31/07/2026
🚨 IMPORTANT REMINDER – PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO READ THIS 🚨
Not every back pain is the same. And not every person is a good candidate for spinal manipulation or having their back “cracked.”
Recently, I had a client who shared that before coming in for a consultation, they received a massage where their back was manipulated to produce a cracking sound. According to the client, they later experienced pain from the ribs down to the lower back.
This post is not meant to criticize massage, hilot, chiropractic, bone setting, or any healthcare practitioner. Every profession has its own purpose, training, and approach.
What this experience reminds us is something very important:
A proper assessment should always come before any manual treatment or manipulation.
Pain is a symptom—not a diagnosis. Two people may complain of the same back pain but have completely different underlying conditions. What helps one person may not be safe or appropriate for another.
Massage is generally aimed at reducing muscle tension and promoting relaxation. Bone setting and chiropractic are different practices, but they also typically begin with an assessment before deciding whether a manual technique is appropriate.
As practitioners, our responsibility is not simply to make a joint crack or provide immediate relief. Our responsibility is to understand the person’s condition first and choose the safest and most appropriate course of care.
If you are experiencing persistent back, neck, or joint pain, don’t rely solely on what worked for someone else. Seek a proper assessment so you can receive care that matches your specific condition.
📌 Your body deserves more than a quick fix—it deserves the right care.
