Question
Sir,
I have gotten into the habit of cracking (popping, etc) my girlfriend's back by hugging and squeezing her back. Recently, I made the stupid mistake of doing this while her back was slightly twisted, and she is now experiencing severe pain in the back when she moves, breathes, etc. Obviously i am going to take her to a doctor, but honestly, I am not sure what is wrong with her back, and therefore which doctor it would be best to take her to. What sort of injury does this sound like to you, and what would be the best way to go about treating it?

Thanks!

Answer
hi sorry for taking a little time to get back to you. justin , I'm not sure where you live , but get her to a chiropractor as soon as you can. she obviously has a structural misalignment made worse by you. If she has been having problems for years and feels the need to be "cracked" , then there is an underlying issue there that needs resolving by a professional. the need to crack your back over and over again usually means there is something going on causing that urge. by cracking your own back or neck (it feels better temporarily) because you often times release gas from the joint (hence a cracking noise) which can relieve pressure. the downside to that is that you can and will over time cause hyper-mobility of the joints above and below the fixation she may have.
hope that helps.

David Kulla , DC
Chiropractor
www.SynergyWellnessNy.com