can take it every day for a week, I wonder if that will help.


----------



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

just out of curiousity, which joints are popping? 



I have my husband crack my upper back often. sometimes the popping sound is impressive. Some of my falls from horseback have resulted in mongo cracking up the spine, like a zipper. My spine actually felt looser , but only after recovering from the concussive force pain, (a day or two of feeling like I'd been hit by a truck)


----------



## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

The joints that pop are in my neck, lower back, hips, and sometimes knees. I am sure the knees can't be good.

I've fallen off a number of times, but nothing where I couldn't get back up and ride again.


----------

