JOINT MANIPULATION
Joint manipulation is a manual therapy that involves applying force to your spinal or peripheral joints to help them move better. The goal of joint manipulation therapy is to lessen pain and improve range of motion.
Physical therapists (PTs) and chiropractors may use this technique to help you move and feel better after an injury or illness that causes loss of functional mobility.
This article will explain joint manipulation and how it’s applied, as well as provide insight into whether the technique is safe for you.
Why Do Joints Pop?
The joints in your body are places where two bones come together and articulate. On the ends of each bone in a joint is a smooth lining of hyaline cartilage. This cartilage allows the joint surfaces to glide and slide smoothly past one another. If the cartilage is impaired, pain and limited motion may occur.
Often when a joint isn’t moving properly, the muscles surrounding that joint become inhibited. This means that those muscles don’t contract properly. Suppose a joint in your body is dysfunctional for quite some time. In that case, significant muscle wasting and atrophy may occur around the joint, leading to difficulty with functional mobility like walking or reaching overhead.
Where Does the Pop Come From?
Your body is made up of cells. These cells “respirate” by converting energy and releasing waste materials. One such waste material from cellular respiration is carbon dioxide gas. Normally, this gas is transported to your blood and delivered out of the body while breathing.
Sometimes, small pockets of gas become trapped in your joints. These pockets of gas expand and contract as pressure around the joint changes with movement. This expansion and contraction is known as cavitation. When that gas is suddenly released from a joint through manual joint manipulation, the joint will pop.
When joints pop, you’ll likely hear a loud snapping sound as you move the joint. Once the gas is released, you may feel decreased pressure in your joint and increased mobility around it.
Is Joint Popping Normal?
Popping joints is a normal physiological process and should be painless.
There are other times when a joint may pop, such as when joint dysfunction or derangement is present. This means joint surfaces are simply in a bad or non-anatomical position, leading to pain and loss of motion. The joint may pop when it’s moved into its normal anatomical position.
Joint derangement may occur for a variety of reasons.
Non-Medical Causes
There are several non-medical causes of joint derangement and dysfunction that may lead to popping. These include:
- Repetitive strain and overuse
- Poor sitting or standing posture
- Lack of physical activity
- Stretching
In all of these situations, your joints may be temporarily placed in a dysfunctional position. When moving to the correct anatomical position, a popping sound may occur as built-up pressure in the joint is released. Popping may also occur as the joint surfaces slide past one another on their way to the optimal position.
Medical Causes
In some cases, joint popping may occur due to a medical condition. These include but aren’t limited to:
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Osteoarthritis
- Herniated cervical or lumbar discs
- Spinal arthritis
- Joint contracture after a period of immobilization
In all of these cases, a medical problem is occurring that may be causing a limitation in your joint’s position and movement. Often as an injured or contracted joint moves, it makes a popping sound when the bony joint surfaces move past one another.
Popping may also occur when gaseous pressure is released from the joint during joint manipulation therapy.